Newsletter Date Volume 1, Issue 1
The Schoolbell Of Math and Ninjas By Marcia Wells The four boys enter the auditorium with weary smiles, exhausted from three hours of written math tests that morning. Their parents and teachers file in after them, so proud of what they’ve accomplished, excited by the possibilities that lie ahead. Shoulders slump down into seats as they await… the Lightning Round. “I want to be in it, but I don’t.” That is the general sentiment of the Gailer group. To be in it means they have done better than the rest of the kids on the written tests. To not be in it means they don’t have to face the chairs in the front, the buzzer, and 45 seconds on the clock. They wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, the results are in, the stage set, buzzers on. The first round, the Alternate Countdown Round is about to begin. Sixth and seventh graders only. A nod to those who might carry the state in the future. A practice round. We knew Galen would make it up th on stage somehow. Being the only 7 grader of our Gailer group, we knew if he did not make the top 12, that he would most certainly be in this Alternate round, for the younger ones. Twelve names are called. Galen is not among them. Relief on his face? Excitement? He would have to wait a while longer. Diane gives Marcia an allknowing smile. He’ll be in the next round. He should be. As we huddle in the auditorium, SAT word problem upon SAT word problem hurtled upon us from a large screen, the smell of teen angst filling our senses, the heavens outside decide to open up and unleash their fury, snowflakes the size of badgers descending on the competition. A celestial omen?
The round is over. On to the Record Countdown Round. The Big Enchilada. The top twelve tests scores are unveiled. Who will be up there? Zach? Andrew? Michael? Smart kids, all of them. Anything is possible. We’re on the edge of our seats, clapping politely for each unknown name called. “Galen Fastie”. He scampers down to the front, grinning. Nervous. The three other boys sigh with relief. Better him than us. The next round begins, the problems flashing as before but something has changed The clock ticks on. Galen wins the first round. More bodies come and go- he leaves them in his wake. Semifinals. We blink. He conquers. Galen is in the final?! Three questions, two buzzers, two boys. One goal: win the Mathcounts competition. The audience holds its breath. The questions come and go. No winner. Tied 0-0. The next one up: sudden death elimination. “What is fifty percent of sixty percent of the hypotenuse of the square root of blah blah blah”. Marcia stares blankly at the screen, blaming her nerves for her student as the culprit for her inability to do the work. Forty five seconds on the clock. At forty seconds, Diane scratches down something on her paper. The number 240. Sounds good, sure. Whatever you say, Goddess of Math. Thirty five seconds. Galen’s pencil has not moved. Thirty seconds. Diane’s son Stewart leans over Marcia to check his mother’s answer. He’s been doing the math in his
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The Schoolbell “The round is over. On to the Record Countdown Round. The Big Enchilada..”
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Of Math and Ninjas Cont’d mother’s answer. He’s been doing the math in his head. He nods his approval. Marcia is awe-struck, like a mortal allowed to glimpse Mount Olympus for a fleeting moment. But back to Galen. The boy has not moved, that Legolas of the Gailer school. All we can see is his back, his paralyzed pencil, and his shaggy blonde locks. Zach shifts forward in his seat. Michael grins. Andrew makes fun of his math teacher for looking so tense. Twenty seconds. A hand smacks a buzzer. The enemy. “Is it one hundred and sixty?” the boy asks. Paleeze. The answer is 240. We all know that.
“Wrong answer.” Fifteen seconds. Galen’s pencil twitches. Barely. Oh well. Maybe he’ll get the next one. Ten seconds, his hand flies to the buzzer, that ninja-elf from the Woodland Realm. “Red” the judge calls out. (Galen’s buzzer is red) “Galen”, the other judge acknowledges. “Two hundred and forty” he announces in a clear, strong voice. “That is correct,” the judge confirms. We jump, we scream, we clap… The day that Galen Fastie won the Mathcounts competition.
Macro 4, DV 7/8 students read the following novels and explored the themes of brightness and contrast in each. Their book reviews follow throughout this edition of the School Bell.
Review: Following the Equator By Zachary Bechhoefer Character development was an irrelevant part of the story, since you never encountered a single person for very long, and the author declined to reveal any development in himself. Characters in this book reflected, thought ahead, thought through, and viewed themselves and others in every way possible, but development wasn’t present even after the critical thinking. Story line was also a somewhat lacking element, being similarly irrelevant to the story in itself. The book looked at and contrasted cultures, but not in relation to each other, unless it was more of a historical connection. The book had plenty of dialogue, usually between Twain and
people of other cultures. The pacing was determined by the point of view that it was being narrated from, first person, past tense, and was told slightly faster than if it were being told third person present tense, as though Twain were reviewing his journey. This book was well narrated, and the writing style was superb, describing people and places as though he lived on every continent every day. On the other hand, it was a painful and gruelingly long book, possessed of occasional over description, racism, and biased opinion, this book isn’t intended to be racist, just amusing, and very descriptive of one point of view.
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The Horoscopes of the Year of Elevens and Twenties By Psychic Mediums Michael Gyukeri and Andrew Brown Aires – This month, the astrological forces surrounding Pluto are waning. Be careful of lobster and the word ‘fire’, especially in a crowded building. You will realize that people enjoy your company, and that your charismatic skills will come to great use in the coming weeks. Be careful, though, for those you love will take to jealousy and try to undermine your attempts to succeed. Taurus – Be wary of phone lines, for technology will be against you in the coming months. Speak with the bull inside you, for it will cause you great success. Since Venus and Earth are aligned, you will experience great power. Gemini – Acting impulsively will be your only enemy in the coming months and modesty will be your friend. Your great mental abilities will be tested in the trials of life that will soon face you. Make sure you are close to an exit, for fire is strong this month. Cancer – Many will overlook you in the future, so be sure to project yourself and make sure that everyone hears your opinions. Try to control your emotions, as they will get you into a bind with the spirits. Leo – Follow your heart in the coming months, the sun will be waning in power in the weeks of March and April. Never accept the word no, as you are destined to be correct. Make sure that you stay in tough with your animalistic instincts. Virgo – Good luck. You need it. Also, watch out for falling anvils. They are everywhere. Libra – Be sure you are fighting for balance and not selfish desires. Always be vigilant and kind to those around you, for the cosmic spirits deserve compensation for the things they have done for you.
Scorpio - Always be difficult with others, as you deserve to triumph. If you have to, become violent to become victorious. A good move is to shout ‘fire’ in a crowded building, but not to Aires, as they will ignore you, and possibly ignite you. Your darker thoughts are correct, just go with them. Sagittarius – Be aware of wandering satyrs, as they are in a bad mood this month. Mail armor is your best friend. It may be recommended to carry horseshoes as weapons. Also, watch out for leprechauns as they will try to kill you with their pogo sticks. Cotton candy can be used as a warding device. Keep and ample supply with you. Capricorn – There will be many wandering Satyrs, so try to seek them out. If you have a Sagittarius friend, use them as a human shield. They will probably absorb the Satyr’s mental attacks, and act as a buffer against their terrible music. Aquarius – Leviathans are wandering the seas this month, and will be trying to lure you into their watery abode. Yoga is bad, but is a great defense against bad grammar and vampire kittens. Bring mini stakes to make sure they are dead. Also, wizards will be gaining power against demons that practice ritual sacrifice involving fictitious characters of young adult fiction. Pisces – Go on a diet. That will be your best defense against the wee hordes of the impish lands. Eat plenty of fish, as it will cure your depression. Cannibalism is the best escape route from your current life. We recommend that you not try stabbing a hobo with a box cutter. It’s just strange. And it does something to your karma. We think. Hobos have souls, right?
The Gailer School does not condone Cannibalism or Box Cutter violence. This is simply a work of comedy. Thank you.
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Review: Year of the Hangman
“…example when Sophie was first introduced she seems like a rabble rouser and not a nice person.”
By David Dregallo The Year of the Hangman had good character development. When a character changed his point of view or views you really felt the change. For example when Sophie was first introduced she seems like a rabble rouser and not a nice person. Then after knowing her for a week or two the author shows that she is really a caring person. This book had a clear story line, but it was confusing in the beginning when you could not tell what the character really wanted and what his goals were. For example, it seemed like the protagonist's only goals were to become a great gambler. The Year if the Hangman also had good suspense and balance between dialoge and description. Also it was fast paced so it kept you on your toes the whole time. Furthermore, the book had lots of surprises to keep you guessing all the time. The author included a lot of historical background but I think that he could have included more about the Colonial Navy.
Review: Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde By Ben Silver I think that the characters were developed well. You start off with your idea of what the person might be like and the author dives into the character deeply. The plot was very closely related to the story and did not stray far from the over all goal. I liked the idea of the story in the first place and it was told from a great angle or point of view. I would have enjoyed it more if it were from the killers point of view but it was still good.
I did not like the old English writing as much as modern literature, but it was ok however, it made the dialogue a bit confusing. I liked the way the story was paced and it was very intriguing through out the whole tale. The language in which the dialogue was spoken was confusing if not seen before. I did not like that but the story was very good and enjoyable.
Review: Last Apprentice Bk 7- Rise of the Huntress By Galen Fastie In my book, there is not a whole lot of character development, only a little. However, this is the seventh book in the series, and throughout the earlier books the characters have developed. The plot was very interesting. Throughout the book and in some parts especially, the story was a HUGE page turner. They were always in life or death situations, dangerous places where evil could be around any corner, or trapped by an evil power with only one way to escape in which the chance of survival is slim.
As I just said, AWESOME suspense. The book was well written and had a fast pace that made me hate only being able to read a sixth a week. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the last fight could have ended more dramatically. Other then that, I really liked the style of writing, pace and plot.
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Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy By Michael Gyukeri The Hunger Games and its sequels show some of the best character development I have ever read, although, I must admit, I am not a big reader. Suzanne Collins does an amazing job putting you in Katniss Everdeen's shoes, getting you to love, hate, and mourn the characters in the series. The Hunger Games is similar to other post- apocalyptic works of fiction, with the exception of the Games themselves, a televised battle where twenty-four teenagers must fight to the death in an arena. The storyline is a gradual buildup, however, the third lacks the charisma and doesn't captivate or provoke interest until the final chapters of the book. It almost seems out of place, but it is the ending nevertheless. There was even an over-abundance of character deaths which begs the question, "Did my favorite character even matter?� It feels like she ran out of time and just decided to have a death-a-thon. The book should still be read, and although the majority of the book seems
forced and slow, the ending is abrupt, sad, and comes through on its promises. Suzanne Collins is a magician, without all the creepy hats. First half of Mockingjay excluded, her work is bliss. I never (emphasis on the never) used to stay up late reading, however, I stayed up two nights in a row reading the first and then the second book. She is genius. She is amazing. I'm thinking of starting a cult about her. Meh, maybe not. However dragging the beginning of Catching Fire and Mockingjay were, Catching Fire made up for it with action, suspense, and intrigue, where Mockingjay did not, and just delivered pure action and gore. Not saying that I hate it, I just was unprepared for the difference on storytelling. Collins makes up for that with a satisfying, sad ending. And a cool epilogue, unlike Harry Potter, or Lost for that matter.
The Schoolbell Review: Series of Unfortunate Events Bk
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By Halle Bloom I liked this book. At some points I was bored but I think that was from my dislike of reading, not the book. The story line was good, almost to the end. I did not understand how the book was one of a series. It was just not standing out but then at the end I understood. You really understood what the characters were into, what they liked and how they cared for others. At least the children cared for each other as opposed to Count Olaf who cared for no one but himself. I felt bad for the orphans and especially for
Violet since she felt that she was responsible for her brother and sister. She had promised, as the oldest sibling, to always protect her siblings. The author, Lemony Snicket, I think intended the book to be read by a younger age group. When there was a word he thought the reader could not understand he would explain it in a clever way. As the book went on it got more and more unreal. The things that were happening could never happen in that manner. They could happen but other things involving it where unreal. Overall I found it engaging and entertaining.
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Broomball By David Dregallo As the winter months have set in, the students of Gailer have been playing the Gailer traditional winter sport BROOMBALL!!!!!! Broomball is like hockey, with out the skates and hockey sticks. During fitness time many people have taken to the ice to play broomball (the real workout comes from the pre-game shoveling). But like hockey, broomball is a full contact sport with checking into snow banks and stealing brooms galore. The rules of Broomball are: 1.You can steal someone’s broom, throw it out into the snow and they have to retrieve it. 2.You can kick the ball if your broom is engaged. 3.You can check people. 4.No lying down in front of the goal. 5.You can throw your broom to stop the ball.
Review: The Golden Compass By Elias Wyncoop The character development in The Golden Compass is poor, but is not a problem, because Lyra is a character who you don't really need to know about to like. Plus, Lyra's a kid, and her decisions are very decisive, yes or no, so other people are how Lyra brands them. But sometimes her assessments are wrong. With Mrs. Coulter, though, you know she's nasty from the beginning, but Lyra doesn't.
Some of the best match ups we have seen have been, Nate and Barbara vs. Ben, David and Galen. As we headed out to the court, I thought that we would own them and we got close, but not that close. In the first couple of minutes they were leading by three points, then Ben got a great up court and scored a neat goal. Then our defense started to fall apart and they scored 4 points. We got 3 goals and they got 3 goals. After that we knew that we had to get some points and the only way to do that was to disable Nate. So our plan, thought up by Galen, was to have Galen and Elias steal his broom. The plan worked, Nate was disabled yet he stole my broom and tried to score but to no avail. After that they scored 6 more goals to our 3 and won the round. However, our team knew that we won in epic maneuvers.
Review: The Maze Runner By Andrew Brown The characters weren't very developed in my book, as the characters could not remember anything about themselves. Other than that, the characters were developed. The story line of this book was very good. It made me want to continue reading the book instead of reading something else. The author's craft was very good. It had a lot of suspense and left me wanting to read more. The book could have added more character development, but otherwise it was a great.
Contributors Editor – Michael Gyukeri Formatting Editors – Michael Gyukeri, Galen Fastie, Elias Wyncoop, David Dregallo Writers- Andrew Brown, Elias Wyncoop, David Dregallo, Zachary Bechhoefer, Galen Fastie, Halle Bloom, Marcia Wells, Michael Gyukeri, Ben Silver, and Nate Keeney.