THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
Volume 1, Issue 12
SEPTEMBER 2010
A Newspaper by Children for Children
The Circle Gazette Completes a Circle by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Deerfield Beach, FL While I congratulate the team of The Circle Gazette on their very first anniversary, I would like to relate my journey with
The journey to this newspaper started at a Creative Writing Workshop. Being a frequent visitor to our local library, my parents introduced me and my sister to a variety of programs sponsored by the library. It so happened that during one of our regular
“A paper which would be read by kids like me, who would understand it more than adults would; just the way I enjoy other kids’ work.” this paper. The Circle Gazette originated from a home newsletter and was later launched officially into the community as a monthly newspaper publication. I only got introduced to this popular bulletin about seven months ago and I am yet to complete the circle. Right now, I have just traveled an arc with it!
visits to the library, my mom registered us for a Saturday afternoon writing workshop to be conducted by an editor. My ten year old sister got very excited with the idea of meeting an editor for the first time. A week before the workshop the librarian, Kathy, gave my mom a copy of the newspaper and that was the very first time I held the newspaper in my hands.
IN THIS ISSUE CJ
reative ournalism
Overcoming the challenges of an Ice Rink P3 Dave Matthews Concert P3 WRAPPING UP SUMMER P6
Visiting the home of THE CAKE BOSS School Supplies Pandemonium Summertime Memories BACK TO SCHOOL P7
School is an Adventure What’s happening with FCATs and Bill 6
OPINION P4
A word from Grandma by Lee Bruno, Guest Editor KIDS & POLITICS
Florida Gubernatorial Elections and The Race for a Senate Seat
LITERARY WORLD FICTION Meet “MAGMA, The Red Fairy”, a new character from an original world of magic P11 An interesting perspective on virtual reality: The Secret Game P10
Super Pup’s Big Finale P9 A Day in the Life of a Penny P9 POETRY CORNER P8 Amazing Animal Antics The Barking Dog The Salty Sea Bees
RC
EGULAR OLUMNS
Great Catches: Hook a Book A new column P5
The following Saturday was our first meeting with Patty Gómez, the editor. Her workshop was so much fun; she seemed more like a friend than an instructor. With her motivation and ideas, I felt that writing can actually be much more than a task. In the meantime, my mom had already taken some of my sister Shadya’s writing with her and Patty willingly agreed to have a look at it. To Shadya’s good luck we soon got the news of her “True story of Cinderella, The Witch” going up for publication. Though I felt happy for my sister, at the same time I wished that I too had something of mine to contribute. But not to worry! The very next issue carried a story of mine – “The Curse of Pandora’s Box” We attended several of Patty’s workshops and every time we learned something new about creative writing, and felt proud to express it on the paper. A paper which would be read by kids like me, who would understand it more than adults would; just the way I enjoy other kids’ work. My experience with the Gazette got even better with the TV Coverage (Channel 10 featured us on July14). What more can kids like us want? An exciting opportunity to be on TV! It felt like overnight we have turned into a celebrity. Wow! It was such a boost to our confidence. I felt that there is a whole lot more we kids can do, than what
“What we think, how we feel, what we see, where we go, and why we celebrate! Everything gets jotted down in our favorite newspaper.” we wish for. The Circle Gazette has unlocked the heart of many kids like me. What we think, how we feel, what we see, where we go, and why we celebrate! Everything gets jotted down in our favorite newspaper. With every issue, The Circle Gazette is pulling the crowd and building the enthusiasm to a new level. Let’s get into the circle and stretch its circulation! Let it be all over our community and beyond – Our very own paper, The Circle Gazette! Link in with us at www.enrichmentcircle.com and let’s move forward!
The Magicians Elephant by Kate Di Camillo: A Book Review by Emma Gómez, Age 6 Margate, FL The Magician’s Elephant is a really great book. I recommend it to kids that are six and older. The story is about a boy named Peter looking for his sister that had been taken away from him. The book has happy and sad parts. I could imagine the characters as my dad read the book to me. My favorite character is the elephant and the funniest character is Bartok Whynn, a man that sits sideways. He laughs a lot. The book has super funny parts and my
favorite is when a noble woman many times says: “Perhaps you don’t understand. I was crippled by an elephant.” I think that the elephant is not meaning to be in the city of Baltese and it just wants to go home. Peter really wants to see the elephant because it will lead him to his sister. My dad also read to me The Tale of Desperaux by the same author and I really enjoyed it. You should read these two books.
Green Tip of the Month P7 Theatre World 2010-2011 South Florida Theater Season P5 Did you know? History, Industry and Science Trivia. Keep an Eye on… P2 A Word from the Editor P2
ART BOX P12
Portraits Dog Horses Colorful Landscapes
“My favorite character is the elephant…” Illustration by Emma Gómez. Soft pastels on paper.
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THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
SEPTEMBER 2010
Aword from the editor: Our First Year Dear readers, writers and artists,
We’ve made twelve issues together! The Circle Gazette team wants to thank all of you for making our publication a source of fun, informative and creative stories, poems and articles. We want to thank all our artists for giving us a high quality “look” and for bringing the best of each story to the eye. In this first year we’ve gotten ourselves a name, a community of more than eighty contributors, fine columnists, hundreds of readers and a fantastic team. Our paper has been distributed all over South Florida, in Texas, Virginia, New York, Kentucky, California, Caracas-Venezuela and Rivas-Nicaragua. Our goals for the second year include expanding our readership, increasing our base of contributors and making the project financially sustainable. Also we’ll soon be launching our first book “Artsy Tales and Rhymes©- A Collection of Great Stories and Poems by Children for Children.” All literary and art submissions to The Circle Gazette between October 2009 and September 2010 will be automatically considered to be included in that special publication. Printing will be in full color. Check details on our web page www.enrichmentcircle.com. We especially thank The Coral Springs Museum of Art, The Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater and The Broward Northwest Regional Library for their support and for making themselves a distribution hub for our publication. The Northwest Regional Library in Coral Springs will host a wonderful reception in honor of our writers and artists on the occasion of our first year in print! Join us on Saturday, September 25 at 12:30 p.m. and celebrate with us! Please email us to let us know you are coming at info@enrichmentcircle.com. We feel happy to have twelve wonderful issues behind us and look forward to a whole new year of creative journalism and terrific literary and artistic contributions. Patty Gómez, Editor-In-Chief We keep on dreaming!
Why a Newspaper? Isn’t that Obsolete?
A Newspaper is a basic and classic medium of written communication. “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost,” said Thomas Jefferson, long ago. Freedom of the press is crucial for us, but to keep freedom, there has first to be a press! We believe that the human brain needs to experience every aspect of life from their basic and wholesome forms; to know them intimately and be able to grow and master their more sophisticated forms. Children are very sensorial, and the associations of caring they develop as they grow, depend on their ability to touch and smell, (and taste and hear) while they look: a multi-sensory stimulation. The child perceives the world as a whole, not in fragmented parts. A virtual, on-screen paper does not offer the multi-sensory experience to the developing mind. We need new generations avid to read about what’s happening around them, to keep the tradition of the press alive. We want those new generations to have warm memories and positive associations with the written word. The memory of a paper they could hold in their hands, smell and listen to crumple. A paper that contains the story they wrote. When seen in this light, “a newspaper” is not a step backward, but a jump forward. Patty Gómez, Editor-In-Chief
Keep An Eye On...
THE CORALSPRING CENTER FOR THEARTS
School Days Series Calendar is out and available at coralspringscesnterforthearts.com The SMART STAGE SERIES Calendar at the
Broward Center for the Arts is now available at www.browardcenter.org. CSMART Art Classes
The Circle Gazette Celebration of the 1 year Anniversary of The Circle Gazette will take place at the Northwest Regional Library in Coral Springs Saturday September 25 at 12:30 p.m. Visit www. enrichmentcircle.com for details
FREE CREATIVE WRITING APPROACH TO BECOMING A PUBLISHED WRITER
For Young Authors. Ages 7-11 and 12 and up. At the Northwest Regional Library- Coral Springs, FL. 3151 University Drive Register at The Coral Springs Library Youth Services Desk Call 954-341-3965
Apply for your Press Pass!
The Enrichment Circle
A Non-Profit Organization for the Advancement of Education
Fall Calendar for children, teens and adults available now at www.csmart.org.
Identify yourself as a reporter and go on a fall interview spree! Every Child Outside
Nature classes for children. Visit www.thenatureteacher.com. Cooking Classes for Children at the Coral Springs Gymnasium. Pre-registration required. Call 954345-2107 WOW !!! Science Stand-alone monthly class AT VOLUNTEER PARKPlantation, FL EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CLASSES START SEPTEMBER 1 www.wowscience.net RETURN TO THE CLASSICS Creative Writing and Classic Literature for Children Join Denise Thompson 954-757 5186 educ.unlimited@gmail.com www.educationunlimited. webs.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
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LEARNING TO ICE SKATE by Liora Elkoby, Age 8 Fort Lauderdale, FL
My mama and I drove to the ice skating rink. Outside, it was a very warm day. When we got into the ice skating rink I had to put on my sweater as soon as I could. I saw big black benches, a food court, and ice skates everywhere! It was amazing how many ice skates there were. Boy was it cold in there! I quickly dressed in double layer pants and a shirt and a long sleeved sweater and a coat. I sat down on one of the black benches and my mother asked me what size shoe I was and I said 13. So we got that size and as much as
I tried, it would not fit. So we tried a larger size and that worked. Now I was ready. My teacher, Brittani, came. Then came the most exciting part: I finally got to go on the ice! At first, the ice was very smooth and slippery. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. But Miss Brittani was very nice. She said she would not let me fall on the ice. She taught me how to keep from falling, how to stop and how to turn. She also showed me how to go around those red circles with two feet. She also taught me how to skate on one foot. At first I was not very good with my left foot but after a few lessons and
practice I got really good. She also showed me how to skate fast, of course. After my lesson I got to practice. After a little while of skating the smooth ice begins to look like snow, because of all the skaters shaving the top layer of ice off with their skates as they move. I liked to pick it up. It felt just like snow! It was cold too. It was so amazing! Before I started my ice skating lessons I was hugging the wall. Now that I am better, it feels like I’m floating on air. It feels very good to know what I’m doing. Now I’m really fast, faster than my mama!
DAVE MATTHEWS CONCERT AT CRUZAN AMPHITHEATER IN WEST PALM BEACH by Niklas Martinez, Age 6 Margate, FL
We went to a concert, and we saw Dave Matthews. It was a fun night! We sat at the Family Zone, which was great because it had less people and we could sit on our blanket. My sister and I put on headphones because it was noisy. We listened to the music and even danced. I think it would be great for other kids to go to concerts to hear music. Who: Dave Matthews Band When: Saturday, July 31st Where: Cruzan Amphitheater (WPB) What was my favorite part of the concert?
“It was a fun night!”
When they played “Funny the Way It Is”- my favorite song. What was my least favorite part of the concert? It was long! What would you tell other kids that want to go to a concert? It’s exciting and make sure you bring some snacks and drinks too. Oh! and don’t forget headphones.
“My sister and I…”
“At first, the ice was very smooth and slippery. I was slipping and sliding everywhere” Illustration by Liora Elkoby. Pencil on paper.
Did You Know... … that the Cruzan Amphitheatre is a 19,000seat open-air music venue in West Palm Beach, Florida? The facility, owned by the South Florida Fairgrounds, is a modern amphitheatre used primarily for concerts and other performances. Re-named Cruzan Amphitheatre in early 2008, this venue has hosted great shows over the years, including: Christina Aguilera, Paul Simon, Aerosmith, Backstreet Boys, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Dave Matthews Band among many others.
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SEPTEMBER 2010
opinion
Don’t Forget Grandparents Day! by Lee Bruno Guest Editor
Let me introduce myself. I’m a grandmother – Sofia’s “Gamma” to be specific. You know how special it is to be a grandchild, so I thought I’d share how special it is to be a grandparent. It’s fun. When Sofia sees her Grandpa and me, the first thing she wants to do is play. We play board games, dolls, and her latest passion “Go Fish.” We enjoy coloring and painting with her, and swimming at the beach or a pool.
We all enjoy music and movies together. The main thing we do is laugh – a lot! We also share our interests with Sofia, such as going to plays and the ballet. Sofia especially loves “The Nutcracker.” It’s serious. Grandpa and I like to support Sofia in her interests, her talents, and her education. She loves animals, so we take her to zoos and buy books, games and toys that teach her about animals. Sofia loves to dance and swim, so we attend recitals and celebrate swimming trophies. We believe education is very important, so we
“The grandparent – grandchild bond is very special.” get subscriptions to wonder-
Kids & Politics
Gubernatorial Elections Getting More Heated! by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Deerfield Beach, FL Hi Kids! Hope you know what’s going on in Florida by now? It is election time! It is time to choose who will lead the state. One of these elections is the governorship party’s primaries. Our current governor, Charlie Crist will not be running for reelection because he is pursuing a seat in the senate. So, this means, we have an open election where a lot of qualified candidates have a chance to become governor. On the Democratic
side of the campaign there is Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, and former Socialist Party USA presidential candidate Brian Moore. So far, Sink seems to be leading in the polls for the Democrats and most likely will become the Democratic candidate for governor. On the Republican side, votes are divided between two strong candidates, former Congressman and current Attorney General Bill McCollum, and businessman and healthcare industry executive Rick Scott. Scott has aired several television and radio advertisements against McCollum,
Did You Know... … that National Grandparents Day, falling on September 12th this year, began 32 years ago in 1978 for the purpose of honoring the nation’s grandparents and educating children on the important contributions of elders in their community. It is celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
attacking him on taxes, immigration and his actions in Congress. McCollum has slammed Rick Scott in participating in a Healthcare fraud case. The two have been neck to neck for weeks and, until recently, Scott was in the lead. However, recent reports say that in general polls, Sink is beating McCollum 37-35 and Scott by 40-24. In my opinion, Scott, who is a very wealthy man, sees from his own perspective. But, there are not too many wealthy people in Florida and if the rich only view things through the eyes of the rich, they will be angering and injuring the majority of the people in the state. McCollum, on the other hand, has a lot of scandals against him and, if you are wondering, he also served as a House Manager for Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial. Although I do not want to weigh in on anybody’s vote, I strongly believe in Alex Sink. She has a successful career and a lot of experience in finance. With her vast experience she can turn Florida’s economy around. Remember readers; try to influence anybody you know who can vote to cast their vote for whomever you feel can help improve the social, economic, and educational life of Florida residents. Tell your parents to vote in this upcoming election. It is vital - for their vote can make a big difference! Editor’s note: (This article was written before the election was held on August 24, 2010.) Rick Scott won the Republican primary for Florida governor, beating Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. Scott had 46 percent of the vote compared to McCollum’s 43 percent. DEM Alex Sink (current won over Brian P. Moore, 77.88% to 22.12%. Rick Scott and Alex Sink will battle for Governor of the State of
Florida in November.
ful children’s magazines and take Sofia to museums and science centers. It’s family. Grandparents like to share stories of their childhood. Grandparents also like to make sure their grandchildren interact with their aunts and uncles. These are important experiences for children. Grandpa and I also feel it’s important to talk about family members who are no longer with us. Those stories usually happen while sharing photos and mementoes. It’s love. The grandparent – grandchild bond is very
special. It’s those moments when Gamma and Grandpa are babysitting. It’s those weekend visits when Mommy and Daddy get to sleep late and Gamma fixes breakfast. It’s those moments Sofia asks for a “world-famous best” grilled cheese sandwich. In other words, it’s those moments you build through experiences together. Does this all sound familiar? Think of your relationship with your grandparents, and it’s sure to have all the same pieces.
2010 Senate Elections Battle for the Seat by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Deerfield Beach, FL At this time of the year, there are many very important elections going on, and one of them is the race for the seat vacated by Senator Mel Martinez, who announced that he would not run for reelection and would resign before his term expired. Subsequently, Governor Charlie Crist replaced him through his former Chief of Staff, George LeMieux who is completing the rest of Martinez’s term. This race has become an open election in which the current holder of the office is not running again, leaving nearly anyone free to take their place. Though many people think that independent candidates are insignificant in this election, the independent candidate seems to be doing wonderfully in the race. Governor of Florida Charlie Crist announced that he would run for senate in 2009, and was running as a Republican at the time. He was the leading candidate in the Republican polls until early 2010, when former Speaker of the House of Florida, Marco Rubio started climbing in the polls. Soon he had the lead for the Republican Party and he looked like he would win the Republican nomination. Determined not to lose the Senate contest, Crist abandoned the Republican Party and became an independent candidate. Since then, independent Crist seems popular in the general polls. On the Republican side there are many candidates including Rubio, Marion Thorpe, William Kogut, and William Escoffeery; though Rubio seems to be leading in the polls and is very likely to be the Republican nominee. The Democrats are having an intense battle between two of its best candidates, Congressman Kendrick Meek, and billionaire businessman Jeff Greene.
Greene has launched many attacks on Meek, like accusing him of being part of a fraud case, of taking special interest money, of being against children’s healthcare, calling Meek corrupt and attacking Meek for using a misleading quote from Warren Buffet in one of his ads. Meek in turn accused Greene for disobeying the Cuban embargo, damaging a coral reef in Belize, and profiting by the middle class losing their homes. Meek is ahead in the democratic polls, though the democrats are not doing very well in this election. I personally think Crist did not do a good job as a governor, so I don’t think he will be any better in the senate. I throw my support to the Democrats, but not to Greene since the last time a very wealthy man with no political experience was elected (Herbert Hoover, 1928) we had the Great Depression, and since we already are in a recession, I don’t think we can afford more economic damage. Also, these rich people just don’t understand what common people go through, and although Greene says he started out as a commoner, he has become so rich he may have forgotten what it is like. I support Kendrick Meek for not only the democratic nomination, but the senate race since he has experience with the Congress and could bring change to Florida. Remember my adult friends, your vote is important! So exercise that right, right now! Editor’s note: (This article
was written before the election was held on August 24, 2010.) Florida primary results have been officially announced and Jeff Greene, the rich investor faced a crushing defeat from Kendrick Meek. Meek took 51.74% of the votes over Jeff Greene’s 34.81%. Maurice Ferre trailed with 5.46%. Meek will go on to a general election fight with Republican Marco Rubio and Republican-turnedIndependent Charlie Crist.
SEPTEMBER 2010
THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
Great Catches! Hook a Book by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Deerfield Beach, FL
Summer might be over, summer reading programs in the library might be over, but is reading over? No! Reading is for all time. Back to school does not specify the end of reading. Keep fishing for books in the ocean of the library, while you hold on to your fishing line: your library card. In this column, I will provide a list of books and summaries in order to inspire you to read. Here are some of my first great catches.
This book is not a very good book and you should not even waste your time reading it.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School Author: Louis Sachar Age level: 3rd grade and up. Rating:
Grading scale This book is a great catch. Go out and get it right now. This book is definitely something great. Try to read it as soon as possible. This book is something one should think about reading. This book is below average, advisable to read as a last resort.
Daniela Gómez as a WHO in “Seussical The Musical”, Spring 2008. Hi everyone! Those of you who read my column every month know that I pick a theater play, that I’ve watched or been in, and then review it and give all my recommendations. But this issue is a special one. It’s 12th issue of The Circle Gazette! We are closing our first year. So I’m not going to review a play this time. You will! I am going to list upcoming local performances at three of my favorite venues: The Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater, The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and The Coral Springs Center for the Arts. I would like you to pick at least one to go watch and write to me at info@enrichmentcircle.com and tell me how it went. What’s your opinion on: acting, singing, dancing & choreography? What do you think of the lighting, special effects, set pieces? What was your favorite and least favorite scene? How do you like the story? I have enjoyed reviewing
is this thirty story building strange for its construction, but also has all sorts of things you would never dream of seeing in an average school. For example, teachers punish students by turning them into apples, trading names, and all sorts of whacky things that will really test your imagination.
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Ages mixed with today’s world, you should definitely think of this book. In this book, ten-year-old William sadly sees his house maid leave for England, though she leaves him a handsome gift of a large toy castle he can play with whenever he wants. With the castle comes a lead knight figure named Castle in the Attic Author: Elizabeth Winthrop Sir Simon, which William Age level: 4th grade and up discovers is not a toy but a Rating: real knight who was turned to lead and sent to William’s world after an evil sorcerer from the knight’s world cheated him out of the royal crown. So now it is up to William to save Sir Simon’s kingdom and defeat the evil sorcerer.
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story, then I recommend this book as a good fiction, and a good way to get interested in our Na-
tion’s Geography. It is an interesting story depicting The Scrambled States of the 50 states of America, feeling sick of their posiAmerica tions in the country. After Wayside was intended to Author: Laurie Keller be a one story school with a peaceful verbal meeting, Age level: All ages thirty classrooms but the the states agree to trade Rating: builders accidentally built it places for a while, and If you want a fun way sideways making the school Now, if you want a good to learn about our states suffer big consequences. look more peculiar than normal schools. But not only story about the Middle as well as enjoy a good plays and giving my opinion so I thought that it would be nice to hear your opinion about a theater performance. If you choose a Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theatre (FLCT) show and you want to also be in the experience, you can audition for it (but that doesn’t mean you always get a part). If you are an older kid you can audition but you can also try out for crew (setting scenes, helping with spotlights and working backstage). I’m ten, and crew is available for my age and up. I have not been crew yet so I am really excited about trying it out. I have performed in many FLCT plays and I love this company. FLCT has a wonderful way of leading kids through everything an actor should know: about projecting your voice (being loud without screaming or hurting yourself) and “tech week”. At FLCT I’ve learned the beauty of live theater and that, to me, out rules even movies! I hope you can enjoy these plays. It’s OK to say that you don’t like a performance. When the acting of a show is believable and enjoyable I like it. If you are not convinced with the style of the actors or it could also be the script, you can write to me saying: “I didn’t like this show because the acting was bad.” Remember that this is your opinion. You can give me your thoughts about two plays or more, if you want. I wish you to have the same happy experience that I’ve had watching (or being in) and reviewing performances. Have lots of fun and come with me as the lights go out!
Theater World New Theater Season by Daniela Gómez, Age 10 Margate, FL
Here is the 2010-2011 Season! FLCT A Midsummer Night’s Dream, October 2010. Snow White, December 2010. Aida, March 2011. My Son Pinocchio: Geppetto’s Musical Tale, May 2011. Hello Dolly!, July 2011 The Playground Theater Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Wednesday November 3 to December 19, 2010 The Love of Three Oranges. Wednesday, January 12 to February 6, 2011 The Red Thread Wednesday, April 13 to May 27, 2011 Coral Springs Center for the Arts Strega Nona, The Musical October 14, 2010 Virtually Me October 21, 2010 Giggle, Giggle, Quack October 27, 2010 Zorro! November 5, 2010 Harold & The Purple Crayon November 12, 2010 We The People: America Rocks! November 15, 2010 The Incredible Speediness Of Jamie Cavanaugh November 23, 2010 Slam In The Schools January 11, 2011 Star Trek Live! January 18, 2011 The Crayon Court January 25, 2011 Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical February 11, 2011 Duck For President, Fancy Nancy & Other Story Books April 12, 2011 Black Violin April 26, 2011 Willow Girl April 27, 2011
Creole For Kidz And The History Of Zydeco May 3, 2011 Butterfly: The Story Of A Life Cycle May 5, 2011 Broward Center for the Performing Art (at multiple locations) Sesame Street Live! September 27, 2010 Stone Soup, October 6, 2010 Pigeon Party, October 15, 2010 Sticks & Stones, October 25, 2010 Charlotte's Web, November 10, 2010 Lazer Vaudeville, November 22, 2010 Afro-Brazil, December 2, 2010 and January 10, 2011 Madeline's Christmas, December 10, 2010 Arts Ballet Nutcracker, December 17, 2010 Beethoven Returns, January 11, 2011 Chinese Golden Acrobats, January 12, 2011 Wizard of Oz, February 3, 2011 and February 4, 2011 Dance Theatre of Harlem, February 11, 2011 Jungle Book, February 18, 2011 I Never Saw Another Butterfly, May 2, 2011 Winnie the Pooh, May 4, 2011 Doktor Kaboom, May 5, 2011 and May 6, 2011 Caps for Sale/3 Billy Goats, May 6, 2011 Tickets and information at: *FLCT: 954-763 6882 and www.flct.org *Coral Springs Center for the Arts: 954-3445999 ext. 1381 and www.coralspringscenterforthearts.com/ school_days.cfm *Broward Center for the Performing Arts: (954) 462-0222 and www.browardcenter.org
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SEPTEMBER 2010
Wrapping Up Summer
HOBOKEN, NJ: Home of “The Cake Boss” by Darian Haberland, Age 9 Davie, FL
While on summer vacation with my family in the New York area, my Uncle and his girlfriend joined my mom, my brother, and I on a trip to see the actual bake shop of The Cake Boss. The Cake Boss is a TV show on TLC. It is about a family who owns a bakery in Hoboken, NJ. It is one of my favorite TV shows. It is really cool to watch them make those amazing cakes. We drove from Staten Island to downtown Hoboken. I saw the bakery right away when we turned the corner onto Washington Street. I was excited to see that the outside of the shop looked exactly like it did on TV. But, I didn’t expect there to be such a long line of people waiting to get in. I didn’t know how many other people
traveled to see the bakery on their vacations too. We waited about 45 minutes for our turn to go inside. It was worth the wait! Once we got inside it was smaller than how it looks on TV, but it was filled with lots of yummy treats. There were lots of people buying all kinds of baked goods. My favorite was the big M&M cookie. My mom said the cream puffs were excellent! Buddy, The Cake Boss was not there so we could not meet him, but we did get to meet his Mom. Maybe next time! If you ever go to New York City, you should make the short trip over to Hoboken, NJ and visit Carlo’s Bake Shop. If you get to meet Buddy, tell him we said “Hi!”
Pupil Preparation
Pandemonium by Wren Downs, Age 12 Coral Springs, FL Okay, the new school year is approaching, and stores everywhere are stocked with all of the necessary school supplies that the coming year demands. The school supply lists given to families are sometimes a little outrageous. A lot of schools ask parents to buy some things that kids won’t use themselves, but rather, the whole class will use. Most of the time, teachers will take supplies that kids bring in and put them all together, so that each student who brought in a bottle of hand sanitizer or a tissue box will contribute to furnishing the classroom. Parents buy kids supplies for their own kid to use. Not others! That’s why that’s unfair. Also, some schools might tell you that you have to buy 3 dozen pencils, or another extreme amount of something. This ensures that kids have enough to work with, but why should parents have to buy supplies that probably won’t even be used?
“The school supply lists given to families are sometimes a little outrageous.” Does anyone else see the tyranny in this situation? Enough negative, on to the positive. After all of the hectic school shopping, kids can relax and enjoy the new school year with their new school supplies. Labeling folders and notebooks on the first day, and using the folders and notebooks throughout the year is all part of the yearly routine. Summer might be over and yes, that’s upsetting, but at least you have summer to look forward to next year! Happy school year, everybody!
“I was excited to see that the outside of the shop looked exactly like it did on TV”
SUMMERTIME MEMORIES by Daniela Gómez, Age 10 Margate, FL Summertime is over. Everyone got on and off of planes to meet family and friends while exploring new things. My aunt, uncle and two cousins, who live in Venezuela, came over to the USA on vacation; they stayed at our house for two weeks and stayed at other friends’ as well. They will be here again soon. My mom’s friend, who has a three year old daughter and is pregnant, came also not long ago. People wanted to get the chance to see someone they haven’t seen for a long time before summer’s out! We wanted to go to Venezuela and meet family we haven’t seen in three years! It feels like ages! We plan to go some
time during the fall. What did YOU do over the summer? Summer is filled with adventure and opportunity. I remember in 2008 when we took a road trip north and stopped in Orlando, Savanna, GA, Virginia and finally we stopped in the Maryland’s side of Washington DC. Coming back south, we stopped in South Carolina and Orlando and finally made it home. When we were in Virginia, we went to Jamestown and Williamsburg where we dressed up as the people in the thirteen colonies at the time of the American Revolution and got a list of things to do that showed my sisters and me how people at the time lived. I recommend going to this place. If you don’t travel, that doesn’t mean you won’t be
able to find ways to enjoy your summer! Fly a kite, go to beach, visit the nearby park and go for a walk. I attended an Art Shop Summer Camp at the Coral Spring Museum of Art. I made beautiful bowls and plates out of clay. It was fun to get my hands into the soft, cold terracotta. There are plenty of good ways to have a happy summer, if you open the door to your imagination you will see; suddenly you will be having lots of FUN! It is September and school is starting. Have you had fun over the summer? Summertime is ending and school is beginning once again, review what you did over the summer and have a happy backto-school!
Did You Know... … that the autumnal equinox, occurring this year on September 23rd, has been technically renamed the September equinox for accuracy? It’s true this is the first day of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, but it is the exact opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it marks the first day of Spring. The word equinox comes from the Latin terms aequus (equal) and nox (night) since at this time the length of day and night are nearly equal.
“We dressed up as the people in the thirteen colonies at the time of the American Revolution and got a list of things to do that showed my sisters and me how people at the time lived.”
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And Back To School
Green Tip of the Month by A.J. Cross, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL
Summertime’s over, and it is now time to get back to a normal schedule. And a normal schedule should include being green! Many stores are having back-to-school sales. Why don’t you buy and use environmentally friendly school supplies this year? Here are a couple of tips... 1. Buy a solid lunchbox that you can use every day instead of using paper bags. (Whole Foods sells lunchbox kits that include reusable everything!) The paper bags may be recyclable, but reusing is always better than recycling. Instead of buying lunchbox size food and snacks, buy the large size bags and jars and pack them in your own lunchbox-size containers and zipper bags. Once you have finished eating, you stuff the containers and bags back into the lunchbox. When you are home, wash them out and set them to dry so you can use them again tomorrow. See picture for ideas on how to make a bag dryer, instructions are at the end. Instead of using those small containers of beverages, pour them from large cartons into a thermos that can be washed out and used again. Also use washable utensils and cloth napkins. Reusing your lunch supplies puts no garbage in the landfill, and will also save you money. 2. Instead of buying regular school supplies, get notebooks, paper, and pencils that are made from recycled material. Visit greenciles. com to order some Greenciles (Pencils made of 100% recycled paper instead of wood). According to a company spokesman, all of the pencil, except the graphite core, is made of either recycled material or tree sap and cellulose. Wood pencil shavings you probably just throw
away, but paper shavings can be recycled again! To order other green office or school supplies visit letsgogreen.biz or Google search ‘earth friendly school supplies’. Before you order, make sure to contact the company to find out if their products are as green as they say they are. Another thing to consider is finishing up last year’s school supplies before buying new. The old notebooks may have last year’s stuff on them, but they will hold paper just as well. Pencils may be shorter, but as long as they have lead they will still write. Also if you want new clothes and styles but don’t want a large price tag, try shopping at thrift stores. You can buy a whole new wardrobe secondhand for the price of an average shirt, new! No one will know that your clothes were not brand new, and you’re the only one who has to know the number on the price tag! INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE BAG DRIERS Materials: • One 3’’ by 3’’ piece of 1/3’’ thick wood of any shape • One wooden dowel, any length greater than 5’’ • One wooden animal figurine • Waterproof glue • Acrylic paint • old newspaper (not The Circle Gazette) • An adult with a power drill Instructions: 1. Have the adult drill a 1/4’’ deep hole in the figurine and wood, just large enough in diameter for the dowel to fit in. 2. Use the waterproof glue to attach the dowel inside the holes of the wood and figurine. 3. Let it dry. 4. Put another layer of glue on the top and bottom of the dowel at the bases of the wood and figurine. 5. Do step three. 6. Stand up the bag dryer on its base. 7. Lay out the newspaper over a table. 8. Paint the bag dryer over the newspaper using the acrylic paint. 9. Do step five. 10. Dry bags on it by putting the wet bags upside-down over the figurine so they can drip. Please note that if the wood base is lighter that the figurine then your bag dryer will be top-heavy and will likely fall over.
“When you are home, wash [the zip-lock bags] out and set them to dry so you can use them again tomorrow.”
SCHOOL IS AN ADVENTURE by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL Summer has been so much fun! In fact, it was fun all the time. But now it is time to get back to school. Seems b-o-r-in-g! Right? But have you ever thought or realized how much fun it can be to get back to school? Everybody has things they don’t like. Sometimes you don’t like a certain food or doing a certain thing, wearing a certain color, or even going to a certain place. One thing you might not like is going to school. But even if you don’t like school, you still have to go. Here are some things I don’t like about school: • waking up early • having to work all day • riding the bus • wearing uniform I wish I just stayed home and watched T.V. and lived on ice cream and cakes. But wait a minute – I think I get to do all that in school, though in moderation.
School is not just about work. To me, school is an adventure, where we learn and explore. Every morning holds a new mystery for me. What today? Maybe my class will take a fieldtrip to space and then fight giant purple space monkeys and bring home tiny red elephants that wear tiny gold key chains with little rocks as earrings. Okay maybe I was exaggerating a bit, but maybe we will travel in time and play rock paper scissors with George Washington and then we win and become cool giants that everybody likes and we become a super cool dance group and then we go in the future and find out who is going to win American Idol. Or we can just read about George Washington and pretended that happened. You can change a simple little ant into: Super Ant! There are many other things about school that rock, like friends,
“Every morning holds a new mystery for me. What today?” recess, parties, plays, dances, and a lot of others. You know “Life is what you make it so let’s make it rock,” like the teen pop star Hannah Montana says. Anyway, I am getting all charged up to get back to school and meet my new teacher, new friends, and a brand-new academic year! Hope it’s a treat!
CONTROVERSY OVER FCAT AND BILL 6 What’s in store for the 2010-2011 school year? by Ismail Ercan, Age 13 Coral Springs, FL As summer comes to an end, and the school year approaches, kids, parents and teachers are all as anxious as ever. Being a teacher was never an easy job; all parents want their children to succeed, have satisfactory grades, and of course, noteworthy FCAT scores. Just this April, a teacher’s job almost became ten times harder when the Republican Legislature barely passed through Bill 6. The bill would have, starting in 2014, according to the Sun Sentinel, “based teachers’ pay raises primarily on their students’ ‘learning gains’ which would be determined by standardized tests such as the FCAT. In addition, teachers hired after July wouldn’t have had tenure — the system that gives teachers a virtual lifetime job guarantee. New teachers would have worked on one-year contracts that would have been renewed only if their students showed learning gains.” Despite encouragement from other Republicans such as former Florida Gov., Jeb Bush and US Sen. George LeMieux, Republican governor, Charlie Crist, vetoed the bill. A few hours after he vetoed the bill, Mr. Crist attended a rally in his honor on the steps of Leon High School in Tallahassee, which was draped with a big sign saying, “Thank You, Governor Crist.” Florida teachers had the best sleep they had in months that night. In my opinion, this is a controversial bill. In order to be a teacher, you need to have the heart, the desire and passion to teach, patience with students, and of course, the qualifications for the job. Sometimes, the pairing between the students, schools and teachers is
not great. The school can have great teachers, but not have the resources and supplies needed to teach students. Or, there could be a school with great resources and great teachers, but have less motivated students. On the other hand, there are the teachers that just teach for the paycheck and couldn’t care less about the success of their students. These teachers could end up, by stroke of luck, in “A” schools and have great students and exceptional grades without much effort on their part. Each teacher, despite the motivation of his/her students, or the resources available, should still do their best to teach students to succeed. One exception for Bill 6 was for the teachers that teach special needs kids. The term, “special needs” can mean many different things. Under the big umbrella of “special needs” there are 5 main categories: medical, developmental, behavior, learning, and mental health issues. Two examples of “special needs” are autism and
“The testing company hired by Florida, had problems administering and grading the exams” Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). One of the main challenges of the teachers to succeed with these types of students is to assess each individual student with a special need and to set a goal to achieve for the end of the year. These goals can range from counting to ten, or walking in a straight line. Obviously, these kids cannot take tests such as the FCAT, so the government would have to find a different way to continued on page 11
“Republican governor, Charlie Crist, vetoed the bill… Florida teachers had the best sleep they had in months that night.” A teacher protests Bill 6 in Lakeland, FL
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Amazing Animal Antics by Sara Cross, Age 9 Boca Raton, FL
Beautiful Blue Jay, feathered and flying, adorably sweet, they are every day. Cute Gray Opossum, furry and climbing, so playful and mute, it's fun to have one. Little Iguana, so scaly and green, bathe in UV light, they always wanna. Pretty Butterfly, small and delightful, very beautiful, colors they supply.
“Beautiful Blue Jay” Illustration by Sofia Serrano, Age 4. Tempera on paper.
Crawly Fiddler Crab, furrowing and small, digs cozy burrows, to which food they drag.
The Salty Sea by Julie Mason, Age 9 Parkland, FL
The super, salty, sea. The waves crashing on the shore like the drumsticks pounding on the drums. The rough rocks. The spiraled, shiny, shimmering, shells. Heads bobbing up and down in the water. Surf boards gliding over my head. Teeny, tiny waves followed by colossal waves. The kicks underwater forcing people to stay up. The sparkling sun blinding your eyes. Reflecting off the ocean like a mirror. Squinted eyes to protect from the shining sun. The yellowish-orange shining sun glittering and glimmering on the ocean. Shadows swimming with you as you glide through the warm water. Whoosh, whoosh. The waves smoothly slithering through the water. Crash, crash. The waves smashing against the ocean floor People screaming and shouting over the roaring waves. How do people swim through the super salty sea? What is the temperature of the water? Why does the ocean boom so loud? Where do all the fish go? Little boys and girls crying whenever the waves crash into their faces or when they step onto the sharp speared stones. The depression whenever the waves only reach your knees. The happiness when you jump right over the white, whooshing, waves. Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh! Splash Splash Splash!
The Barking Dog
BEES
by Sara I. Cross, Age 9 Boca Raton, FL
The barking dog runs far far away, Not to the zoo, to the park to play, There he found some more dogs, Who taught him to eat frogs, And where to sleep at the end of day.
by Emma Gómez, Age 6 Margate, FL
I love the bees! In the leaves, Bees are free Like we. With their honey, They are so sunny. In the air They are so fair.
SEPTEMBER 2010
“All the bees … Go for tea” Soft pastels on paper.
A bear Is not fair! He steals A great deal. When the pollen Is fallen, All the bees Go for tea.
“I love the bees!” Illustrations by Emma Gómez. Soft pastels on paper.
“The barking dog runs far far away” Illustration by Sara Cross. Pencil on paper.
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speed. In a flash Tom was right next to Leroy. “Tom?” Leroy gasped. “Hi Mr. Tommy!” Ella screeched with delight. Tom studied the little girl. She appeared to be 3 or 4 years old. She was holding something that looked similar to an old tea cup. ‘Why would a little girl kidnap and want to play tea with a talking dog and an old tea cup?’ Tom thought to himself. Then he peered at the
get in line to compete.” “Doggie, you go in the sky, watch for any danger.” Ella commanded. The boy immediately sprang to the job. “Hmm Ella is not so cute and cuddly is she?” Amanda wondered out loud. Ella proceeded with her plan. “Here mommy, your favorite tea.” Olivia glanced down. “Uh thank you honey.” To make Ella feel good Olivia drank a bit of the tea. Suddenly she start-
Super Pup: The Finale by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL Leroy took one step. The ground was wet and mucky. Although he preferred to walk with all four paws, Tolerance told him super heroes only walk with their hind legs. He looked up and spotted a big bucket of swordfish. “Hey puppy, ready for training?” Tolerance demanded. “Um, okay. One quick question, when can I go to sleep?” Leroy inquired. Suddenly Leroy heard a big bang. “Wh- wh-what was that?” Super Pup squeaked. Then a leaf exploded, and a girl as old as 12 appeared out of nowhere. “Yes! I’m not being yelled at for using magic… although leaf travel is a bit too tight. Oh great where’s that other girl?!” Amanda exclaimed. “Right here fish head!” a voice uttered behind them. Before they could turn around to see the speaker, a flower sprouted. “Tolly!” a tiny girl, named Ella, yelled. Although they were just little girls Super Pup was super afraid. The smallest one frightened him the most. Tolerance (a.k.a. Tolly) didn’t show the slightest bit of worry in her face. “Hello girls”, she cheered “how is your mother?” The biggest girl gave Tolerance a smirk and snarled, “Oh well, she’s mad at you!” Leroy looked at Tolerance and then the girls. Then everything went black. Buzz! Tom got up. He shut off his alarm clock. “Leroy get up he commanded, but nothing happened. “Tolerance Where’s Leroy,” he screamed with a lot of worry in his voice. No one replied. He quickly sprinted into his closet. “Where is it?” he yelped. Then he pulled out a crystal ball. “Oh magic shiny crystal ball, show me the most powerful dog of them all!” The crystal ball instantly showed him a picture of Under Dog who was on vacation. Tom sighed; sometimes the crystal ball was a tad dumb. “O magic crystal ball, show me the most powerful butterfly of them all!” he yowled. Suddenly the magic ball clouded up. Tom hoped it could find Leroy. He wasn’t too worried about Tolerance; he didn’t mind his house minus a grumpy butterfly. Suddenly light came from the
crystal ball. The next thing Tom knew was that only thing he was looking at was his eyelids. Tolerance was flapping around. “I will escape. I’ve escaped a brick cage before!” she bellowed. Amanda gave Tolerance a wicked smile. “It’s very funny to see the most powerful butterfly in the world struggling to get out of a butterfly net.” Amanda croaked. “Will doggie wake up?” Ella inquired. Just then Leroy blinked. He didn’t know where he was; and he didn’t want to know either. He wished it was just the second part of his crazy dream of him being Super Pup. He spotted a little girl. Was she his owner? Maybe he didn’t have an owner named Tom. Leroy had a lot of questions. Was his name really Leroy? What should he call himself if he wasn’t Leroy? A dog? The dog? Was a guy named Tom dreaming about having a super dog named Leroy? How could all that love be fake? What was his owner’s name? At that moment a tall woman entered the room. He could feel himself shaking. “Ah, our guests! What a pleasure having you here Leroy. And what a displeasure having you here you dirty insect.” Tolerance didn’t look at all offended. “Oh! Olivia has your wart grown or has your face shrunk? And about that robe: Voldemort called. He said he wants it back.” Tolerance said in a manner of salutation. All the girls in the room started laughing except for Ella. “Come doggie, I’ll show you to my room. There we can talk. She whispered to Super Pup. He sniffed her. Ella smelled like strawberry lollipops; he decided that he would trust her. In her room they talked like no man’s business. Probably because it was no man’s business. They had a plan. And it was a good one. Tom had just woken up. He had dreamed about Leroy; he always dreamed about Leroy. But this no doubt was real. Leroy had sent Tom a message through the crystal ball. Tom got up and rushed to the lawn and then grabbed the broom. He pictured the place Leroy was in. Suddenly the broom picked up
sorceress, so that wasn’t going to be hard. The next day she flew to Emir’s mountain. He was just enjoying some tea. Then she made the tea cup suck up all his powers. His powers are still in the tea cup. Whoever drank out of it got the warlock’s powers.” But Beware! Super Pup stared at Tom. Tom looked as though someone slapped him in the face. “Uh Tom we don’t
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“Here mommy, your favorite tea.” All Super Pup Illustrations are the original work of Matias Sosa Wheelock, Age 13 (Weston, FL). Pencil on paper. tea cup again. It was the tea cup of Emir! Tom remembered that story very well: “Once there was a very old warlock named Emir, he was very grumpy and frail. He was so powerful that he could turn a man into a fly then he would turn himself into a frog and eat those who would annoy him. One day, the brave Raponin traveled in the direction of the grumpy warlock’s mountain. He had to stop to rest there. When he found Emir’s garden, he had a great feast. Emir killed poor Raponin on the spot. Unfortunately, when Raponin’s wife found out what Emir did she wanted vengeance. She was a
have much time. There is going to be a power competition in Witch World. They are going to display their power on Tolerance. We better hurry.” Leroy notified Tom and they started walking. Tom stared at him. “How can anybody EVER trap Tolerance?!” Tom demanded. As they got outside Ella pointed and retorted “A butterfly net.” Tom glanced over at Tolerance; witches were turning her into animals and objects. “The plan is simple” Ella announced, “I give my mommy Emir’s cup and she gets all the power.” “Tommy, just in case –Ella continue explaining- you
ed glowing. Meanwhile it was Tom’s turn in the competition. He grabbed the butterfly net, Amanda ran out of the bushes and raced in Tom’s direction. Leroy rushed to stop her. Just then Olivia cried “STOP! These people gave me back my powers. Thank you Tolerance. Now go home and enjoy the rest of the day.” With a snap of her fingers they were home, at their dining room table, having the same kind of feast Raponin had except a little better. That night, for the first time, Super Pup felt like he was Leroy again. 100% Leroy.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PENNY by Carolyn Kean, Age 8 Coral Springs, FL
Hi! This is Penny here. This is my first day going out and being spent! Just think, being out there with the humans, being passed through many hands. Although on the other hand, human palms are sweaty; but that only happens if you get held too long. Oh! Julia’s leaving, it’s time to rumba! First stop is Target. She got what she was
looking for and now she’s at the cash register, she’s taking me out, and…eeew! This place is not pretty! Well, anyway, Julia puts me back. And my mom, a shiny quarter, is not happy with me. It was an epic failure. Next stop is Walgreens. Julia’s got the penny polisher and aspirins and silly bands and is at the register talking to the clerk. Apparently it’s her new boyfriend and they nev-
er stop talking. Oh wait! She grabbed me and I think she is handing me to him, but she is just blah-blah-blahing away. Can’t blame her for not being able to stop talking to him, he’s cute! She puts me back and I slam my head against the inside of the coin purse. It looks like she’s done running errands for the day. Maybe next time I’ll get out and my head will be fixed with the penny polisher.
Did You Know...
… that in the year 2000, the U.S. Mint produced approximately 28 billion coins for general circulation? Coins are made in the Mint facilities in Philadelphia, PA and Denver, CO. A brand new press can strike 700 coins in one minute. Since 1982, pennies are made of 97.5% Zinc and 2.5% Copper. 7,401,200,000 pennies were made by the US Mint in the year 2007.
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THE S ECR ET G AM E by Ari Swift, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL By 2430 AD the three biggest countries had joined together to become The Quent Ergly Army (QEA). Five years later, the QEA was controlling the world under a military dictatorship with no resistance. In 2680, 27 territories had a secret meeting. “Hey! Did you hear about the new computer game!” said Ron to Park. “No, what is it?” asked Park. “There is this new game on the internet. It’s called Missile Eye. You control a missile and you have to blow up as much as you can with it.” said Ron.”Why don’t you come over for dinner and I will show you.” When they got to Ron’s house, his parents grimly said, “A resistance movement has gathered together and is attacking the town QEA headquarters. It is getting too dangerous and we are leaving with a bunch of other people.” “Bb-but, Mom!” protested Ron. “What about Park and all our
stuff.” “We can take only a few things because we can’t afford a moving truck. Park’s parents are coming with us, too.” said his parents, sadly. “Then, can we take our computer?” begged Ron. In another town- “We finally got the computer set up after an annoying week. I have to show you Missile Eye” Ron said to Park. “Look, you are the missile. You choose coordinates for the military base you are planning to attack. I will attack base Beps in Territory 42: Longitude 228, Latitude 69. You are then flying the missile toward the target base. You have to blow up as much as you can, using stuff like barrels of gas, ammunition depot, etc. There is only a limited amount of missiles out at a time; so, you might have to wait a little while for the next available one. Our estimated wait time is three hours.” “Ron, Park, come down here. Look at this story on GCM!” called Ron’s parents. Ron and Park came down and watched the TV. “Hello, this is the Gov-
erment Controled Media or GCM. We give you the truth! Now, let’s look at our top story. There is a rebel group that is attacking your jobs, your towns, your people and your freedom. If anybody has information leading up to an arrest or to finding their hidden arsenal of rockets, he or she will get a reward of 10,000 pecks. Now for sports...” That evening - “Uuuuug! My worst subject - geography - and we have a huge project on it,” said Ron. “I know. I hate this subject, also. But, what can we do?”said Park.” Well, let’s get to work then” said Ron. “The first part of the assignment is to map out the coordinates of each military HQ for ten territories. Okay, let’s take a look at those maps. Now, here is Territory 56. Gateber, the military HQ, is in the southeast part of town. Write down its coordinates: Longitude 117, Latitude 58. Let’s see, Territory 31 is next. HQ Ador is in the northwest quadrant at Longitude 61, Latitude 75.” “Got the info! Hey,
it’s dinner time,” said Park. After dinner, they sat on the sofa to watch an old movie on television. “Take that, Batman!” Suddenly, the movie froze and the sound was replaced by an imposing voice. “This is the resistance movement. We have destroyed your town military HQ along with Gateber. Ador is currently under attack and will be destroyed soon. You are free. If you want proof of the destruction go to xxx.resistance.dar to see photos. The report you heard earlier was false, we have NOT hurt ONE job, we have NOT damaged ONE civilian building, we have NOT killed ONE innocent civilian and you NEVER had ANY freedom to take away!” Shaken, Ron and Park went up to Ron’s room to see if Missile Eye was ready. “Darn! A few more minutes” said Ron. “Hey, I have an idea. Let’s go see the photos of Ador.” said Park. “Okay, if you want to”, said Ron. “WOW! They trashed the whole place except for that one little cluster of buildings
over there” said Park. “Finally the missile is ready to launch. Blast off! Yes! Park, guess what? I am the final missile in this mission!” said Ron excitedly. “I have the target sited and locked in. Ten seconds to impact!” “Wait! These photos look similar to the map of the base on Missile Eye” shouted Park. “The little part that’s left for you to destroy is in the same place as on the photo.” “Five seconds”, interrupted Ron. Park went on, “I think there is some secret code here. If you take every number in the coordinates of Beps and subtract one, you get the coordinates of Ador.” “Three, Two”, Ron continued to count down. Park blurted out, “If you do the same with the letters of ‘Beps’, you get ‘Ador’”. BOOM! As the last piece of Ador blew up, Ron and Park realized that this wasn’t just a game.
Craft Ideas for Grandparent’s Day
Pressed and Dried Flowers Stationery and Cards Press and dry delicate flowers and then use them to make beautiful cards and stationery. Supplies needed • • • •
• • • •
Fresh, delicate flowers Coffee filters (optional) Phone book Good quality paper (to make the card or stationery) Scissors Glue Tweezers A brush
fore using a book of theirs. You can protect the pages of the book and speed up the drying process by pressing the flowers between flattened coffee filters. The coffee filters absorb a lot of the moisture as the flowers are pressed. 3. It takes at least a week or two
to completely dry out and press a flower - bigger blooms take longer. 4. When the plants are dry, carefully remove them from the book. 5. Arrange them on your paper in an artistic manner. You may
Instructions 1. Pick some delicate flowers and leaves - sturdy flowers and thick leaves do not work so well and take a lot longer to dry than the delicate ones. Some plants that work well are California poppies, buttercups, tiny daisies, clover, ferns, pansies, and thinpetaled blooms. 2. Press each bloom/leaf in a thick telephone book. Some flowers will leave a bit of color on the pages when you’re done, so ask your parent’s permission behave to trim some stems with scissors. 6. Remove the plants, remembering where the plants were so you can put them back later. Brush a thin layer of glue on the paper where the dried plants were. 7. Carefully put the plants back in place. This can be difficult and using a tweezers to place them on the glue can be helpful (adult help may be needed at this stage). 8. Make sure all the plant material is touching the glue and lying flat on the paper. Let the glue dry completely. You now have beautiful stationery or cards.
SEPTEMBER 2010
THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
“Magma” The Red Fairy! by Daniela Gómez, Age 10 Margate, FL
thing to wear. Magma came Name: Magma Age: 93 (Fairies can live forever and out of her dresser with a mastill look young) Color: Red Size: 3 in. (As tall as fairies usually get!) Hobbies: Riding her Cardinal and her Monarch Least favorite thing: Boring days Favorite Bird: Cardinal Favorite Insect: Monarch Butterfly Animal Friends: Joana (Monarch) and Vulcanite (Cardinal) Home: An abandoned duck’s nest in Pixie Place, a fairy town Favorite Flowers: Red Rose and Red Zinnia Favorite Accessory: Her yellow and red rose hat with Cardinal feathers. The sun was just coming out when Magma awoke, she yawned and stretched and hopped out of bed, “What a perfect day!” she muttered happily and went to get dressed. Magma is the Red Fairy and her name had a good reason. When Magma got angry… fairies could hear crackling like fire and she got hot, literally hot. Magma turned red like hot lava, like Magma. This morning Magma decided to go to Oak Meadow Fairy Park, since she loved to fly on her animals: Vulcanite, a Bright red Cardinal and Joana a tall Monarch Butterfly. Magma brushed down her red hair and threw her nightgown into her oak dresser, and then she looked into it to pick some-
roon dress that she wore often on days like this. “Now as for my wings” Magma said as she walked over to her acorn cabinet where her Cardinal-Red wand, her Pixie Dust Pouch and a lot of her things were. Magma grabbed her wand and wrapped both her drooping, transparent wings three times. Fairy wings are transparent,
“Vulcanite, Joana” Magma called and the two came flitting down next to each other. Watercolor pencils on paper by Daniela Gómez.
can’t fly, and add weight, but if you add Pixie Dust… wings turn the color of the fairy and they can fly. Magma flew into her kitchen to prepare herself a “hibiscuit” which was a common breakfast for fairies. Magma stood out on the street and flapped her wings rapidly… and out of nowhere came a large Monarch butterfly with a red Cardinal chasing behind! “Vulcanite, Joana” Magma called and the two came flitting down next to each other. “Come on, let’s go” the fairy was in midair, pointing toward the park. Red can be a quite violent color, but it is also VERY cheerful and Magma was Red all over so naturally, she was VERY cheerful as well. Vulcanite and Joana were the best of friends, and although it was rather strange, they just were! It had happened years ago when Magma was 81 years old… It had been a sunny day in Fairy Land and Magma decided to go to Oak Meadow Fairy Park. She was on a scavenger hunt that she had made up a few years back. You’d have to look around and you’d have to fly (or walk) up to the first leaf on a tree you find. You’d have to look at it intently and observe for the pattern (there is usually a pattern on every leaf). You could take the leaf if you’d like so you would remember the exact pattern. Trees like to fool even fairies! In any case, Magma was looking for leaves, when she saw a Monarch butterfly caught in a human net. Magma’s temper flared, she hated nets. She had to free the butterfly. Magma lifted the net off
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the creature and the butterfly stretched its delicate wings and beckoned the fairy deep into the forest. It led Magma until they came to a clearing where a human had caught another animal, a Cardinal! The fairy looked at the human, a child, a little girl that looked like she was about four or five years old. Surely, Magma thought, if birds and butterflies catch her attention, a fairy definitely would. And with that Magma took control of her red-hot temper and zipped off and flew in front of the girl’s face. “Oh! Hey a fairy” Magma zoomed away before she was too caught in a net. “Oh! Dear!” the fairy said while she flew “If only this little girl would let go of that poor little bird, I would be very pleased.” Then Magma hopped on a branch, far from the girl’s reach and refused to come down. “I might come down” - she said to the girl, “but I’d feel so happy if the Cardinal is freed. You know? They are my favorite birds” Magma wasn’t lying. That day she persuaded a persistent four-year-old girl to free the Cardinal and she saved the butterfly and since then they followed her anywhere. Now Magma had two best friends, a Cardinal and a Monarch butterfly. Magma had lots of fun in the park! And this is how every day started for the red fairy. She was jumpy, excited and sweet!
CONTROVERSY OVER FCAT AND BILL 6 What’s in store for the 2010-2011 school year? by Ismail Ercan, Age 13 continued from page 7 monitor a special needs child’s
progress throughout the year. Another major topic last year for schools was the controversy surrounding the FCAT. Last year, the FCAT’s results were delayed 6 weeks because NCS Pearson, the testing company hired by Florida, had problems administering and grading the exams. They are facing costs and damages that could go up to $25 million for being late with the results. According to an article by Tampa Bay Online, Pearson had many problems. “Memos obtained by The Miami Herald from the State Department of Education and South Florida school districts showed that Pearson had problems throughout the testing season, including: • A subcontractor failed to deliver testing materials to some schools. • Some of the company’s student databases weren’t compatible with state databases, delaying the bulk of student scores. • Tenth-graders had to be given the exams again on paper after a computerized version had system wide glitches.
• Technical problems plagued testing of the state’s new computerized end-of-course exams… Additionally, to save money, the state opted to have the writing tests this year graded by one person instead of two. The state delayed releasing those results to make sure they were valid.” Believe it or not, NCS Pearson has had other problems in the past too! Pearson was blamed last year by Arkansas and the year before by South Carolina for test delays. This year Wyoming claimed 9.5 million dollars in damages after an online test administered statewide by Pearson was plagued with glitches. Schools and teachers are the people who are worrying the most because their jobs depend on the results of the FCAT. Results of this standardized test are involved in the distribution of money that each district receives from the state. The higher the grade, the more money the district receives. These results are also used for principal and teacher evaluations as well as performance pay. The worst part about a school doing badly on the FCAT is that students and teachers will start to leave in search of a better school to learn
“Broward School Superintendent James Notter reported that in his county alone, 20 “A” schools dropped, one all the way down to an ‘F’!” and teach at. Nobody wants that to happen at their school. So, could the FCAT results have been tampered with or is it not a reliable test? Fewer of Florida’s middle and elementary schools received an “A” or a “B” last school year. Elementary schools dropped to 74% from 87% last year and middle school dropped to 78% from 80%. Broward School Superintendent James Notter reported that in his county alone, 20 “A” schools dropped, one all the way
down to an “F”! Mr. Notter remarked, “You have to know that the test is accurate. We are talking about teachers’ lives, we are talking about principal’s lives and most importantly, we are talking about our children. How would you feel if you’ve been a straight level 4 student and all of a sudden you become a level 1 or 2?” There still remains a lot of controversy on this subject and the Florida Department of Education still has some work to do if they are to rectify this problem. Now, on to the parent’s and student’s point of view. Parents and students are complaining that public schools are spending too much time preparing their students for the FCAT. Even though the FCAT is the biggest part of a student’s grade, parents think that they could be using this time advancing in other subjects. On the other hand, students really do need to prepare for this test more accurately to ensure that they have good grades. One of the main problems with the FCAT, one that neither the teachers nor the school can control, is the student preparation. Did the student have enough sleep before the test? Did he/ she eat a nutritional breakfast?
Did he/she study at home? The pressure of the FCAT being a major part of a student’s grade can make the student very nervous during the test and affect their results. In last year’s FCAT, parents and students did not know if they were going into an advanced class or needed extra-help, until the middle of the summer, when some of the students are at camp, or out of the state. Despite problems with last year’s FCAT, parents, students and teachers, hope that this upcoming school year will bring better test results and also, no delay from the testing company. Teachers and students will recognize their mistakes from last year, correct them, and make new and better goals for next year. The Florida Department of Education has updated the state standards, now called Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS), and the content of the FCAT will be updated accordingly over the next few years. Specifically, for the 2010-2011 school year, students will be taking a revised version of FCAT-Math. The administration hopes these revisions will improve reliability of the FCAT results.
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“Little Girl and Little Boy” Crayons on paper. Fenela Riordan, Age 6 Cork, Ireland “My Aunt Naomi” Portrait Watercolors Liora Elkoby, Age 8 Fort Lauderdale, FL
“A Rainbow Sky” Finger paint on paper Isabella Tassanelli, Age 4 Coconut Creek, FL
“Horse” Pencil on paper Gillian DeZinna, Age 11 Margate, FL
“Greek Horse” Watercolors and Markers Emma Gómez, Age 6 Margate, FL
“Brownie” Oil on Canvas. Grace Gruverman, Age 8, Hollywood, FL
SEPTEMBER 2010