Alice Through the Looking Glass By Ashlynn M.

     May 27 “a whole new level of madness is coming into theaters.” Alice Through The Looking Glass is the sequel to Alice In  Wonderland that came out 5 years ago in 2010. Many people who like Alice In  Wonderland are excited for this movie. Alice In Wonderland has been popular for many years, and has many fans.

 

     Alice Through The Looking Glass is a whole new adventure Alice goes through to save the Mad Hatter, but, she has to go back in time! She will most likely have problems as she did in the first one too. However, I heard Alice will have powers in this one. That may not be true, but I guess we'll find out on May 27th, won't we?

 

     Not many people are aware of the book this movie is based on. Alice Through The Looking Glass is actually based on a book Lewis Carroll wrote after Alice In Wonderland. I have yet to read the book, so I do not know much about it. I’m hoping to read it before I see the movie. The book was originally published in 1871. Lewis Carroll has written many other books and more on the topic of Alice In Wonderland. I am very excited to find out more about this movie!

 

To get more information on the movie, click the link below:

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/472003-alice-through-the-looking-glass-posters#/slide/1

Earth Day Annual Contest By Jordan L. and Sarah S.

     On the 22nd of April, 2016, students from every grade came to the hallways to have a chalk draw off contest for Earth Day. Students had about 5 hours to draw and make the poster of your dreams. Many different students participated. You couldn't be failing any classes, or have any N’s or U’s for your conduct grade.  There were four winners, and each received a different prize. The first place winner was Gracie Tuckier, a sixth grader.

Students and teachers voted on their favorite poster by dropping money into the bucket next to the poster for which they wanted to vote. Students won depending on how much money they got dropped into their bucket. All the money that people earned was donated to the science department. A total of fifty-eight kids participated. On the week that we were supposed to be testing, Mr. Pokorny wanted to do something fun. Mr. Pokorny said, “The teacher I worked with in Florida did a chalk drawing contest every year.” Lastly, Mr. Pokorny wants the to be an annual event.

 

 

Converse Shoes By Apryl M.

     

     Converse shoes have been around since 1908. The inventors were Marquis Mills Converse and Elisha Converse. The birthplace of Converse shoes was Boston, Massachusetts.

   Converse was originally a basketball shoe. The All Star high tops were the most popular. The symbol on the shoe has Charles H. Taylor’s signature on it. Chuck, a nickname for Charles, Taylor was an American basketball player.

  You can see the signature of Chuck Taylor in the picture to the left. All Star Converse were invented by Chuck Taylor.

    These shoes have been very popular since the 1950’s. These shoes are always in style. Converse have even been worn on the red carpet. Girls and boys wear them to prom. Converse are what started Nike, Jordan's, and other basketball shoes. Converse is like Ford, it started something new.

Sources:

https://timpfest.org/black-converse-shoes/

http://www.shoesvbuy.org/

Giant Panda Cub Is Ready To See the Public By Jordan L.

The youngest giant panda cub is currently at Washington’s National Zoo. But, the big question is, is he ready for his public debut? When Bei Bei made his first appearance in front of people, people were expecting him to wiggle and be really excited. He ended up falling asleep during the interview. He even left a pile of drool!

   “He still is nursing several times a day and has never been outside. His limited eyesight makes him a little jumpy, keepers said Monday during the first of his media appearances this week.” Since he is still a baby, he resembles a miniature version of the 275-pound bruiser panda. But when he is an adult, he will be full size. He is a black and white fur coat panda. He is sure to get your attention with all of his cuteness.

    Pandas have been the star attraction at the National Zoo since China gave the United States a pair of the black-and-white bears after President Richard Nixon's historic visit. But sadly, pandas will soon become extinct if they don't reproduce. Not only is Bei Bei cute, but also Bei Bei’s ability to reproduce is critically important to the survival of his species. That is why Bei Bei will have to interact with humans often. For more information, go to this link provided
Washington Post › local › 2015/12/16

Undertale By Isaiah S. and Cristian M.

Undertale is a game of adventure and mysterious things. This mysterious game was created by Toby Fox and artwork by Temmie Chang. This game style is a Role Playing Game (RPG). It was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X. This game has won many awards. For example, Undertale won the IGN’s Best of 2015 Best Story!

                        WARNING:THIS ARTICLE MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS!

Plot

    There are two races in the game: humans and monsters. There was a war between them and the humans won. The monsters were sent to an underground world. Sometimes humans would climb Mt. Ebott and fall into the hole to the monster realm. One of the humans that fall into the hole is you. So, you travel the monster world either killing all the monsters or leave them alone. This is because there were three modes: pacifist, genocide, and neutral. Pacifist is where you save all of them and you don’t kill anyone, genocide is where you kill everyone, and there is neutral, where you do a bit of both.

The CHARActers

    So you must be wondering why I capitalized CHARA. It is because it’s a pun. There is a character named Chara in the genocide run of Undertale, and the other one is named Frisk. Frisk is from the pacifist run. One of the other characters is Asriel Dreemur. Another character is Sans the Skeleton. He is so SANSational. He makes puns and they're so PUNderful and PUNny. Another one is The Great Papyrus. He’s Sans’ brother.

The Mysteries

    Throughout the game you will see some unusual things. One thing is Flowey the flower. Flowey is actually Asriel,a monster brother of the first fallen human. When you play the game you will find cameras hidden in bushes, waterfalls,etc. Those belong to the one and only, Dr. Alphys. She is really interested in humans. Sans, in the pacifist run, is a huge jokester. In the genocide run, Sans knows he is in a video game and every time your soul is shattered you go back to your save point. Flowey, also has the power to go back to his save point every time he dies. There are many mysteries in the game,including a quiche, that would make this article 100 times longer.

The Game That Started It All

   The game that inspired Toby Fox is Earthbound. Earthbound is by Nintendo, and Undertale has many of Earthbound references. For example, in Sans’ room, there are two things: a photo album with three faces you don't recognize and its says “don't forget”. The second thing is a  badge from Ness from Earthbound. Before Undertale was created, Toby Fox made a Earthbound Halloween Hack, so there are a lot Earthbound references in Undertale. The song Megalovania has been in three different things: Earthbound’s Halloween Hack, then into Homestuck, and finally Undertale, the song had been modified many times. The song Megalovania plays when you fight Sans in the genocide run. I think that Undertale is the best game ever because The Great Papyrus is in it.

Our Sources:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/

Undertale's offical website

http://undertale.wikia.com/

And Also From Our Own Knowledge From Playing The Game

Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling By Cristian M.

     

Have you ever heard of the spellbinding Harry Potter series? Joanne Kathleen (J. K.) Rowling is the author that wrote the enthralling Harry Potter series. She wrote 7 books with over 300 pages in all of them! She spent a lot of time and effort! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997, is the first book in the Harry Potter series by the fascinating J.K. Rowling.

Backstory

Harry Potter’s parents, James and Lily Potter died when Harry was about 1 year old. The dark wizard, he who shall not be named (Lord Voldemort), killed Harry’s parents. Ever since Harry found out, he is destined to kill he who shall not be named! After Harry’s parents died, he got sent to his aunt and uncle’s house . You might think that is not bad, but his uncle and aunt hate him. Aunt Petunia is Lilly’s sister and just because she is strange and has magic blood, they hated her. After 10 years of misery with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son Dudley, they get letters from Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry inviting Harry to come. Throughout Harry’s time at Hogwarts he learns more about the wizard world with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley!

 

About J.K Rowling

Joanne Kathleen (J. K.) Rowling is 51 years old. She went to the University of Exeter and studied French and Classics. That is how she came up with the spells in Harry Potter. She first thought of Harry Potter in 1990 when her train got delayed. She wrote many notes on scraps of paper. Bloomsbury accepted the publication for the first book in 1997. The book was published around the world. After that the Harry Potter series went up from there. Today the series is in 78 different languages. J.K. Rowling has made a lot of money and has received many awards. There are movies of the book because it is so popular. She, in total, has about $15 billion, but her net worth is less than $1 billion. Rowling has a son named David and 2 daughters named Jessica and Mackenzie. She had a husband in 1992-1995 named Jorge Arantes, and right now she is married to Neil Murray.

 

 Sources:

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter

 http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/jk-rowling-biography/

 www.biography.com/people/jk-rowling-40998#synopsis

What is a Quokka? By Whitley G.

You might ask, what is a Quokka (pronounced kawaka)? A Quokka is known as the happiest animal on earth. Just one look at it and you'll fall in love!   

    

The Quokka is usually brown but it also can be grey or red. The Quokka is known as a miniature kangaroo because the only thing different between a kangaroo and a Quokka is the Quokka is smaller. Do you have a cat? If you do that's the average size of a Quokka. Isn't that weird? It is also the only member of the genus Setonix.

   

        I would love to have a Quokka as a pet because they are adorable, cute, and make you so happy. However, the Quokka is a slightly endangered species. Its vulnerable because its an easy prey to other animals, and they're under threat of development. That means humans are harming the habitats Quokkas live in through deforestation. If  you get caught with one you could get a fine or go to jail. More than likely you won’t see or get one because you would have to fly all the way to Australia, the Quokkas hometown!

For more information about the Quokka, click on the links below:

http://a-z-animals.com/animals/quokka/

http://www.konicaminolta.com/kids/endangered_animals/library/field/quokka.html

Challenger Disaster By Ashlyn M.

January 28, 2016 was the 30th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. On January 28, 1986 a space shuttle, Challenger, lifted off. This shuttle had a teacher on it, which made this event really special. The first teacher into space! However, things did not end well.

After lift off, one minute and ten seconds in the air, the shuttle blew up. Kids from different schools were watching. Some even got to be there, watching the shuttle when it exploded. None of the people on the shuttle survived. The family of every person on that shuttle experienced what happened, and mourned the loss for a long time. One particular teacher watched what happened on live T.V with her students. Many students of her fifth grade class were confused at first, but soon everything began to set in.

The last words of the pilot on the shuttle, Mike Smith, were, "Uh-oh." Maybe the pilot noticed something, and it just so happened to result in an explosion. It's sad to know that explosion could not have been stopped. Mike Smith said those words seconds before the shuttle exploded. Mission control didn't notice anything wrong. As far as they were concerned, everything was great.

The family of everyone on that shuttle experienced the explosion, even the kids. Students of the school Christa McAuliffe was teaching at, all sat together and watched. Everyone was crying, including strangers, kids, family, students. Everybody was scared. Then they found out that the explosion had killed all of the seven people on that shuttle. Everything was quiet. The only thing you could hear were the sounds of crying.  

This moment will never be forgotten by those who experienced the Challenger disaster. Even people who found out years later mourn the losses of those brave people on the shuttle. The teacher, Christa McAuliffe, will never be forgotten.

To learn more about the Challenger disaster, click the link below:
www.history.com/topics/challenger-disaster 

Do Electronics Have A Bad Effect On Children? By Jordan

                                                                                                       Have you ever wondered if electronics have a bad effect on adolescents? You may be spending a lot of time on computers, phones, etc., and wonder how it affects you? Well, electronics do affect you. You may be wondering if it affects you in a good or bad way. If you are one of those types of people that spends a lot of their time on electronics, then you might want to see what problems it can cause.

Research proves that electronics do not have a positive effect on adolescents. “Scientists are now beginning to tease out the effects of all this electronic engagement. Too much screen time may be linked to an increased incidence of risky behaviors, and more social network activity seems to correspond to mood problems among teens.” Screen time can even make a kid fat.

Researchers at Queen's University in Canada found that youths with the highest level of computer use (more than three to four hours a day) were 50% more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking, smoking, drug use, and unprotected sex than kids with minimal amounts.The more hours teenagers spend using a computer or watching TV, the weaker their emotional bonds with their parents, reports a study of more than 3,000 adolescents published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Now, you will probably think twice about how much time you spend on electronics. For more information about why electronics have a negative affect on children, please go to this website, http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/tips/a19226/children-overuse-electronics-technology/

What is Typhoid Fever? By Teagan

Typhoid fever is a very serious sickness. A few effects of typhoid are muscle cramps, fever of 104.0 at least, and severe abdominal tenderness and pain. People can be delirious, have severe headaches, and maybe unable to sleep. Some, though it is very rare, die from this sickness.

People sometimes hallucinate from this sickness. They see and hear things. In one case there was a person who said Superman was in her toilet.There once was a person named Mary Mallord, or more commonly known as “Typhoid Mary”. She was known by infecting 100’s of people.

For more information visit:

The Life and Sickness of Typhoid Mary

Who Is the Best Teacher Ever? By Jordan

Who is the best teacher ever? The one, the only, Mrs. Pound! Mrs. Pound is the best 7th grade teacher ever! She teaches language arts class, a.k.a, the best class ever. She teaches for the Leo's team and the Lion's Pride team. She has been teaching for 10 years now, but she is new to Red Bank Middle School this year. Her favorite thing about teaching is her students. Her favorite book is Copper Sun, or anything else by the author Sharon Draper. She describes herself as adventurous, peaceful, hardworking, and compassionate.

Her greatest successes are always helping her students to become better readers and writers. When you walk into her classroom you can expect to see a warm, supportive environment. Mrs. Pound is a teacher with high expectations and hard-working students. Her style for teaching is workshop style. Her standard is that all her students work their hardest and grow to become better readers and writers. Her number one goal is to "facilitate and encourage a love for reading and writing". The thing that she thinks is changing about education is that it is more technology oriented.

Click here for more information about the book, Copper Sun, by Sharon Draper.