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Beautiful books can be our best friends By Anna Sofia Lavernia It’s that time of year when we can curl up with a good book. Here I will give you books to read that are good in case you do not know what to read. My recommendations are for students in third, fourth and fifth grades. “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” (This is for you if you want a funny story.) “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (If you like sad books this is for you.) “I Survived” (If you like danger and adventure this book is for you.) “Because of Anya” (If you like sad, depressing, then happy, read this.) “A Snicker of Magic” (If you like a book full of magic read this book.) “Percy Jackson” Series (If you like exciting books these are for you.) “Harry Potter” Series (If you like magical mystery books read these.) “Humphrey” Series (If you like funny books these are for you.) “Nerd Camp” (You will love this hilarious, awkward adventure.) “Nerd Camp 2.0” (If you like Nerd Red Ribbon: Julia Bernstein, 5, loves Camp you will like this book too.) ceramics. She was part of our school “100-Year-Old Secret” Series (This awareness week. Julia is in Mrs. Carbajales’ kindergarten class. will have you on the edge of your seat.) “Big Nate” (If you like funny books read this book.) “House of Robots” (If you like hilarious, super cool books read this.) “Jedi Academy” Series (If you like funny Star Wars books these are for you.) “Who Was?” Series (If you like history books this one is for you.) “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” (Like dragon folktales? Love this.) “Friendship Experiment” (This is a good-hearted book.) “The Witches” (This is a great fantasy fiction book you will like.) “Rules” (If you like hilarious and funny books you can read this.) “Number the Stars” (If you are into historical books I recommend this.) “Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself” (You’ll like this realistic fiction.) “Because of Winn-Dixie” (You will like this book if you are into dogs.) “The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other)” (So funny and creative.) “Mallory” Series (If you like cartoons and funny books and are OK with reading easy books you should try these.) I hope you enjoy your reading days during the holidays. Have fun!
Volume 29 Issue 1 N o v e mb e r 2 0 1 6
Inside this issue:
Mystery Teacher
2
Look-Book Style
2
Birthstones
3
Vert’s Journal
4
Cultural Corner
5
Ask the Experts
6
Special points of interest:
The Mystery Teacher likes pizza with basil topping.
Did you know that wearing a diamond is supposed to increase energy?
Vert and the police dog PowPow have troubles talking in dog language. Check out Vert’s Journal.
When Mrs. Samudrala was little she lived in India. Sometimes she slept on the roof after looking at the stars.
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The Spire Crier
Dear Diary, We have to leave magic school! By Olivia Pozo I don’t like moving! I mean, we had a beautiful house. I had a wonderful school. And my dad had a great job. But, we had to move because my sister, Ruby, got expelled from magic school. Oh, I forgot. I have powers. I have force field and invisibility. We have to keep it secret now because we are going to a non-magic place with non-magic people. It’s going to be weird. I’m not like those people. And what if I accidentally turn invisible? What if I expose the family secret? My mom says it’s going to be fine, but I’m scared.
This Mystery Teacher wakes up at 6:30 a.m. By Sara Vega This issue we have a Mystery Teacher who wakes up at 6:30 a.m. Her classroom is next to the Art Room. She has zero pets and three children. Her favorite hobby is working out and she works out in the morning on the weekend. Her favorite book is “The Kite Runner.” She has short, brown hair. Her favorite shampoo is Biolage. Her favorite pizza topping is basil. She enjoys going to the beach and her favorite place to travel is Spain. Can you guess who this is? The answer is on the last page of The Spire Crier.
Student Look-Book: Cool styles for kids By Javier Lopez, Laura Marmorek and Olivia Pozo Hi students! We are going to be taking a closer look at what we all have been wearing when not in uniform. Most of the stuff is clothing that most (but not all) people wear. The Student Look-Book team worked together and we got the best results that we could possibly get. Now, let's get to the point shall we? First idea that came to our mind is exercise clothing. Brands that are great now are Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas. Next, we thought of casual wear such as Polo and Gap. Then, we have fancy wear such as plaid shirts with jeans or skirts. The best fashion is to wear some really cool jeans and a white shirt. This outfit works well all the time, especially in Miami when it is really hot. You can also exchange the jeans for some shorts. Now, that concludes the Student Look-Book for this issue. Let us know if you have any ideas about style and we’ll include them in our next article.
Volume 29 Issue 1
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Birthstones: What are they? What do they do? By Sindhu Talluri One day, I got a necklace with a pretty blue stone on it and a mysterious note. It said "This is just one. Collect all 12 birthstones and you will become the greatest human ever alive." Huh? What was a birthstone? And if I collected all 12 stones, I would become the greatest human alive? This was intriguing. How was I to find them? Do I start an expedition like Harry Potter did to find the seven horcruxes? Or do I keep moving from state to state like Pendragon did to chase Saint Dane? But before I embarked on an expedition, I had a brilliant thought: I realized that I could use....Google! The origin of the birthstones in Western culture can be traced all the way back to the book of Exodus in the Bible. Aaron, a priest who was a brother of Moses, had a square breastplate that had 12 colorful gems. Each gem represented one tribe of Israel. Eventually, this changed to represent the 12 signs of the Zodiac and 12 months of the year. In the Eastern culture, the birthstones can be traced to the Mythical Birthstone List from Tibet, or the Ayurvedic Birthstone List from Indian medicine. People wore their own birthstones because it was thought to give special powers. Some cultures even believe that owning all 12 birthstones gave special abilities. Aha! So that is how I could become the greatest human! Some birthstones, like the diamond for the month of April, have a unique story. The diamond was called the “vajra” in Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language of Hinduism. Vajra meant lightning and was the weapon of Indra, the King of all Gods. Diamonds were also believed to be tears of Gods. The diamond represents courage and eternity, purity and innocence. Diamond increases energy and also increases the power of other birthstones. Another birthstone with a special tale is the emerald for the month of May. The emerald was Cleopatra’s favorite gem and was also dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology. It represents wisdom and patience. The aquamarine, as hinted in the name, has to do with water (aqua-marine). It is the stone for March (my stone!) and is the stone of the Greek sea god, Poseidon. It is the symbol of creativity, courage, mental clarity, and hope. I could go on and on about these stories, but perhaps I will leave you to do some research while I try to collect all 12 stones. Wish me luck! January February March April May June July August September October November December
Garnet Amethyst Aquamarine Diamond Emerald Pearl Ruby Periodot Sapphire Opal Topaz Turquoise
Aids blood, heart and lungs Helps sleep, arthritis, pain relief Liver, throat, eyes, ears, stomach Increases energy, strength, helps brain Heart, lungs, muscles, love Digestion, skin Aids emotion, devotion, happiness Heals stress, decreases anger and jealousy Creative expression, inner peace, meditation Strengthens memory, increases confidence Aids digestion Increases immunity and healing
Some cultures even believe that owning all 12 birthstones gave special abilities.
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Vert’s Journal Halloween fun and Hurricane Matthew with the wonderful dog, Vert By Helena Rodriguez WOOF! Here it is: My name is Vert and I’m a dog. I’m a Golden Retriever, mixed with a Mini Poodle, which means I am a Golden Doodle. Dog Life is amazing! You get to play with a hard, round thing maybe called a ball. Yeah, I think it’s a ball… Or maybe it’s called Ballie. Anyways, the best part is rolling in the mud. Now, you may be wondering what exactly mud is. It is a weird, soggy, brown thing dogs roll in. I remember feeling that gooey, cool, sensation. It was extraordinary. Until, I got the worst thing ever. I… Got… A… BATH. It was horrible! I smelled so good with the mud on! Why take a bath? Now, I smell horrific. It was going to be Halloween! I was so excited! I could stay here, at my house, all night and bark at all the people who knock! Sadly, my sister, Helena, who is a human, wanted to dress me up as Bat Dog. I really liked the costume except that it was itchy. So after a few weeks it was Oct. 31. When we went trick or treating, some people gave me some food! It was a horrible sight to see a decoration, which was a NO POOP sign for dogs! “I’ll poop here until the end of the day,” I barked. As I lowered my behind, I saw PowPow, the police dog. “You better not POOP there, Mister,” he barked. While the humans were so confused on what exactly we were barking at, they just walked away off to the next house. PowPow is so annoying! He acts so perfect, like he claims the world, I thought and then off to the next house. When we finished trick or treating, my stomach turned and that’s when it happened I threw up candy. It was a great night. Well, not including PowPow, the NO POOP sign, and me throwing up. Anyways, it always ends well when I’m here!
Hurricane Matthew—Thunder clashed. Water was rough. Not much fell. Electricity in and running. And worst of all no fetch. It was that not-so-bad Hurricane Matthew. I was so bored. I cuddled with my human family so I would be safe. I decided to walk around the house. Looking at all the rooms was even more boring. So I sat down and chewed my dog bone. Now that was fun. I watched the rain drizzle then pour, the trees swaying side to side, watching the rough water in the pool. Not one single person outside to bark at. It stopped for one minute, drizzled, and poured. I tried stealing a stuffed animal but, sadly, the door was closed. “When will this madness end,” I barked with anger, boredom, and sadness. I was starving. I begged and whimpered for food. Finally, I got some. Then I thought of Oreo, the next-door neighbor. I hoped that she was all right. Anyways, I was safe. Finally, it ended. Although, it would come again. Helen, my owner let me outside to walk and stretch. It was horrible! Seeing trees’ leaves on the floor, pool toys everywhere, and some- “Hi Vert,” said a soft voice. “Oreo,” I yelled. “Anything bad happen? Any PowPow’s (the police dog who we both hate) hit your house? Leaks? Toys?” “No, no, no,” said Oreo. “Nothing bad at all. Only… a small leak. But anything else, I’m fine.” Phew! She’s OK! Thunder clashed once again. My owner took me in. Oreo’s owner, April. She’s really nice. April would invite me over all the time for a doggy play-date. Helena, my human sister, helped my human brother Matthew (A human not the HURRICANE!!!) by fixing quickly what was destroyed. It was really big property. The outdoor trashcan seemed really heavy, too heavy. But, with the help of themselves they finally lifted it up. I had to do something really exciting. It… was… BOREDOM!! I looked out the window and saw PowPow, the police dog, sniffing in a bush and I saw him do a crime—peeing in a bush, our bush. “Hey! You! Yeah, you! I thought you were the police dog! Peeing in a BUSH?! You’re fired,” I yelled at him. “Oh, nooooo. I’m being attacked,” PowPow said sarcastically. “Whatever,” I yelled back and walked away. “Police dogs these days,” I muttered to myself.
Volume 29 Issue 1
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Cultural Corner: Mrs. Samudrala’s life By Sindhu Talluri and Anna Sofia Lavernia Have you ever heard of Mrs. Samudrala? Well, we are pretty sure you have. She is a hard working third grade teacher at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School and we think you should know her story. First of all, her name is NOT Sara, it is Saraswathi Samudrala. Did you know Saraswathi is the name of the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and education in the Hindu religion? What a coincidence that an excellent teacher has her name. She was born in India, and moved to Minnesota along with her parents and five sisters when she was 10 years old. Four younger sisters, including her, came first along with their parents. Then, about six months later, her two older sisters joined the family in the United States. Mrs. Samudrala not only learned English at that time, but also learned about other cultures and religions by volunteering at a church. At the same time, she still maintained the Indian culture by learning about it from her parents and she maintained the Hindu religion. Mrs. Samudrala can remember several differences between India and the United States. In India, it was hot everywhere, and in the United States it was cold in some places with snow, but hot in others. While in India she would walk to school, in the United States, Mrs. Samudrala took a car or a bus to school. In the United States she went to a co-ed school and in India she went to an all-girls school. In India, the schools were more strict than here in America. For example, girls were required to tightly braid their hair with a ribbon. If a student was tardy or misbehaved, the teacher would make the student sit in a position called the “wallchair” with his/her back straight up against the wall, thighs extended, and knees bent, as if sitting in a chair, for 20 minutes. Boy, detention seems much easier, doesn’t it? Mrs. Samudrala has great memories of growing up in India, though. She remembers playing tag with all of her friends and family in her neighborhood. She remembers the houses were close together with flat roofs. She remembers lying on the roof looking up at the sky while her grandpa told her stories about the stars and galaxies. They even slept on the roof, too! Mrs. Samudrala’s favorite foods include dal with rice (a creamy mixture of lentils with spinach or tomato), dosas and idlis. She made Indian food for her two daughters when they were growing up, and even cooks these dishes now for her two grandsons. What lucky boys! If you are in her third grade class, you will soon discover not to dig through her lunch bag because she brings really spicy snacks. Trust us, we’ve done that before! Having Mrs. Samudrala here at St. Thomas is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to learn not only about math and English but also about a different culture.
Mrs. Samudrala’s favorite foods include dal with rice (a creamy mixture of lentils with spinach or tomato), dosas and idlis.
The Spire Crier
St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School 5692 North Kendall Drive Coral Gables, FL 33156 305-665-4851
The Spire Crier is published by the fourth grade reporters in the Enrichment Journalism Class at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School. Reporters: Jillian Demos Brown, Skylar Ehrling, Anna Sofia Lavernia, Javier Lopez, Laura Marmorek, Gabrielle Ortiz, Olivia Pozo, Helena Rodriguez, Sindhu Talluri, Sara Vega Journalism Advisor: Ms. Christina Mayo
W E’ RE ON THE WEB AT S TEPSMIA. ORG
Mystery Answers
Teacher: Ms. Vega
Ask Tony and Tina and new experts Tim and Tinzy for advice By The Spire Crier Staff Hi! Spire Crier fans! Ask the advice experts—Tony and Tina have invited their friends Tim and Tinzy to join them in helping find the answers to your questions. You can write to them for advice on student problems like a bully in your class, or your sister pulling your hair, or so much more! There is a shoebox in the front office for you to put your questions. Don’t use your name. Just make up a name that describes your problem such as “Confused Girl” or “Guy with Homework Troubles.” The shoebox will be in the school office when The Spire Crier comes out. Remember write in your questions and put them in the shoebox. Tony, Tina, Tim and Tinzy will try to give you their best advice.