Letter from the Principal

Movie Magic by Mr. Bree

Empathy defined: the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else's feelings. I’d like to think that our relationships with each other are influenced heavily by our ability to have empathy. If people strive to be empathic or are empathic by nature then we are moving closer to peace and success in our lives. In middle school, everything has to be relevant to have an impact. Planting the seeds of empathy in soil that has no relevance to students is a lost cause. Sometimes the best best way to make things relevant is to use the entertainment and art that is available to kids. Earlier this year our Principal, Ms. Romanelli shared the following prompt with teachers: What are some of your favorite movies that do a good job creating a sense empathy for the characters? Another way to say it . . . What are the movies that you love that would help kids hear with the ears of another, see with the eyes of another, and feel with the heart of another? The staff came up with the list on the next page.

Movie Magic

Ruby Bridges How to Train Your Dragon UP Remember the Titans Akeelah and the Bee Lean on Me To Kill a Mockingbird Cars Dangerous Minds Field of Dreams The Rookie Second­hand Lions Places in the Heart The Blind Side Temple Grandin A Mile in His Shoes Forest Gump Because of Winn Dixie 6 weeks My Sister’s Keeper

October Sky Hoosiers Big Hero Six The Outsiders Gandhi Maleficent Inside Out Wreck It Ralph Renaissance Man Rudy The Karate Kid (original) Happy Feet The Help The Jackie Robinson Story 42 Holes Iron Jawed Angels When the Game Stands Tall Mask Miracle Hoop Dreams

12 Angry Men (1957) The Iron Giant Holes The Rabbit­Proof Fence The Lion King Stand and Deliver Brave Whale Rider Babe Friday Night Lights My Girl Rudy Beaches Old Yeller Finding Nemo Toy Story The Goonies WALL­E The Descendants Nemo Big

Each movie on this list connected with a staff member in some way or another. Can something as simple as watching movies help generate more compassion and understanding in the real world or with middles schoolers?

Roger Ebert, maybe the most famous film critic of all time thought that movies could help foster empathy. “The purpose of civilization and growth is to be able to reach out and empathize a little bit with other people,” said Ebert in Life Itself. “The movies are like a machine that generates empathy. It lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears.”

Movies are an extremely important part middle schoolers’ lives. I encourage you to view some of these movies if you haven't already; watch them with your family, discuss, let them inspire you as only powerful movies can.

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April is Autism Awareness Month

By Mrs. Colnes

No doubt you’ve seen the red, blue and yellow puzzle piece ribbons as magnets on the back of cars. These ribbons are to promote Autism Awareness. Autism is a complex developmental disorder and the ribbon’s puzzle pattern reflects that complexity of the autism spectrum. The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families living with the condition and how we will work together until “all the pieces fit.” People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. They might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities. Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. Some people with autism speak beautifully, while others needs a communication device to help them communication. Autism affects everyone differently. SOME Children or adults with ASD might: have trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all avoid eye contact and want to be alone have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings appear to be unaware when people talk to them, but respond to other sounds be very interested in people, but not know how to talk, play, or relate to them repeat or echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of

normal language have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions not play “pretend” games (for example, not pretend to “feed” a doll) repeat actions over and over again have trouble adapting when a routine changes have unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound

Signs of ASD begin during early childhood and typically last throughout a person’s life. There is no cure for autism so children with autism grow up to become adults with autism. ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, but is almost five times more common among boys than among girls. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 1 in 68 children has been identified with ASD. However, New Jersey has the highest rates of ASD, with 1 in 45 children but 1 in 28 boys. Throughout the month of April, we will participate in Autism Awareness activities, so please be on the lookout for information. Awareness is the first step toward understanding and understanding is the first step toward ACCEPTANCE!

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Staff Spotlight:

Mrs. Kravitz-

By: Jessie Randiek and Tori Desimone Q: Why did you decide to be a teacher? A: I love working with children from camp to babysitting. Q: Would you ever change the grade that you teach? A: Yes. Q: Would you ever change the subject that you teach? A: Yes, my first love was Social Studies. Q: Did you always work at DeMasi Middle? A: No I worked at MMS, in Maryland for 4 years and in Pennsylvania for a year. I have been at DMS for 11 years. Q: Did you ever teach elementary? A: I taught 4th and fifth grade. Q: What is your favorite movie(s)? A: Despicable Me, The Wizard of Oz, The Mummy Q: What do you like to do in your free time? A: I like to travel. I have been to 5 continents Q: How long does it take to plan your lessons? A: Days Q: Do you have any pets, if so how many do you have and what is their name(s)? A: I have two cats, Spike and Tigger qne two African equotic bullfrogs, Ben and Jerry. Q: What‛s your favorite time of the day? A: Dusk/Dawn

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Staff Spotlight:

Mr. Wyzykiewicz

By: Jessie Randiek and Tori Desimone Q: Why did you decide to be a teacher? A: It was the day I realized I could earn a living trying to persuade students how great a subject Social Studies is!! I think some of them don‛t believe me, but I will keep trying. Q: Would you ever change the grade that you teach? A: I don‛t think so; I like 8th grade. Q: Would you ever change the subject that you teach? A: No, I love social studies WAY too much. I could never see myself teaching another subject. Ever. Q: Did you always work at DeMasi Middle? A: Not always. I started my career as a high school sub in Aston, PA. I also taught 8th grade one year in Wilmington, Delaware. Q: Did you ever teach elementary? A: No. I was a sub for a 5th grade teacher for three days a long time ago, and I have not been back to elementary since. It is probably for the best. Q: What is your favorite movie(s)? A: I love great cinema. They just do not make good movies anymore in Hollywood. The greatest movies ever made are the Godfather I and II. Q: What do you like to do in your free time? A: Read Social Studies books, of course! I also like to exercise. Q: How long does it take to plan your lessons? A: Sometimes it can take hours; usually a few extra hours per week. Q: Do you have any pets, if so how many do you have and what is their name(s)? A: I do not have any pets. In fact, I never have. Q: What‛s your favorite time of the day? A: The time spent sitting down to a nice breakfast and a cup of coffee

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〰Heart Sugar Cookies〰 By: Renisha Parikh

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened 1 ½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1\2 teaspoon almond extract 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ cup granulated sugar for decoration

Directions: Get a large bowl, cream together butter and

confectioners’ sugar until it is smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover it and let it chill for at least two hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Divide the dough into two

parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness.Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 ½ inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with color or granulated sugar.

Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly brown. Allow

cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE: Go on Allrecipes.com for more recipes!

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DIY 10 min Shamrock Shake By Pracchi Lad

Ingredients: 3 cups vanilla ice cream 1 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon mint

extract Green food color gel or

paste recommended 2 cups whipped cream Sprinkles

Directions: Combine the ice cream, milk, mint extract and food

coloring in a blender and blenduntil combined. Add more

green food coloring as desired.

Transfer the shakes to serving glasses, then top with

whipped cream and sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Source: Tablespoon.com

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Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls By Madison Law

Ingredients: Cinnamon rolls- Example: Pillsbury, Kroger, etc. Cinnamon roll icing (usually comes with cinnamon rolls) Green food coloring

Directions: Take one cinnamon roll and break it into five pieces.

Four clover leaves and one stem. Bake the cinnamon roll for as long as it says on the

back of the packaging. Add a small amount of green food coloring to the icing. After you take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven, put some

icing on each roll.

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Irish Soda Bread

By: Renisha Parikh

Ingredients

4 cups of all purpose flour

4 tablespoons of white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup margarine, softened

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

¼ cup butter, melted

¼ cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F(190 degrees C). Lightly grease a

large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking

powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn

dough out to a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form

dough into a round shape and placed on a prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter with ¼ cup buttermilk; brush

loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an “X” into the top of

the loaf.

Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center

of the loaf comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Check for doneness

after 30 minutes. You make continue to brush the loaf with the

butter mixture while it bakes.

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The History Of Valentine’s Day

By: Madison Law

Valentine’s Day was started as an ancient Roman

festival called the festival of Lupercalia. The festival of

Lupercalia was not associated with love and was

celebrated on February 15. Pope Gelasius decided to change

this festival into a Christian feast day, making February 14

St. Valentine's Day.

No one is sure of which St. Valentine Pope Gelasius

intended to honor. There were at least three early Christian

saints with that name. One was a priest in Rome; one was a

bishop in Terni; and another was almost fully unknown.

Shockingly, all of the three known St. Valentine’s were

martyred on February 14.

St. Valentine’s Day had nothing to do with love until

the 14th century. According to a UCLA medieval scholar,

Geoffrey Chaucer was the person who first linked St.

Valentine’s Day with love and romance. In 1381, Chaucer

wrote a poem in honor of the engagement of England’s

Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. Chaucer associated the

occasion with a feast day. In “The Parliament of Fowls,” the

royal engagement, the mating season of birds, and St.

Valentine’s Day are linked.

St. Valentine’s Day had quite an amazing history.

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History Of St.Patrick’s Day By: Madison Law and Renisha Parikh

St. Patrick’s Day has a whole different history than you expected. It all started when Patrick was born. He was known to be born in Scotland or Roman England about 390 A.D. People were not sure exactly where he was born because it was so long ago. His real name was Maewyn Succat. Another name he had was in Roman and later he became known as Patrick.

Patrick was the son of Calpurnius who was a Roman-British army officer. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and they sold him into slavery. He was a slave in Ireland for 6 years. He escaped to Britain then traveled to France. Soon, he became a bishop.

Another legend of St. Patrick’s Day is about a saint named Patrick, who helped bring Christianity to Ireland. He used a shamrock to explain a Christian trinity (which means the Christian godhead as one god in three persons). It is believed that he died on March 17. Hundreds of years later, people in Ireland, began celebrating the Feast of St. Patrick, every March 17. In the 1700, the holiday began to become popular with Irish Americans. So, now people in America celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, thanks to the old legend of St. Patrick.

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Safe ways To Prank Siblings on April Fool’s Day

By: Maya Peacock

Put hot sauce on toothbrush Put plastic wrap around the soap

Change phone language to Chinese Give them salty water (or (Or any other language)

vinegar milk)

Put tennis balls in mailbox Tie pairs of (random) socks together

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Put cotton balls in shoes Put nail polish remover on soap

Give them toothpaste oreos

Take battery out of the remote Make their alarm go off too early

Sources: http://www.wikihow.com/Prank­Your­Brother http://www.wikihow.com/Play­an­April­Fool's­Day­Prank­on­Your­Family

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The Bookworm Recommends

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson Review by Maya Peacock

In this book, a girl named Matilda has to go through the physical and

emotional pain of the disease called yellow fever that hits her town in

Philadelphia. She first lived with her small family of her mother and

grandfather in their coffeeshop, but the disease changed everything. While

she struggles to survive in a dying city she loses and gains friends as well.

Her life used to be so simple, so clear. The book shows how fast your life can

change in an instant.

I thought this book was great.

The book pulls you in right at the start. Even the cover pulls you

in. I loved how this book makes you feel like you are in

Matilda’s shoes. It places you in the 1700’s where things weren’t

as comfortable. When the author describes the

setting it’s like you are there. Laurie Anderson has a way of doing that. You feel what Matilda

feels, you see what Matilda sees. You may even taste what she consumes. This book is

definitely for people who love to travel back in time to where things weren’t easy. This book

is for people who would like to know how these people got through those terrible times of the

past.How they felt and what they were thinking. The Holocaust, the black plague and even

slavery may be events that could be pretty interesting. I would say that Fever is a great book

for all middle school students.

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Superhero Review By Aarushi Gupta Elektra Real name: Elektra Natchios Abilities: Martial arts, acrobatics Assassin First Introduced: 1981 Daredevil #168 Origin Story: Elektra was the daughter of a well known Greek ambassador. She studied martial arts as a child and political sciences as an adult in the U.S. During her time there, she fell in love with Matthew Murdock, who would later become Daredevil. She and her father were once held hostage by terrorists. Elektra and Matthew fought them off, but the police mistook her father as a terrorist and shot him dead. Grief stricken, Elektra fled to Japan and studied martial arts in even more depth. After some time though, her sensei, teacher, told her that she was too deep into anger and hatred for her to learn anything more. To prove him wrong, Elektra infiltrated an assassination organization, but was tricked into killing her sensei. She spent years as a bounty hunter and an assassin afterwards until she came across her former love Daredevil. Her job that time around was to assassinate him, but she couldn’t bring herself to. They then fall back into love.

Book Review by: Aarushi Gupta

The Thief Lord by: Cornelia Funke This book is a wonderful story about two young boys whose mother has just died. When their aunt comes to adopt one of them, unwilling to be separated, they run away to Venice. There, they are taken in by a mysterious young boy who calls himself the Thief Lord. Prosper and Bo, the two boys, live with three other street urchins in an abandoned movie theatre. Within the watery streets of Venice, a tale of mystery unfolds. Victor Getz, a private detective has been hired to find the two boys. The Thief Lord gets hired to steal a seemingly ordinary wooden wing for thousands of dollars. This story is truly intriguing and I would recommend it to anyone with a taste for mystery, magic or adventure.

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15 Fun Google Tricks By Lauren Stavros

1. You can decide what to eat. by typing in two foods that you like and google will show you the health benefits of each food

2. You can find the exact time of day the sunrise happens anywhere around the world by typing in the words “sunrise in ___” or “sunset in____”

3. You can find a hidden game on google by going to the google search bar and typing in “zerg rush” and a little game will pop up.

4. You can find out the weather for any place in the world by typing in “_______ forecast” 5. You can find out the tip you should give by typing in “tip calculator” and the it will give you an

interactive picture where you can fill out the tip. 6. You can find out your flight status by typing in the flight number and the airway. It will tell you

the time, terminal, gate and how far you’ve traveled. 7. You can make google do a trick by typing in “do a barrel roll” and google will do it. 8. Google can tell you when TV shows are playing by typing “(your show) episodes” and it will

pop up on the screen. 9. Google can tell you when the next big movie is coming out by typing in “(movie) release date.’ 10. You can find out all the songs by your favorite artist by typing in “songs by___” in the google

searchbar” 11. Google can convert any measurements for you by typing in the number of units and

comparing it to the other unit. For example if I type in “56in. to cm.” google will tell me the answers.

12. You can use google to translate any language by typing in “(Language) to (Language)” And you can hear what it sounds like and how to say the words you’re planning on.

13. It can tell you all the books written by any author by typing in “books by (author).” It will show you all of the titles and the year it written in.

14. If you don’t feel like typing because your hands are too tired you can use the google microphone that you can speak into.

15. You can find the distance between cities by typing in “distance from (city) to (city).” It will give you the exact distance and map in it.

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Product Review by Sabir Belfquih

Tesla Is a car company that makes all electric cars like the model s and model x and the roadster The first car they ever made was the roadster their first electric car is could go 125 mph in only 3.9 seconds! but now that was a long time ago now they have made the fastest electric sedan and van witch are the model s which is the red sedan and the model x the brown van that are both incredibly fast the model s can go 155 mph even the all wheel drive van the model x can go 115 mph which is pretty fast for a van that's powered by batteries. tesla’s first car the tesla roadster is battery powers and goes 125 mph it must be the fastest electric running car.

facts :tesla made the second electric car ever.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ :the person that made tesla was nikola tesla: Nikola Tesla was a Serbian American physicist,

inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system that's powered by batteries. tesla’s first car the tesla roadster is battery powers and goes 125 mph

it must be the fastest electric running car .

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Spring Break Activities By: Madison Law

Have you ever become bored during spring break? If you have, here are some fun activities to do.

Crafts Bike Ride Park Walk Movie Theaters Restaurant Please Touch Museum Speed Raceway Elite Climbing, LLC The Funplex Palmyra Cove & Nature Center Springfield Golf Center Johnson’s Corner Farm Rancocas Nature Center Burlington Bowl and Recreation Center International Skating Center Sky Zone Stratosphere CoCo Key Water Resort Sahara Sam’s Oasis Igloo Ice Skating Rink

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How to Fly a Plane By: Pranav Kuppili Edited by: Zachary Little

Student Pilot Edition

The first step you need to master, if you want to become a pilot, is first become

a student pilot. There are many classes of pilots (listed below:)

1. Student pilot ­ a pilot that is a student, ready for something more advanced. 2. Sports pilot ­ A pilot who can only fly a plane with two seats at max. 3. Recreational pilot ­ A pilot who can only have one other passenger, but can have a 4

seat airplane. 4. Private pilot ­ Can fly at night, get money for PERSONAL business. Can fly a plane

with 6 seats. 5. Commercial pilot ­ Can fly for hire. First need a Private Pilot’s License. 6. ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) ­ An airline Transport Pilot is the hardest. You need 1,500

hours of experience. You need to have an Instrument Rating.* An ATP­r (ATP restricted) is a pilot who doesn’t have to meet the tough parts, and a little bit easier to get. The highest they could get is being a co­pilot.

* An instrument rating is something extra you could get, that lets you fly in clouds. It means you could fly just using the instruments on the plane (not musical instruments.) That lets you fly without needing to see the horizon.

Now let’s start learning how to fly a plane!

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We will go into a Cessna 172 (Shown above), a very trustworthy, easy flying airplane. The six major instruments: The Airspeed Indicator, Attitude Indicator, Altimeter, Turn Coordinator, Heading Indicator, and Vertical Speed Indicator.

The Big Six­ The major instruments

Airspeed Indicator­ Tells your speed Altimeter ­ Shows altitude

Attitude Indicator ­ Tells pitch and bank

Turn Coordinator ­ Show bank

Pitch ­ The vertical angle of the plane’s nose cone Bank ­ The horizontal angle of the plane’s wings

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* ^ *Heading Indicator­ Shows which direction you are going. ^Vertical Speed Indicator­ Shows how fast you are going up, and going down. Lesson 1: Straight and Level Flight Straight and level flight is when the pitch is 0 degrees, and the bank is 0 degrees;

So your wings are level, the pitch is straight. Lesson 2: Turns

A turn occurs when you rotate the plane. You just turn the yoke (steering wheel of a plane) and the plane will turn. This is called a roll. A yaw is different. When you turn using the yoke, you use the ailerons. When you use the pedals, you use the rudder. It is called yaw. It turns like a car on the road. You use the Heading Indicator to know which direction you are going. It is self explanatory. Lesson 3: Climbs and Descents: Altitude

Climbs and descents occur when you gain or drop altitude, respectively. To go climb in altitude (go up), you pull the yoke back. You add power, which is adding more throttle to elevate. If you want to move to a very high altitude, you trim, which is keeping your pitch the same. Descent is the exact opposite, as you move down. If you bring the nose down and reduce power, then you will start to descend. You can also trim for descents. You use the Attitude Indicator for reference, and the Airspeed Indicator for reference of speed. You can trim to keep the constant rate of climbing and descending, or in contrast, straight and level flight. Lesson 4: Slow Flight Slow flight is when the plane is going slow enough that it won’t descend to crashing point, but still fly. In other words, the slowest possible speed to fly. In the Airspeed Indicator, it is

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staying at the lowest part of the white arch. You need to pull back on the yoke to keep in straight and level flight. If you do not, you will start descending. Slow flight is useful for landing, because you need to come slowly, to avoid landing too fast. Slow flight is very easy. Lesson 5: Takeoff

One of the most easiest and self explanatory parts of flying a rather small airplane is the takeoff. Larger planes have checklists, and stuff and like that. So you turn on all your lights, and put full throttle. Then you wait until you are fast enough to take off, and off you go!! If you go higher than 10,000 ft, you can turn off your landing lights. Lesson 6: Landings

Landings are one of the most difficult parts of of flying a plane. You need to reduce flaps by ten degrees, to slow you down. Turn on the landing lights if you are below 10,000 ft. Be sure to be in line with the runway. When you look at runway numbers, at first they may look like random numbers, but they tell which direction the runway is. So, runway 9 is 90 degrees, which is East. Runway 18 is 180 degrees, which is South. Runway 27 is heading 270, which is West. Runway 36 is 360 degrees, which is North. All the other direction numbers are in between. So, back to the landings. When you get closer and closer to the runway, you keep on reduce the flaps. Once you get to full flaps, and close enough to the runway, here comes the scariest part. You put the the throttle to idle, which means you put the throttle to 0. You just let the plane descend to the runway. Once you are close enough, you lift the pitch like how you would when you take off, but since the throttle is at 0, you will still descend. Then, you touch down, and put the brakes. Once you stopped, you have successfully flew a plane!

Next article: How to Fly a Plane

Private Pilot Edition

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Funny Celebrity Quotes By: Anna Barnard Here are ten funny and stupid quotes from celebrities to brighten your day! 1.) “If everyone in the word dropped out of school, we would have a much more intelligent society.” ­Jaden Smith 2.) “What’s Walmart? Do they sell, like, wall stuff?” ­Paris Hilton 3.) “I never really wanted to go to Japan. Simply because I don’t like fish and I know that it’s really popular out there in Africa.” ­Britney Spears 4.) “When I was little, my father gave me a small loan of one million dollars.” ­Donald Trump 5.) “I mean, time for me, I can make it go slow or fast, however I please, and that’s how I know it doesn’t exist.” ­Willow Smith 6.) “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost an important part of your life.” ­Brooke Shields 7.) “The word ‘genius’ isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” ­Joe Theismann 8.) “I was asked to go to Chicago because Chicago is one of our fifty­two states.” ­Raquel Welch 9.) “I think that the film Clueless was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it’s true lightness.” ­Alicia Silverstone !0.) “Is this chicken or is this fish? I know it’s tuna but it says chicken of the sea.” ­Jessica Simpson

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Most Watched TV Shows By: Emily Smith and Laura Rossi

Pretty Little Liars:

Pretty Little Liars is a TV series based on the books by Sara Shepard. This show covers both drama, and thrill,. It focuses on a group of four friends, Aria (Lucy Hale), Hanna (Ashley Benson), Spencer (Troian Bellisario), and Emily (Shay Mitchell). It is set years after their friend, Alsion (Sasha Pieterse), went missing, and was found to be murdered. Then, out of the blue the four friends started to receive mysterious messages from the anonymous A . As they try and figure out who this person is, A starts to threaten to reveal their secrets. But how does this person know all these thing? Only Alison knew these things? Is she really dead like they thought? Watch this show if you want to join the bunch of friends on their thrilling journey. Modern Family:

This hilarious family sitcom, shows how normal a happy, modern family is. With Phil (Ty Burrel) and Claire (Julie Bowen), and their three kids, Haley-the pretty one (Sarah Hyland), Alex-the smart one (Ariel Winter), and Luke-the funny one (Nolan Gould). Claire’s father Jay (Ed O’Neill), and his Latino wife, Gloria (Sophia Vergara), and their kids’ Manny, who doesn’t act like a kid (Rico Rodriguez), and Joe, and finally, Jay’s son Mitchell (Jesse Tyler-Ferguson), and his partner, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), and their daughter, Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons). Together they have their problems, and apart too. Watch this show, to see this dysfunctional family plow their way through life.

Teen Wolf:

In this supernatural teen drama, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) finds himself in a difficult situation after taking a walk in the woods one night, and getting bit by some creature, having his life changed for eternity. Is he human, werewolf, or both? He goes through many challenges, trying to control the urges he now feels, but will the urges end up controlling him? Now he has to decide whether this bite was a curse, or a gift.

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Personality Quiz By:Wilson Leung and Eric Lin

If you met a stray dog, what would you do?

a) Give it a tummy rub b) Feel pity, but you are too insecure/scared of what people will think if you take care of it c) Take it home and adopt it d) Ignore it

If your teacher gave you homework, but she forgot about it, would you still do it?

a) You don’t do it, but you tell your teacher about the mistake. b) You convince yourself you will do it, but don’t in the end c) You do it, and tell your teacher about her mistake d) No

What would you describe yourself as?

a) Sociable b) Introvert / Slightly Insecure c) Kind d) Mean

You make plans to hang out with a friend, but they cancel. What do you do?

a) Ask them why b) Feel hurt because you were looking forward to tonight c) You shrug it off, things happen d) Make fun of them and call somebody else.

If you knew you had to leave Earth to live on another planet, what would be the last thing you would do on Earth?

a) Say goodbye to all your friends b) Cry and refuse to leave (be honest) c) Learning everything you wanted to on the Earth, and accomplish all your goals d) Do anything you want, and chill out

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If you chose mostly A’s, you are sensible and normal, not leaning too much to one personality or another. If you chose mostly B’s, you are quiet and intimate, preferring to keep your feelings to yourself, and you are slightly sensitive. If you chose mostly C’s you are a very empathetic person who is kind to mostly everybody preferring to do the best things; however, you are slightly naive. If you chose mostly D’s, you are very blunt, and are somewhat unforgiving with your responses. You like being free and very honest with your opinion.

_________________________________________________

February Horoscopes by Annabelle Smith and Matt Ambrose

Capricorn: December 22­January 19

Aquarius: January 20­February 18

Pisces: February 20­March 20 Aries: March 21­April 19

Taurus: April 20­May 20 Gemini: May 21­June 21

Cancer: June 22­July 23 Leo: July 24­August 23

Virgo: August 22­September 22 Libra: September 22­October 22

Scorpio: October 23­November 22 Sagittarius: November 23­December 21

Capricorn: A mysterious traveler will greet you soon enough, and will bring what you thought you have wanted for a long time. But, the gift will come with a twist. Aquarius: You will try a new food and it will become one of your favorites.

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Pisces: First off, if you were born in February, happy birthday! Here is your horoscope: You will decide to try something new, and that thing will either become a huge part of your life or turn out to be a big mistake. Taurus: The spring season will bring joy to your family. Happiness will bring your heart peace. Gemini: You will start a new trend that becomes super popular. But, It will come back to haunt you in the end. Cancer: For you, life will suddenly become easy. The problem is, easiness never lasts. Something to do with your best friend will change your thoughts on life forever. Leo: You will get something you’ve been wanting for a long time. But it will come at a cost. Virgo:This is a bad month for you. Nothing will go correctly, and everything will seem like it is falling apart. Don’t worry though, next month will be amazing. Libra: You will get to know someone who you didn’t know before, and you will become good friends. Scorpio: For you, happiness is always the answer! There is no twist to this horoscope, your life will just be full of joy. Sagittarius: This month you will find something you have been missing for a long time.

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Which Marvel Character Are YOu? by Evan Aronow

1.) You Are?

A.) Courageous C.) Cunning

B.) Evil D.) Ruthless

2.) A lady is hanging from a billboard with one hand, You?

A.) fly her to safety

B.) step on her hand

C.) Bring the billboard down to the ground so she can get off

D.) Throw HEr

3.) You hear of a evil plan in the works, you?

A.) tell the cops

B.) do Nothing, you are the leader

C.) Foil it

D.) Take over it

4.) A little girl lost, you?

A.) take her home

B.) Train her to be your evil sidekick

c.) Find her parents

D.) You have no emotion

5.) Your love life is…

A.) Hopeless B.) MORTAL FOOLS CHOOSE LOVE C.) I have a crush D.) Tried it once, didn’t

end well

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Mostly A’s (⅗) Your Iron Man!!! Mostly B’s (⅗) yOUR lOKI!!!

mOSTLY c’S (⅗) yOUR sPIDER MAN!!! mOSTLY d’S (⅗) YOUR mAGNETO!!!

Dear Finn,

My best friend is moving to Atlanta, Georgia and I’m really upset. We’ve been friends since kindergarden, and I don’t know what I’ll do without her. I’m worried we won’t be friends anymore. I’ll also have no one else to hang out with once she’s gone. What should I do?!!!

­ Desperate Friend Dear Desperate Friend,

I know how you feel. Recently one of my friends moved to Florida. You shouldn’t worry about your friendship breaking. Just keep in contact with her, and maybe you could visit her some time. As for having no one to hang out with, you can still make new friends without breaking your friendship with her. I hope my advice helps.

­ Finn

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Endangered Species: WILD CHINCHILLAS By Isabel Marshall

Chinchilla’s are not very well known but, they are endangered, at least wild chinchillas are. This is how it happened. Not too long ago, chinchillas were hunted and killed for their luscious fur coats. They killed them to make themselves clothes like jackets, hats and so on. Chinchillas could not simply be shaved because, even though they look big, most of their bodies are just fur. They can’t survive without their fur coats so people just killed

them. It took about 100 chinchillas to make a fur coat. There are three breeds of chinchillas, and because of hunting and killing, one became extinct. As chinchilla’s became rarer, there coat became more valuable and would sell for as much as $200 per pelt. Early in the 20th century, both species of chinchilla, the Chinchilla Laniger and the Chinchilla Brevicaudata, collapsed. In 1910, an agreement was signed by Andean countries where the two chinchilla species live, to prohibit capture and trade and export (IUCN 1994). Once found throughout the Andes in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, chinchillas still remain highly endangered. In Japan, a wild chinchilla fur coat sold for $49,000 in 1981 and others have sold for as much as $100,000. For more information on the subject, go to www.endangeredspecieshandbook.org/trade_chinchillas.php

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Facts about Chinchillas

1. Chinchillas can’t get wet, so they take dust baths (but not from dust that you find on an old table).

2. Chinchillas love to eat apples and raisins.

3. ‘Chinchilla’ is a spanish word.

4. Chinchillas bodies are more fur than body.

5. There are pet and wild chinchillas.

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Destiny by Shane Gunner

“Get up, jerk.” Maria’s words echoed in Jerome’s head. All of the sudden Jerome felt an arm yank him.

“Why Maria, It’s not even a weekday.” Jerome punched Maria but did not connect. A hand pulled Maria down off the bed. Jerome looked down to see it was Jason.

"It’s okay tackle her. Even strong relationships have fights” Jason gave Jerome the thumbs down with a “No! don’t do that” look. Maria walked away with tears streaking down her face.

“Guess I’m not the best at being wise,” Jerome said. “You got one thing right Captain Obvious,” replied Jason. “come on we need to eat breakfast

and get ready for a simulation of The Plan.” Simulation was an understatement, they had to go into a full­fledged warzone. They made

the always nourishing Choco Popz then went to the hangar to get on the helicopter to go to the battlefield! When they got there the hangar was filled with noise, B’Dubs came over and gave a briefing.

“Alright, this is The Demonworld where Mudkip lives. You will got through The Tunnel after you make it to the base. The tunnel is a pipe that you need to slide down!”

The message was simple, find Mudkip and get out. They moved toward the dropship. Maria came over to Jerome. “Seriously? I know what you meant this morning.I’m not happy.”

Jerome was surprised to see that Maria was wearing combat gear instead of a Nightgown, especially considering it was 3:00 AM. She stepped on the the ship and it took off, they sat down and looked at the screen that would give them an analyzation of the mission.

“Hello,” it said. “You will drop at Alpha base you will then go to Delta base­­­­­­” It was boring. Anyway, soon they dropped at the point, this was a simulation that was so high­tech that they felt as if they were actually there. They waked up to the Alpha Base, It was a tall structure made of stone but when they opened the door…

Bang!!! Smoke filled the air! Nobody could see anything. Jerome saw people in tan police suits grab Maria, snap on handcuffs and walk away. Dragging Maria as they went.

“Maria!” The people looked back, they came over to Jerome and pulled out shock sticks…. “What, where am ,”. Jerome looked down. He was in some sort of infirmary. “They took Maria” Jerome said weakly. He looked to see B’Dubs at the end of the bed

“B’Dubs, you’re the kind of person that sometimes I don’t notice, but when I do there’s a reason.” “Thanks. you know you’re pretty beat up man,” B’Dubs replied “What attacked us?” Jerome envisioned the people again. “People called The Shadow, they’re a rogue police force.”

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Jerome looked around him and B’Dubs were the only ones in the infirmary. Jerome got up to

leave but B’Dubs stopped him. “You’re too weak man,” said B’Dubs. “You can’t leave.” Jerome did the unthinkable and got on top of his area where he had been resting and

stomped on B’Dubs head slamming it to the ground and B’Dubs was slow to get up. “This is an opportunity to train for real battles,” said Jerome. He threw a right at B’Dubs but didn’t connect. B’Dubs looked mad and threw an elbow that made Jerome blackout.

“YOU WHA?T” this was Jason’s reply to everything that happened. “Alright, I’m not mad it’s just good to know we have two of the best fighters in Terradoma on

our side.” Jason was standing over two people in an Infirmary. These people were obviously B’Dubs and Jerome.

“Thanks,” added Jerome before saying, “I think I’m fully trained” Jason laughed as if this was funny and then added, “Oh, this is nowhere near what you have to do.”

Jerome fell asleep after that. Jason addressed B’Dubs “Phew, you did amazing out there. We’re gonna need you if we’re going to find Mudkip and capture him. So you know the two green amphibian dudes that came two years ago, we got them to join us again. They’re coming tomorrow. Also, we need to brainstorm ideas on where The Core might be.”

B’Dubs looked very interested. “What’s The Core?” he asked. “What is keeping Terradoma in balance?”

Jason gestured to the picture on the wall above B’Dubs. “The turquoise dais with the white crystal on it is The Core and around it are Good and Evil.

They battled for it for years and eventually vanquished each other. Terradoma was peaceful, until we came. No­one knows why the island transported us, we just know it meant for this to happen. There was a prophec:y

The corporate one that bears the hair shall only live, if the Blue one dies before the shattering.

We don’t know what this means fully, but most of it is understandable.”

B’Dubs had a lot to think about that night. So did Jerome especially Maria who was taken. Jerome didn’t know what torture they were putting her through.

The next few weeks were stressful for everyone. They had to train for the two amphibians, Inferno and Antkiller. They were coming in two days and everyone was excited and nervous. They also had to figure out how to get to Mudkip and how to rescue Maria who had been tortured for 28 days! On the morning of the last day before the amphibians came, Jason pulled Jerome to the side.

“Start packing, we’re going,” said Jason. “What, where are we going why­­­­

To Be Continued

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February Daze By Christina Mowad & Prachi Lad

Black History Month Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Harry Styles Birthday

2 Plant a tree

3 Go for a jog

4 Rosa Parks Birthday

5 Bake cookies

6 Babe Ruth Birthday

7 Eat an apple

8 Chinese New Year

9 Watch a movie

10 Give someone a compliment

11 Drink some juice

12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

13 Eat your favorite food

14 Valentine’s Day

15 Change your password

16 Do a puzzle

17 Ed Sheeran Birthday

18 Eat a burger

19 Tell someone you love them

20 Love your pet day!

21 Watch a movie.

22 George Washington Birthday

23 Walk your dog day.

24 Steve Jobs Birthday

25 Chew Gum Day

26 Smile

27 Polar bear day.

28 Oscars and National tooth fairy day!

29 Be extraordinary

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March Calendar By Prachi Lad and Christina Mowad

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Justin Bieber Birthday

2 Dr.Seuss Birthday

3 Go hunt for a four leaf clover.

4 Plant a tree.

5 Play monopoly with a friend.

6 National dentist day

7 Exercise day.

8 Ride a pony day.

9 Drink a shamrock shake day.

10 Go on a walk.

11 National promposal Day

12 Go to sleep early.

13 National K9 Veterans day

14 Stephen Curry Birthday

15 Find a rainbow

16 National everything you do is right day.

17 St.Patricks Day

18 National awkward moments day.

19 Hang out with a friend.

20 National native HIV/AIDS awareness day

21 Give someone a hug.

22 Wear a band T­shirt Day

23 National Puppy day

24 Give someone a compliment

25 Watch a movie.

26 Donate money.

27 Easter

28 Lady Gaga Birthday

29 Have a sleepover.

30 National doctor day

31 National Prom day

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Calendar of Events

March 4 School Store 9 1∕2 Day snack sale 10 1∕2 Day snack sale 18 6th Grade Social 18 7th Grade Volleyball Game 25 First Day Spring Break

April 1 Last Day of Spring Break 8 School store 11 Dinner/Dessert Night: Five Guys & Let’s Yo! 18 PTA Meeting ­ 7pm in Library

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