David M. 4S

THE BIG HIKE

Ding! My alarm woke me up. 9:00 I yelled for everybody to wake up. I flopped on my clothes and ran outside and it was as hot as a sauna.

 “David breakfast!” my mom called. yum bacon and eggs for breakfast.

“That was delicious,” I exclaimed as my cousins were coming downstairs. they just woke up. You better eat fast,  we are leaving soon.

          I walked back outside and back up the outside stairs with my cousin Michael and we went to the field. we saw two baby deEr and a mom and dad.

“Let’s go see if there are any frogs in the creek,” I suggested. I darted over to the creek and heard something.  it was a frog.

“C’mon lets go get packed for the hike. Let’s go!  my mom screamed as I was making my salami sandwich. As I walked out the door I heard a stick crunch under my foot and the birds tweeting. I could already tell that this would be a good hike.

 finally I got into the car and we were driving.  It took two cars to take us all.it was a 15 minute ride. Right when we got out I was the first one out of the car.

My cousin was out next. I darted over to the trail and there was a great view of New York. Let’s get on the trail so we started walking to the big hill of rocks.  we had to climb all the way up all the rocks.  right when we got over all the rocks I saw a giant cliff and it made me get butterflies in my stomach.  I thought I would fall off.

          we saw a green dot and a yellow dot on a tree and we went on the green trail.

“wow!  look at that huge rock! maybe we should stop for lunch.”

 I ripped my salami sandwich and ate it so fast I forgot I ate it. 

“look there is a tepee!”

 I ran over and jumped into the tepee. There was a skull in it so we screamed and ran out as fast as our feet could carry us. I looked for all the green dots and it led us to a cave it looked like a mine and explorable.

 So I walked in and had to grab my flashlight from my bag.   it was very dark. I saw an old rickety ladder and I stepped slowly down it and I shined my flashlight all around. I saw a giant chest I screamed for everybody to come over. we all tried to open it and it was locked so we all carried it back up the ladder.  I Said, “we’ve got to bring it back home and find the key to the chest.”

 My uncle got a pic lock and finally got the chest open. there were diamonds and gold and pearls

“ we’re rich!” I exclaimed. “I can have anything I want Like a Mansion and live with all my cousins like Michael Jonny, Mary, Owen, Kevin, James, Kelly, Timmy, and a dog Bailey. I could get LeBron’s and elite socks. I can even get season tickets to the Mets and jets!”

I started to grab as much gold as I could carry and diamonds my pockets were filled with gold and diamonds, my pants were falling down. I was so happy I jumped with joy and started screaming and running all around the house and making as much noise as possible while I started thinking of all the things that I could do with all precious gold and diamonds.                                           

Shivshankar C. 4S

                         Old Indian Tale

Acha (my dad) and I dashed to the parade. We were late to see these tiger, leopard and lion animals, but I didn’t know what they were called in India. One of the parade tigers jumped out of the cart and slowly walked toward Acha and me. I was scared for a second, but not to the point where I would cry, when my dad grabbed my hand and punched the tiger while he was kicking it. I now think that was what the parade animals were supposed to do or it was a joke. Anyway the tiger ran away and jumped back into his parade cart with all the other animals.

                                  Author’s note:

This story took place in India when I was three. My dad and I came to an Indian parade, then this exclusive story occurred.  

Tommy M. 4 S

Did you know that in the savannas there is a tree that is so big that so people live in the trunk of that tree? The savanna is in the middle of a tropical rain forest and a desert. The temperature is about 70F all year round. The biggest savannas are in Africa. There are only 2 seasons, summer and winter. In the summer it is very wet, the savannas get about 25 inches of rain during summer. Also the temperature does not drop that much. In the winter it very dry, not much rain comes at all.

In the savannas there are very interesting animals. One is named a Gnu meaning wild beast, which is also related to a bull. It has hooved feet, long legs, sharp horns, humped shoulders, weighs about 600 pounds. There are actually cheetahs in the savannas. They are the fastest animals. They eat cantaloupes, have short sharp claws, they are top predators, with yellow/black fur.

In the savannas there is a type of horse called a Quagga. It has long white legs, brown coat of fur, large ears and eyes, dark color on it’s muzzle. The other animal is an African wild dog. It has white skin and is very fast. It has very sharp claws, is very dangerous, and is top predator.

There are very interesting plants in the savannas. There is a tree called a Jarrah tree. It could grow to 40-50 meters tall! The leaves can grow up to 13 cm long. There is a different type of tree called a baobab tree. It is on the equator, it can grow up to 25 meters tall, stores lots of water, it looks like a plant with the root sticking upwards. The tree is so big that some people live in the trunk of it! I hope you enjoyed learning about savannas.

Sophia J. 4 S

Coral reef

The coral reef is a wonderful biome to be in.  You can find lots of pretty reefs here! The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef. Did you know that this reef has over a 200 kinds of animals that live there? The Great Barrier Reef is over 1,257 miles long. The Great Barrier is on the coast of Australia.  The lowest zones are the coldest then the top zones are the hottest since it is near the sun. Then the middle zone temperature is the average pool temperature.

 The elasmosaurus is an animal that might seem like a mythical creature but does exist in the deepest part of the coral reef. It is a fish eating reptile that has four flippers and a very long neck.

The pyramid butterfly fish changes color at night . It is 7 inches long. Its relatives are the banner fish and the family falls in the category of the chaetodontidae. The square spot fish is also a relative of the banner fish.  Its scientific name is pseudanthias pleurotaenia.   Its diet is tiny drifting animals .Its size is 7in.

Another kind of fish found in a coral reef is the bicolor anthias.  They all start out as females.  This kind of fish is called a hermaphrodite because is a dominant female that will eventually become a male.

There are also many plants in the coral reef.  Mangroves are a kind of plant that lives in the coral reef ecosystem.  They live up on the top of the water. The fish love to eat them a lot and it is good for the ocean.

Sea grass is considered a flowering plant in the coral reef.  In many species the leaves are long and narrow, and these plants often grow in  large meadows. Manatees eat about 30 pounds of sea grass a day.

Fungi is a green plant that is a really slimy plant but it is really healthy and good for the ocean . It helps the sand or the things on the bottom of the ocean because the fungi helps little sand creature hide from their predator .

This biome is a great place because you can see all the animals in it the clear baby blue water. When you see a coral reef, you can see the fish swim in circles because that is the shape of the reef.  If you go under the water and see it for yourself these are just the basic animals and plants that I have described.   Most importantly,  there are about a thousand more kinds of coral reefs and more to be discovered .

Rachel H. 4 S

Finally, The Perfect Ride 

As I took a deep breath in, I smelled sweet buttery popcorn. I stared up at the dreamy night sky. The stars were shimmering like a brand new gold medal. All of a sudden, I noticed a rusty old gate open to a colorful 
place. This place was filled with exciting rides.
“What a perfect night for a carnival!” I exclaimed. In a blink of an eye, a gust of wind flew by my face making my curly brown hair swing back and forth in a rapid motion. I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and bolted through the rusty old gate. As soon as I stepped into the carnival a sound startled me. I quickly turned around to see my brother Jordan dashing towards me. 
“Do you want to go on a ride with me?” Jordan asked out of breath. He peeked up at me and he gave me a you’ll be the best sister ever look. 
“OK.” I sighed. We skipped side by side through long lines and crowds of people. We suddenly screeched to a halt in front of blinking yellow lights spelling out our favorite ride.I sighed in disappointment, 
“There’s such a long line,” I whined. 
“Please,” my brother begged. Without a response he dragged me at the end of the line. I rolled my eyes and thought of how long this is going to take. My blue eyes widened when I saw my friends chuckling at the head of the line. I wish I were there, I thought. At the corner of my eye, I could see Jordan looking really anxious to get on the ride. So I patiently waited. I trailed behind the person in front of me taking a step every time they did. I stared down at my gray and pink sneakers. I could feel the bright moon shining down on me. 
“This is going to take forever,” I moaned. I felt Jordan’s sweaty hand touch mine and he yelled, “Look!” I followed his gaze and noticed we were at the front of the line. A grin perked on my face. The owner of the ride slowly opened the gate. Her perfectly short, cropped hair was touching her blue collared shirt. Her oval shaped glasses were neat and clean. “Clomp clomp!” I sprinted up the ride steps.

“This is going to be the best ride ever!” I yelled. Jordan and I took the first empty 2 seats. At that moment, we clicked our seat belts and held in our breath prepared to get dizzy. The hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood out. My hands started to sweat. I instantly rubbed my hands on my jean shorts. Jordan waved his hands in the air like a windmill spinning. Just like that, my body started to tilt. More and more until my hair was touching the floor of the ride. I could feel the blood in my body rushing to my head. The ride started spinning like crazy. 
“Ahhhh!” Jordan screamed. 
Screams started to surround me. I used to like this ride, but why did it seem so scary now? I trembled with fear. “In, out, in, out,” I whispered to myself while taking deep breaths. Luckily, the ride started to slow down and staff came around to help people out of their seats. 
“Are you OK?” One of the staff asked me. 
“Yeah,” I managed to say clutching my stomach. I caught up to Jordan and asked, “Could we go on a less scary ride?” I noticed that Jordans smile faded. “I went on…….” I started to say, but Jordan cut me 
off and said, “Sure.” I jogged behind Jordan while he ran as fast as a cheetah. When I cornered the ride I saw the line wasn’t long at all. 
“Come on Jordan we'll be up as soon as you know it,” I replied confidently. I was right. The owner of the ride was totally different from the other one. He was a boy. His spiky hair has tons of gel in it. His eyes were  sharp and stern. His clothes were dark and stained. In the distance, I saw kids in my grade pointing and snickering at someone in my direction as I approached the ride. I snapped my head around to see if anyone was behind me, no one was. My lower lip dropped into a frown. Why would they be making fun of me? Is something on me? This ride seems perfectly fine………right? Puting the thought at the back of my mind, I hopped on the ride. 
“This is going to be the best ride ever!” I yelled. Surprisingly, I noticed we were inside a dinosaurs stomach! I squinted at the sign in front of the ride. It said in messy cursive, This ride is recommended for ages 3 to 6. 

“Oh great,” I mumbled. The ride started in a sluggish motion. Rising up and down at the speed of a turtle. Expecting this to be dull, I rest my heavy head on my hand and sealed my eyes shut. A few minutes later, the ride felt like it was getting slower and slower. Until it suddenly stood motionless. I was bursting with smiles. 
“I am so thrilled that that ride is over.” I whispered to myself. Suddenly, I jumped out of the ride and felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw one of my best friends, Allie waving to me. 
“Hi Rachel!” she replied loudly. Then, we started chatting about school until one of my other best friends Stella strolled over with a confused look on her face. 
“Why were you on that dinosaur ride?” Stella asked. 
“I’m not sure.” I answered with a bit of a smile cracking through my mouth. 
In a blink of an eye, I noticed my other best friends coming towards me as they took every step. As I stared at my best friends I saw Devin’s long and straight, strawberry blonde hair, her hazel eyes, and her freckles. 
Melina’s brown eyes, and her short and straight, dark brown hair. Allie’s short and straight, blonde hair, her blue eyes, and nice looking glasses. Stella’s wavy and long, dirty blonde hair, and her brown eyes. Last, but not least Makena’s long and straight, red hair, her brown eyes, and her freckles. 
Devin woke me out of my daze, by saying, “Why don’t we all go on a ride I know of, I bet everyone will like it.” 
“Sure.” Melina answered. 
The rest of us nodded in agreement. Just like that, it felt like I forgot 
something. Then, I remembered what I forgot! I searched in every 
direction for him. I stood on my tippy toes to look on rides. Suddenly, I 
was relieved to see a bright orange shirt with some boys I recognized. 
“There’s Jordan! “That was a close one.” I whispered. 
Devin lead us to the ride. We all marched our way through crowds of people. At that moment, we all saw an enormous ride. It seemed awesome! The ride had a colorful rainbow on it. I watched people spin in pot of gold. As you spin the pot goes up and down the rainbow and all over again. You also get to control how fast you spin. Before I could say anything, Makena asked, “Could we go on that rainbow ride?” 
“Yeah that looks awesome!” Stella admitted. 
“Thats the one we're going to.” Devin replied. I peeked at the ride, to my surprise, there was no line! 
“This is going to be the best ride ever!” I yelled. We bolted to the nearest pot. We all beamed with delight. The ride started at the perfect speed. We spun around fast, but not super fast. We raised our hands in 
the air. 
“Wheeeee!” Allie screamed. I couldn’t stop grinning. My grin was as bright as the moon. I peeked over at my friends and saw their grins were really big and bright too. I was glad. I raised my hands even higher as I 
yelled, “This really is the perfect ride!” 
As I saw the moon drifting into the clouds, thats when I realized something. It wasn’t really the perfect ride, it was sharing the ride with my friends that made it perfect. 

Melina V. 4 S

Lost

 Chapter 1| New York

BANG! BANG! CLICK! CLICK! I heard the train come to a screeching halt. “What’s happening?” I said but before I got an answer, the conductor said next stop was Grand Central. I totally forgot! I was on a train with my parents, and my brother Alex. I was sitting next to Alex. I sleepily gazed out the window, still tired from my nap on the train. The next stop came in no time. The family scurried out of the train and into the building. “Wow.” I said. The tall, shiny, walls gleamed as the clock in the center was ticking away. The tiny stores lit up like shining stars as the whole rest of the building itself was the sky. I stared as business people whizzed by on their phones and families wandered off the train clueless. “Hey Amelia” Alex said. “Hey Amelia.” He repeated. I kept ignoring him. His voice seemed to get farther away until it almost completely faded. Then it almost seemed to disappear among the enormous crowd flooding in front of me. I tried to find the nearest person to help but everyone was too busy to notice me.  I followed the direction I heard my brother’s voice but couldn’t hear him anymore. Where is he? Did they leave without me? No, they couldn’t. I thought as I searched in every direction. They were nowhere to be found. Thoughts raced to my mind. Where would I most likely find them? Where are they? What should I do?

Chapter 2 | Help!!!

What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? I thought as I panicked in circles. My brain seemed to panic also bouncing around in my head. It didn’t know what to do either. I sighed. Maybe if I stayed calm it would work . . . . But it didn’t. Where were they? I pushed my small body in and out of the crowd. It looked like a swarm of bees circling around in their hive. I went to the center and tried to tell the person that I was lost. Unfortunately the man there couldn’t hear me. It was too loud. I tried and I tried but I couldn’t find a possible solution for this problem. Most people would just say that I should’ve just went up to someone and ask but I wasn’t so familiar with going up to random strangers and asking them for help. You don’t know what will happen if you do that.  I didn’t know what to do.  I clearly wasn’t thinking like myself because I was walking up to a random stranger. But since I had no choice I gave it a try.  I found a woman. I walked up to her. She seems nice. I went up to her and told her that I was lost. She kindly went up to the front desk to tell the person up front that I was lost. I felt embarrassed. I was lost and I was too quiet for the man to hear me. I was even more embarrassed when a loud voice boomed that a little girl was lost and if anyone was missing their child they should come up to the clock in the center immediately. I was still worried. They still haven’t come for me. My heart seemed to stop beating. What if they already left? What if they never come back for me?

Chapter 3| Found

I felt like crying. That’s when I saw someone. Someone familiar. “Alex!” I yelled. I didn’t care if people were staring at me. I’m just glad to see my family again. I squeezed him tight. “Where were you?” I asked him. He wanted to know the same thing. “Well I’m just glad your back.” Said Alex.  Later that day, we were about to get on the train to go home when something was missing. “Alex!”  I called his name. Now he wasn’t listening. We’re going to have to catch another train later. “Here we go again.” I moaned as we went back to go look for him. 

Maye S. 4 S

The future of the rusty book

When I was on my way to school, I saw this old rusty book. Then when nobody was looking I quickly snatched the book and put it right in my book bag. I looked to my right , then I looked to my left and found my nasty partner that I work with in science  and then she asked me if I had found something interesting.

 I quickly said no and ran into school because the bell rang for class. When I sat down at my desk I slowly and swiftly opened my book bag and carefully took out the rusty old book. Then gently opened the book. I was surprised when I saw all of the writing and the picture of God. A few pages after that page, I found a lot of interesting facts about all of the presidents. Then my teacher took her long, pointy, daggered stick and “Wiped” it on my desk. She asked “what are you doing”?” Oh teacher I was just looking at this book I found outside school under a shady paper tree. “Oh WELL I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PUT IT ON MY DESK THIS INSTANT!!!” “Okay”

 When the school bell rang again the teacher walked out of the classroom and then I quickly got up from my desk got the book and took it to my desk. When she came back she never noticed that the book was gone. I got such a relief I was going to run out of the classroom, but I couldn’t, because my teacher was already sitting at her desk and checking over the students work.

 Then the school bell rang again, that was a sign to go home. I ran out of my seat and sprinted down the hallway and right outside into the nice and fresh air. As fast as I could because I thought that I would be late for supper.

 When I opened my front door my parents were standing right in front of me and asked “where are you going in such a hurry to”? “Oh mom, I was just.

 “Yes”, you took the little notebook off of your teacher’s desk” well I guess that I kind of took it back. But I was the one who actually found it all by myself. So I should be the one to keep it.

 “Alright then” said mom. But you have to stay up in your room till dinnertime. “Okay” I said mumbling. Then I zoomed up the stairs and jumped into bed. When I tried to read all the little words, my eyes started to burn in the gleaming light. Then my mom shouted up the stairs and said that it was time for dinner. As fast as lightning I turned off my light and ran down the stairs while my mom was watching me with her weird eye that she always gives me when I do something that she has never seen before. When I came down the stairs my mom screamed at me, because I was supposed to go down the stairs quietly so that I don’t wake up my sister.

 I explained to my mom that she may still be sleeping. My mom was still concerned. I did not want to explain to her again. That I had a promise about that she is still sleeping. When I was in the kitchen eating my breakfast, my sister came into my room and took out all of my clothes and she also messed up my sheets that go on my bed. Then she came down stairs and told on me that I had made a mess in my room (Like I was the one who wrecked my whole entire room). As quickly as I could I said that it was a mistake, she was the one who wrecked my room. I forgive her because I woke her up. My mom understood me not my sister. When I went to school the next day I was very lonely because nobody liked how I found something interesting and they didn’t. Then I ran out of school again. I secretly through the empty house and then I quietly went up the stairs and sprinted into my room.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door. I was about to go open the door but then I saw my mom rushing ahead and opening the door. When mom opened the door, we both saw a tall man and such messed up clothes. My mom said, “Who are you?” the man just mumbled his way through the house. Suddenly the man saw me open my door a crack and starred at me in disappointment. He ran up to my room in such speed. When he was at the top of the stairs I ran into my closet, while the upset man went into my room and stole the book. When I came out of my closet, the man was running down the stairs happily. I stomped out of my room and down the stairs.

 When I was about to say even a word and then run to the old man, my mom caught me and wondered why I was home so early. She said “Wash up and then get ready to come down stairs for dinner. After dinner, my mom said that I had to go to bed early because I need my rest.

 In the morning, it was Saturday. And I finally got to stay home and read a book, although I was still mad that the man stole my most awesome treasure that I have ever had in my whole entire life. Later when I was still day dreaming my mom called up to me and said that I have a gift for you. I darted down the stairs and then went face to face with my mom and said “What is it?” but apparently she said that I cannot tell you. It is a present. Then I lost my confidence. When I opened the present, I found the old rusty book that I had found under the paper tree. Then shortly, nobody came to take the book. So I said to myself that I will never take somebody’s things again. Except for this book, I am keeping this one.

Luke V. 4 S

Mischief Night Gone Wrong

It was 5:00 pm and I yelled, “MISCHIEF NIGHT TOURNAMENT TIME!”  I was still undefeated against my sister. My sister was always the first one to give in to say I was the most mischievous one in the house. It was the final round between me and Hailey.

I had the best prank planned ever with red food coloring, my 2^nd grade Scream costume, a fake knife, plastic tubes, a plastic fitting mask, and a squishy fake origin. 

      So, first, I put the plastic tubes in the mask and the coverer mask on Scream mask itself. Next I connected the fake origin to the plastic tubes and hid it in my costumes sleeve. Then I made holes in the mask so the tubes can go in. Finally I put on the costume and put some red coloring on the knife.

      After that, I used the voice of the Scream because I can mimic a voice really well.

      With that done I ran and got some shaving cream. And since I’m mischievous I did graffiti all over the walls. My sister didn’t give in and say I was the most mischievous.  So, I pushed my mischief to the MAX . I was drawing on every wall and made a mess in every room and a billion more and she still didn’t give in.

 So, I grabbed my realistic 3d football and threw it at the wall and then made a lot of noise, then she gave up.

But I saw she did the same thing as me! But without the football.  Now, for my reaI plan since my backup plan backfired!  I got also a 3d basketball, tennis ball, and a baseball. And for my birthday I got red, blue, and green party lights and a disco ball light for birthday parties.

 So 1^st I unscrewed my lights and put in the party lights. 2^nd I plugged in the disco light where she’ll never find it. And 3^rd I threw the basketball, tennis ball, and baseball and kept the football in. I turned off the light setting for the basketball and football.

      And Hailey thought I was mischievous by throwing a room party without our mother’s permission. So, for real she gave up now I won for the 9^th time. But… my mom gave us a consequence by cleaning up. And by us she means Hailey because winner doesn’t clean up. So Hailey was really frustrated at me for winning and parents don’t clean up. So, she was also mad at mom and dad.

Logan D. 4 S

Thomas and Charlie

One day Thomas heard that his cousin was selling chocolate lab puppies.  Thomas was lonely, because he moved to a new place and didn’t have any friends.  So Thomas went to his cousin’s to get a dog.

 There were a lot of puppies. Thomas chose a cute brown puppy that was jumping and licking Thomas’ legs.  He named the puppy Charlie.  

Thomas wanted to get some toys, dog food, dog bed, leash, and collar for Charlie. They drove to Dog World. Thomas held Charlie in the store.  People were petting and kissing Charlie’s neck. All of a sudden, Charlie started barking and jumped out of Thomas’ arms. Thomas tried to grab him. Charlie ran faster. Thomas got to the aisle with dog bones and saw Charlie running in circles around a German short haired pointer named Rufus. Thomas walked over and petted both dogs on the head. He told Charlie, “Time to go.” Then he bent down and picked up Charlie and carried him to find some toys.

Rufus followed them because he wanted to play. Thomas put Charlie down and the two dogs played tug of war with a squeaky hamburger. 

The owner of Dog World came over from the cash registers to see what all the squeaking was. He saw Charlie and Rufus playing tug of war. “You can come back here any time and play with Rufus,” said the shop keeper.

Thomas said to himself, “What a great day with my new puppy. I am so glad that Charlie made a friend!” 

Isabel P. 4 S

Shoot for the Hoops

       

One wonderful day a girl was born. Her name was Veronica. Veronica loved to play basketball. But, every time she shot, it bounced off of the red box. She tried shooting, dribbling, and even passing with her little brother, but still she was no good.

When she was in the backseat with her little brother going to breakfast, she asked her little brother, “Am I ever going to get better at basketball?” Her little brother had a great solution. He said “every two hours, Nate (their older brother) will put cocoa powder on your bed, don’t eat it, and you will be better at basketball. Just remember to believe.” Veronica at first was very puzzled, but she got used to the idea.

Veronica, her little brother, and their mom went to a diner called Chips. She got an extra fluffy buttermilk pancake with whipped cream and strawberries. Her little brother had delectable chicken tenders with ketchup and fruit. Last but not least, their mom had a beautiful egg white omelet, with tomato, cheese, and spinach. Some of the kids there from Veronica’s school laughed at Veronica when she walked by. They all thought she was a wannabe “I hope your plan will work,” she whispered to her little brother. Her little brother winked, and got his coat, hat, and pair of mittens ready to leave. Veronica gulped. “What if the basketball idea doesn’t work?” she thought. Then, she remembered that her brother was one of the few people she really trusted. She totally believed the idea would work. Veronica got her coat, hat, and her pair of mittens, and walked outside. She started humming a different version of “I Believe I can fly,” but, about basketball. When Veronica arrived at the camouflage truck that her dad, (who was now in the army) owned. But now he got a newer truck. Veronica missed her father oh, so much, it would be nice to see him again. Right now he was fighting in the Afghanistan war. She got in the car and rode to dance.

When she arrived at the dance studio, she said goodbye to her little brother, and walked into the dance studio. She said Hello to many of her friends, and walked into the dressing room and got ready for her dance class. She put up her hair in a bun. Then, she went into class. Veronica practiced plea`s and leaps. The class split up into two groups, and the groups each got to choreograph their own ballet dance. Then they put on special heel shoes and did a technique for ballet called character.

 After character, Veronica had an hour break. So, Veronica did her homework and chatted. Soon it was time for Jazz. Veronica changed and went into class. In class, Veronica a step called Padaborea. A Padaborea is when you put one foot to the back, the other to the side, and the first foot you used to the front. Also, Veronica learned another step, but called the Jazz square. A Jazz Square is when one foot goes to the front, the other foot crosses over the first foot you used, the first foot you used comes to the back, and the other foot that you used goes to the back.

Now Veronica’s dance classes were over. Her mom and little brother came to pick her up. Veronica rode home, and ate a cheeseburger with tomato, for lunch. Her little brother had a cheeseburger with tomato and ketchup. Veronica’s older brother ate a lettuce and tomato burger. Veronica’s mom ate a burger with jalapeños and pickles. Veronica asked her brother if the cocoa powder was doing well so far. Her older brother said it was doing fine. So, Veronica wanted to try the idea out and her older brother took her to the basketball court down the street. Veronica aimed at the red box and flung the ball into the air. SWOOSH! The ball fell into the net. A miracle had happened Veronica finally made a hoop! She believed in herself! The next day, Veronica went to school. In gym, her gym teacher told Veronica that she has improved in basketball, a lot. Soon, Veronica made the school travel team. Then the kids at school had second thoughts about her.

        I guess the moral here is that no matter what always believe.

Gabe P. 4 S

Gabriel

Funny, kind,honest,and happy

Brother of Isabel
lover of cheetahs, wolves, and God
who feels that I can do anything
who needs love, help, and work
who gives love, help, and kindness
who fears evil, hurtfulness, and danger

Who would like to be in the Air Force when I grow up,
Resident of CT

Parrales

Drew J. 4 S

The New York Giants

The Table Of Contents

Chapter 1: How The Giants Were Formed

Chapter 2: Coaching And Staff

Chapter 3: Big Wins And Loses

How The Giants Were Formed

     In 1925, a rich business man named Tim Mara, wanted to buy a professional boxer. His bid was turned down so he decided to buy the New York Giants. When  Mara bought them they were $500. That season Tim Mara had to give away a lot of tickets. He almost gave away as many as he sold. They started 0-3 but ended the season 8-4, 8 wins 4 losses.

 In 1927 the New York Giants had a great season, they won their first NFL title with a 11-1-1 record that is 11 wins 1 loss and 1 tie. In 1931 the New York Giants got Steve Owen as coach and  defensive tackle. The giants played well and got  Polo Grounds as their first home field, After that they were on a huge 15 year losing streak. It was very boring to watch them. This streak went on for what seemed like forever and they only had 2 winning seasons.

Coaching And Staff

Tim Mara was the first Manager of the New York Giants. The first real coach was Steve Owen who they got in 1931, they kept him until 1954. Two years later they   moved to Yankee Stadium. After Steve Owen stopped coaching Jim Lee Howell took over. Also after Tim Mara died Jack and Wellington Mara, his sons took over.

 In 1960 Allie Sherman, coach of the giant got   traded for San Francisco's Y.A. Title. In 1976 the New York Giants moved to Giants  stadium in New Jersey. The stadium had 76,000 seats. At the New Stadium, the giants had a great offensive team including Fran Tarketon, Bob Tucker, and Ron Johnson. 

But they had a horrible defense. The Giants were looking better when George Young came to be manager of the giants. He  selected Phil Simms. He was a great quarterback but nobody knew who he was. Also they got Lawrence Taylor a great linebacker  who turned the Giants into one of the NFLs most feared teams.

Big Wins And Loses

The Giants have had many exiting games, there first one was in 1956 vs. the colts, it was known as the best game ever and the giants lost 23-17.In 1987 the giants played their  first super bowl and beat the     broncos 39-20. In 1991 the giants played the bills in the super bowl and won 20-19. In 2001 the Giants played the Baltimore ravens in the super bowl and lost 34-7. In 2008 the Giants played the Patriots in the super bowl and won 17-14 and beat them 21-17 in the 2012 super bowl.

Diego S. 4 S

Swish Swoosh

As I and my cousin are walking down the porch stairs.  We started playing tag (of course I always get tagged). My cousin is 13. She’s fast, strong, she’s the kind of person who makes the games that she and I play.Then all of a sudden we heard a splash coming from my grandma’s pond. Then we ran to the pond (of course my cousin got there first)As soon as I got there and I looked at her for a second and her mouth dropped! I looked where she was staring at. I turned around and my mouth dropped. I couldn’t picture what it was. But it had a suspicious shadow. And it was hovering over the pond.  My cousin peered through one of the gate holes I saw it better now. It had a silverish look and a part of it started moving. Now we stepped back. Then it started moving all over the place. We stepped back even more then we heard laughing. It was coming from a tree. It looks like a person, but how can he get into a large tree. A person came down a, tree house ladder and the neighbor said “sorry it’s my new speed boat”. 

Devin T. 4 S

Hailey’s Big Game

“Do I really have to go, Mom?” I moaned from my bed. “Yes, Hailey!” my mom replied. Disappointed, I got out of bed and put on my hot pink and navy blue field hockey uniform. Even though I love to play field hockey, I’m just a little bit nervous to go today because it’s my championship game. Also, no matter how hard I try I can never make a goal.

 I brushed my hair and teeth then ran downstairs where my parents were waiting for me with delicious pancakes and scrumptious scrambled eggs. My 17 year old sister Bianca and my 8 year old twin brothers Maxwell and John were all going to watch me play today. At 7:45 a.m. all of my siblings and my parents got into our grasshopper green Mini Van and drove to the game field. I was trembling. I couldn’t even speak. What if I scored for the other team? What if I embarrassed myself in front of everyone?

 After 30 minutes we were at the field. Most of Team Dolphin (my team) was already there. My family jumped out of the car and onto the bleachers. I ran to meet my coach and teammates. As soon as every girl arrived we did some passing and scoring drills. We also talked about our game plan.

 “Chirp!” screeched the referee’s whistle. That was a sign that the game was starting. Surprisingly, I was smiling when I ran to my position on offence. The face-off had just ended and my team had the ball! I might actually have a chance to score. My teammate Amber passed the ball to me and I ran down the field. I thought that nothing could stop me, but just then someone from the other team stole the ball from me. Even though I was disappointed I had to keep trying because this was the last game until next year. In the next few minutes the score was 7 to 5. We were losing by 2.

 After we took our water break it was time for the second quarter. In the first 10 minutes both teams were tied 9 to 9. Right away I got the ball. I felt even more confident this time that I could make a goal. Sadly, when I was about to shoot the other team got the ball and scored. In my head I was trying to come up with a plan. Suddenly, I got the most brilliant idea. My team made 5 more goals. The score was 9 to 14.

The whistle blew again and the third quarter was starting. I immediately got the ball and jogged down the field with it. I was only a few feet from the goal. I could make this shot. The ball was on its way to the goal, but then it took a right turn and went right by it. I was absolutely crushed. I really thought that the ball would go in this time. I just had to aim a little bit better than I would score! Luckily, my other teammates got some goals. The other team scored a few times too. Now the score was 16 to 16. Since my only plan had failed I was out of ideas. It was almost the fourth quarter and I still hadn’t gotten one goal. I knew that I couldn’t give up now. My whole team was counting on me.

 “Screech!” The whistle blew for the final time. The fourth quarter was about to begin. After the face off the other team ended up with the ball. They were trying so hard to score. Our defense was doing great. They didn’t let a single ball pass them! The ball got passed to me. The score was 19 to 19. The next goal would determine the winner! (But I didn’t know that). Now was my chance to score. The other team was all the way at the other side of the field. No one was in my way. I ran right up to the goal and hit the ball with just the right amount of force. Now the ball was out of my hands.

“Yes!” I screamed in excitement. The ball went in! My very first field hockey goal. I was so proud of myself and so was my family. But what I didn’t realize was that my goal was the tie breaking goal! My team won the championship title. Amber high-fived me then we got lots of water to drink. I got so many hugs from my family and team. I was so happy with myself. I learned that if you set your mind to something and work really hard at it, you will achieve your goal. 

Claire D. 4 S

Sharp

RRRK! Went the car as it rolled down the driveway and quickly slid into park. “We’re here!” me and my friend Brooke screamed at the same time, like a chain reaction. In the distance, I could see a glimmer of orange from the colorful horizon. “Bye mom!’”

 “Bye!” me and my friend exclaimed.

"Bye girls!” my mom said my mom excitedly, “have a great time at summer camp!” We clutched our bags, and leapt out of the car.

SRECHH! Went my mom’s car as it pulled out of the windy path. Brooke and I exchanged glances. The fresh summer air relaxed our senses. The apple trees grew rigid and elegant. Blue birds chirped their joyful song somewhere in the sunset.

“Wow” I whispered.”

“I know” Brooke added in awe. Suddenly, a tall figure wearing a T- shirt and jeans approached us.

Her messy blond hair was pulled back into her pony tail. “Hi!” said the friendly stranger.” I’m Kelly, your new camp counselor! Let me show you your room!” she exclaimed.

“OK” we answered shyly. She led us to a deep brown oak cabin. A dusty sign that stood next to the cabin read, THE DEN in an extraordinary pink color. The cabin smelled of damp old wood, but mysteriously smelled homey at the same time. “Isn’t it great!” stated Kelly. I and Brooke nodded happily and vigorously. Kelly skipped up to the door and swung it open.

The sight was amazing. A big open fireplace crackled like a million fire crackers. Two tall pink bunk beds stood as high as the ceiling, though the ceiling was not very tall to begin with. The strong scent of rotting wood filled my nose. On the bunk beds sat two girls with ear to ear smiles spread across their face at the sight, that now they would not be the only kids in the cabin. They must have been twins for they had very little differences. They had short brown hair and vibrant blue eyes. The twins also had trails of freckles going all over their faces.

 “HI!” said the girl, “my name is Emma!”

 “And I’m Tess!” the other girl added shortly their after. Feeling like I had to say something the words finally sputtered out of my mouth

“I’m Claire, and this is my friend Brooke” Brooke waved shyly. “We can do the rest of the tour, Kelly” stated Emma.

 “OK” said Kelly disappointed, sad she had no one else to talk to until we came back.

 “Have fun”. Tess opened the door and we were off.

Outside, I was very surprised to see how dark it was getting. Emma pointed to two cabins identical to ours with a jerking motion. One sign read CHIPMONKS CROSSING and the next one read THE BRASS BELL. “Those are the other cabins that have kids sleeping over in there too, but you won’t see them. The sky started to turn black, like a dark blanket was thrown over the world. “Wow, the sky is so beautiful’” I whispered, keeping my eyes steady on the sky. The 3 other girls nodded speechless and in awe also. Minutes went by as we laid on the ground admiring the twinkling stars. Finally we decided to start trotting back to the cabin.

On the way back, Tess introduced us to a musty aged park bench with a matching table. It looked like the screws were wiggling out of place, and the so called tabled and bench were barely standing. “This is where we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it may not be the best, but this is all we got.” Brooke and I nodded in approval. We skipped up the gravel path, back to THE DEN. I dragged open the heavy door to see Kelly typing away on her laptop.

“Your’e back!” she cheered. The lights in the room were stunningly bright, there for they made my eyes twitch. ”OK girls time for bed!” Kelly ordered. She was right, we needed some sleep. Too tired to argue, we pulled on our PJ’s, and slipped into bed without a word. Kelly shut off the lights, and wrestled with her sleeping bag until she found the opening, then climbed in it. The thought of what tomorrow might bring made me toss and turn in bed for a while, but finally my eyes shut

I woke up to a startling screech, but not from a human, from an animal. BRRR   KK! It screamed terrified. I scanned the room, but no one awake. I could not bear to hear the shrieks anymore. I carefully got out of bed, and tiptoed up to the door. I knew I had to do something, but I was scared to see what lies ahead of me. My sweaty palms grasped the door knob, and with hesitation, I swung the door open. The sight I saw made my heart stop.

There lying on the ground, caught in a ginormous patch of pickers, was a fawn. I lost my breath. I stood there for a while, not sure what to do. Time was behaving in a peculiar fashion. The thought came over me that I had to do something, and whatever I did, I would have to do it fast. Looking into the fawn’s helpless deep brown eyes a single tear rolled down my cheek and dripped off my chin. I had to think of something! DING! A light bulb went off in my head.

I needed to call animal control! Sprinting to the cabin, I picked up the phone and dialed the animal control number. I sputtered out my location and problem to then. “We will be right there,” he said in a somewhat calm voice. I could also detect a sense of concern in his voice. I waited in the driveway for what felt like hours, but was probably only 5 minutes. To my relief, I heard o rumbling sound, of wheels curving through the twists and turns of the pathway. An enormous truck that read ANIMAL CONTROL in big red bold letters emerged from around the corner.

 It felt like a million pounds was lifted off my shoulders. A crew of men jumped from the truck and rushed over to the helpless animal. I wanted to look, I knew that the animal was getting help, but I could not get myself to open my eyes. I ran to the cabin, and slammed the door, forgetting that people were still sleeping. Of course, Kelly woke up confused, wondering why I was outside.

 “What happened?” she whispered. “Just look outside, and you’ll see”. Before I finished my sentence, she had already rushed out of her sleeping bag, and slipped out of the door.

Though the window, I could see a scared tiresome look on her face when one of the men stepped out of the drama to explain the situation to Kelly. I crawled under the covers and cradled myself. Somehow, my mind was enabled to think of anything, but this unfortunate event. “How could Brooke, Emma, and Tess sleep through this?” I hugged my knees and stayed in that position for a long while. I lay there helplessly for too long. To my surprise, I got up and started to walk towards the door. It was like I was possessed.  I tried to stop myself but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to go outside, but my conscious was telling me otherwise. My conscience won.

I ended outside to see Kelly grinning, but the truck was gone, and so were the men and fawn. “The fawn is free, they rescued the fawn!”

 “YAY” I screamed. I ran to the cabin, not able to contain how excited I was. I ran into the once quiet cabin, but was not when I enter. Brooke woke up with a startle. “What happened?” she wondered aloud. “You have no idea” I replied.

Brian F. 4 S

My Winter Break

Over the break I went to my friend’s house for the ball drop. My friend’s name is Adian. Then after the ball drop I said to Adian lets play man hunt .We played man hunt for 3 hours. Around 5 am, then we went inside because it was so cold outside. Then I went home. The next day my friend Adian came over to my house. Me and my friend put dog treats in our own pocks and my dog was chasing use for the treats. Then we gave them to my dog named Sparky .Then we went inside and played pool in my base min. Then when my brother came home from baset ball pratis .Then we played football in the back yard and me and Adian won the football game at my house in the back yard. Then we drop Adian off to his house and he ask me I could go over to his house. My dad and mom said yes.

Anya G. 4 S

CATS

ABOUT CATS                                         

A cat is a small, furry mammal with a lifespan of 12-14 years  who  spends 2/3  of every day sleeping. So a nine year old cat has been awake for only 3 years of it’s life. Here are 5 fun facts about cats.

1. Cats do not have a  sweet tooth

2. A cat can’t climb headfirst down a tree

3. Cats can make 100 different sounds

4. The first cat in space  was a French cat named Felicette

5. The largest cat litter was 19 kittens

Savannah Cats

The Savannah cat is a cross between the Serval a wildcat and the domestic cat. The Savannah became common breeders in the 1990’s. Savannahs are more social than other cats, they can be taught to walk on a leash and play fetch.  The Savannah cat  was first bred by a Bengal breeder named Judee Frank. He used a male Serval  and a Siamese to make the first Savannah cat who was named  Savannah. A Savanna kitten has blue eyes  but when  they get older their eyes turn green, brown, or gold sometimes even a mix. The savannah became a common breed at the end of the  20th century, Savannahs are like dogs  in their sense  of loyalty.

The Bengal

 The Bengal is a cross of the Asian Leopard Cat and the domestic house cat.  They are one of the many domestic cats that  have markings like some wildcats.  They have become one of the most popular breeds among cats, And were accepted in 1986 as an official cat breed. They are active and love being up on high places they love playing, climbing and investigating. Unlike most cats the Bengal love’s water. All Bengals are respected for their beauty and good nature.

 

Anna L. 4 S

School

When fall comes around and the kids are all tired,

(Some are sad and some are inspired),

They find a list of what to get,

They are going to school! It’s time to get set!

It is time for school and the end of the summer

But some kids are angry and are acting like a bummer.

     Teachers help you learn to read,

They’ll make a beautiful flower from a seed.

The teachers are not mean.

They are nice and help you be keen! 

Amber B. 4 S

My Biome -A Swim in the Coral Reef

         Have you ever wanted to swim in the coral reef? It is one of the most diverse and beautiful marine habitats. Coral reefs prefer water 68- 82 f (or 21-30 c). They are mostly found on the eastern side of land, in clear, tropical water .They form near the equator,150 feet deep from land.

   Let’s learn about some of the coral reefs animals. Did you know all Bicolor Anthias start out as females? Eventually they turn into males, though. Males are bright red, while females are a muted peach color. These tropical fish live on plankton. Their relatives are sea bass, groupers, and Family Serranidae .These animals are also called Clown Anemone Fish. Clown fish live on Sea Anemone and Plankton. They are covered in orange, white, and black stripes.   There about 50 different species of sea horses. They have a curved tail and a long horse like head. They live in seaweed beds in warm waters. They are slow swimmers and in a way they are strange. A blue ringed octopus hunts during the day. It is one of the most venomous octopuses .It hides in reefs, then catches its prey. It lives in dens, under rocks and defends itself by its poison.

  

Some things these fish eat are listed here so you can learn about some of the coral reefs plants. Algae is found in large, diverse groups. There are no roots, steams, or true leaves. There are about 500 different species of Algae. Another plant living in this biome is phytoplankton .It is a microscopic plant and one of the primary producers. Another plant is sea grass. It is an ancient plant .It lives under ice, not just coral reefs. There are about 60 species of sea grass around the world.

Now, there are some plants in the Coral Reef called Coral, which gives it its name. Now, do you think Coral is an animal? Well, really N0, because a group of animals called polyps and form the coral. There are also many threats coral reefs .Boats have anchored on coral, and fishing nets have caught coral. I hope you have enjoyed my biome report on the Coral Reef.

A.J. P. 4 S

Have you ever wondered what it is like in the tropical rainforest if you have now is your chance to learn if you keep reading.

The tropical rainforest is found in many places such as South Africa, Australia, South East Asia and West Africa.

An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to 660 cm.) of rain falls yearly. The temperature is usually is between 68 and 93 degrees. Humidity is between 77 & 88% rainfall is usually more than 100 inches per year

There are many consumers and producers but the next 7 paragraphs will tell you about a couple consumers and producers in the rain forest.

                                                                                                           

Tigers are consumers they eat a lot of big animals and small ones they are carnivores that means they only eat meat like for example a tiger will eat a rabbit and that is a meat. They have black strips on their red body.

Ocelots are wild cats they live in the tropical rainforest and eats small mammals like birds, snakes, fish and they are great swimmers.

                                                                                                       

Zorro is a fox like dog it weighs about 20 to 22 pounds it lives in the rainforest. Their paws are partly webbed so some people think they are somewhat aquatic.

Quoll is a cat sized carnivore that live in the tropical rain forest mostly down in Australia but sometimes in the other rainforests to.

Drip Tips are a kind of tree in the rainforest the leaves of forest trees like this one adapt to cope with all the rainfall and still survive.

Bark is found on trees everywhere in the world including the rainforest it helps the land keep it’s moister.

Buttress is a tree in the rain forest that is incurable tall it grows to about 30 feet in the air before blending into the trunk.

Hope you enjoyed learning some new interesting facts about the rainforest.