SMS Warrior News

Edition 2 2017-2018

The 6th Grade Play

Written by Lauren

Edited by Reagan

This year’s play is titled The True Story Of Hey Diddle Diddle written by Bradley Walton and Published by Eldridge Publishing hiStage.com. It is going great! We just started practicing in the Theater Arts Center. There are 10 narrators that each have their own opinion on what they think is the true story of Hey Diddle Diddle. As of right now there are only 40 seats left! So buy tickets now (find tickets on Mrs. McGraths blog link below)! This is a family friendly play that you are sure to love. It consists of 15 scenes. And on enermitions there will be fun little shows so you don’t get bored. I hope you come to our show stopper play on February 2nd!

Buy tickets here!

Vikings or Eagles?

By: Akash Vemmanat Edited by: Jake Webb

Vs

Everyone was excited for Sunday’s Vikings vs Eagles match in South Middle School. The Eagles ended up with the win but it was a good battle.

Our principles were battling for the win. Mr.Barry is an Eagles fan and Mr.Young is a Vikings fan. So the most exciting thing was they have challenged each other hoping their team would win. Some students spent warrior bucks for getting a chance to throw water balloons at the principle if their team lost. The Vikings lost so now students are going to throw at Mr. Young. We wonder if he will wear his Vikings jersey when students throw water balloons at him.

Weather in Iowa

By: Noah Kohtz, Allyna Bross, and Jacob Webb

With 1 snow day and 2 late starts, who knows what the rest of January will bring to Iowa citizens. This bitter cold is slowing down, and it’s getting warmer every day. Hopefully it will last long. Some people can enjoy this cold weather, like skiers, snowboarders, and ice hockey players.

But it’s not just Winter Olympians that enjoy Winter Wonderland we’ve been having, even kids can enjoy this weather. They can go outside and build a fort or snowman.

With the winter olympics just around the corner, we get an excuse to stay inside and watch the TV. Anyway we know that your dying to know the weather so here it is.

On Friday January 18, The temperature is above freezing! (Yay!) With a high of 46 and a low of 26. We’re in the 40s people! Finally a break.

On Saturday January 19, (Yay, it’s the Weekend!) partly cloudy with a high of 44 and a low of 34.

On Sunday January 20, showers with a high of 44 and a low of 30.

On Monday January 21, snow. With a high of 33 and a low of 20.

On Tuesday 22 January 22, partly cloudy. With a high of 30 and a low of 17.

On Wednesday January 23, partly cloudy again. With a high of 31 and a low of 23.

On Thursday, January 24, sunny.( Finally let’s get us some vitamin D) With a high of 41 and a low of 29.

On Friday, January 25, cloudy. With a high of 38 and a low of 20.

We hope that you stay safe and warm this winter!

Kids Baking Championship

Duff Goldman, and Valerie Bertinelli both host The Kids Baking Championship. They challenged the ten kids to create lemon bar BFF that highlights the lemon and the best of its flavors.

Some of their best creations include: Sweet pizza. Luke, Abby, Grady, Aditya, Bryn, Julia were All challenged to make a Sweet dessert pizza.

BY:Ayohnna Cross

Super Bowl

The Vikings were blowing out the Saints 17-0 until the 3rd quarter when the Saints started making a huge comeback. Towards the end of the game the Saints were actually beating the Vikings 24-23 after making a field goal. The Vikings had 10 seconds to get in field goal range or to score a touchdown. Case Keenum knew that he wouldn’t have enough time for a field goal so he went for the touchdown. Stefon Diggs caught the ball and the Saints safety completely missed the tackle! So Diggs went on to score the TD with no time left in the game. The crowd went crazy It was an amazing game that all Vikings fans will remember.

The Jaguars were destroying the Steelers 21-0 until Antonio Brown caught a floater in the end zone.

Sports Update

By: Sam and Parker

This year for sports is what do you call it? Oh ya, different. First of all, you all probably know him as a Patriot legend, Tom Brady. He’s really struggling this year which is a surprising. Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone. Houston Astros are in the world series and maybe will win it for the first time. The Fifa World Cup is hosted by Russia. And Iowa State is on a winning streak!

Bullying Prevention

By: Sam and Parker

This Wednesday and the whole month of October is bullying prevention. Make sure you wear orange, because that's the bullying prevention color. We are trying to end bullying. it’s mean and it breaks the golden rule of treat others the way you want to be treated. Each week is different because like cyber bullying physical you know what I mean this week's is cyber bullying and you're supposed to wear something orange. Last week you were supposed to make a video and wear purple. Next week's is to make a little group and try to get more people in it to squash bullying.

Pumpkin Making

By: Lily Voynov and Kiera Lacey

Everybody is ready for Halloween. But what about pumpkin carving? Everybody struggles with designing the perfect pumpkin. But we will help you. We will show you some ideas of other people so you can come up with the perfect pumpkin for you.

THE HAPPY PUMPKIN

THE ADVANCED PUMPKIN

THE SCARY PUMPKIN

THE BRACES PUMPKIN

Made by Maren Lacey

THE MULTI-EYED PUMPKIN

Made by Lily Voynov

COOL PUMPKIN

Made by Lily Voynov

THE SCARECROW PUMPKIN

Made by Lily Voynov

THE SCARECROW PUMPKIN

Made by Lily Voynov

Let’s Talk Texting

By: Allyna Bross

In the 21st century texting with your phones is normal. People can send messages to a friend, coworker, or a family member almost instantly.

Pros, as stated earlier, is the easy effortless communication. The con to that is there isn't any emotion. If you say “Sure” you could mean “Sure!”, “Sure?” or “sure”. It’s impossible to tell.

Emojis are easy to use but sometimes they don't give a clear understanding. Like what does the poop emoji mean? Although it's painless to use, emojis are not that great.

Acronyms are used all the time. Although it's funny to type lol and brb some people might not understand more complicated acronyms.

Bad spelling is a big deal. In the future you may need to write a 1,000 word essay and you get a bad grade for terrible spelling.

Texting can affect your grammar as well. Too much time sending emojis and bad acronyms can affect your writing.

Texting is fun because you don't have to be at school to communicate with your friends, but it can be addictive sometimes. You have to know when to stop and have a real conversation with someone!

Again with it being addictive texting and driving is bad. Very very very very very bad! Listen to those commercials on tv and don't let your parents text and drive especially when you are in the car. It's a concern for your safety that you should heed.

There are my pros and cons of texting. Please take this article to heart and act like human beings who can actually have conversation.

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

Written by Ian Hanks and Edited by Alli Steele

Week 9 football, Packers are using their second string QB. Who is up against the QB Matthew Stafford. Who has played for 8 seasons in the NFL. The first quarter was back and forth between the 2 teams. Then came the second quarter where the Packers marched down the field and didn’t get the TD but scored a field goal. So it was 3-0 Packers. But then the Lions answered back with a TD. At halftime it was 7-3. Then the Packers received the kickoff. Then they had a rough drive with a sack and two blocked passes. So they had to punt. The Lions marched back down the field and scored a touchdown. So it was 14-3. But the Packers answered with a TD and the two point conversion. So they cut it close in the third quarter 14-11. The lions had the ball at their own five yard line. Then a strong run by Ameer Abdullah gave the Lions a first down at mid field. The Lions with a 50 yard passing touchdown gave them the lead. 21-11. In the fourth quarter the Packers receive the kickoff and return for a Touchdown!! The extra point was blocked and returned for three points for the Lions. So the score is 24-17. Thirty seconds left in the game. The lions march down the field. Touchdown!! The lions win!! 30-17. The Packers take the loss making their record 5-4. While the Lions record is 6-3.

More Writers Please!

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Zana Zeleke

In the newspaper you can be two different things: an Editor or a Writer. I, personally, am both.

We have enough Editors, but not many Writers. Some Editors don’t have anything to do when they get to the library because there aren’t any Writers who need Editors. We are trying to have all Editors become Writers.

An example of not having enough Writers is that, when you look through the newspaper, you can tell who mainly writes. It is very easy to tell because their name keeps occuring.

So, now I invite you to join the newspaper as a Writer.

MORE WRITERS PLEASE!!!

Sandbox

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Zhanna Zeleke

Credit to: Color by Number Coloring Pages

Sandbox is a coloring app. You color by numbers.

Description of the app by Color by Number Coloring Pages: Kids and adults love to color by numbers and we’ve got a bunch for you to choose from.

“Color by number pages are a great way to teach your kids or students basic number recognition, how to use a legend, and it will give them the opportunity to work on their fine motor skills.”

“This is a great activity to practice your drawing skills. It’s also fun for any age to try to finish the drawing.”

I like it because it is very nice to draw something without using a piece of paper. It is just right there on your device! It is very addicting especially on long car rides. If you have a friend or family that has the app, you can race them to see who gets done first.

So go get the app Sandbox, you won’t regret it!

The Hunger Games

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Zhanna Zeleke

Credit to: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-hunger-games

At the beginning of the school year, I saw the Hunger Games series for the first time. I loved them so much, I was Katniss Everdeen for Halloween and my Birthday Party is going to be Hunger Game themed.

The Hunger Games is about a girl named Katniss and her struggles. In these books/movies there is a Community with a Capital and 12 Districts. The Capital is in charge of the 12 Districts.

The Districts once tried to overthrow the Capitol, but lost. The Capital didn’t want them to try to overthrow them again, so they created the Hunger Games.

Once a year, one boy and one girl in each district are chosen to compete in the Hunger Games, an all out battle to the death in a arena, where the winning competitor wins food for their poor district. Katniss and Peeta are chosen from District 12.

Read the books or watch the movies to figure out what Katniss does if she survives.

Oh, and there is only one victor that wins the Hunger Games. Have a good day and may the odds be ever in your favor.

DIY Stress Ball

By: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Leiana Speck

Ever feel like you’re really stressed out? Then this is a perfect DIY stress toy just for you! It’s super easy and fun to make! All you’re going to need is..

• 1 balloon that isn’t a water balloon (It will have a higher chance at popping)

• Cornstarch (any amount will work)

• Water

• Empty plastic water bottle

• Measuring cup

1:) Add cornstarch and water into the measuring cup.

2:) Mix it all together (If it’s too stiff or hard add water, if it's to runny add cornstarch.)

3:)Pour the mixture into a empty plastic water bottle.

4:) Place the end of the balloon over the top of the water bottle.

5:) Squeeze the mixture into the balloon as much as you want.

Have fun playing with your DIY stress ball!

DIY Crayon Art!

By: Brooke Dohrmann

• Crayon

• Paper

• Hot glue

• Blow dryer

1:) Glue all of the crayons at the top of the paper in a horizontal line.

2:) Next take your blow dryer and put it on to as hot as it can go.

3:) Start blowing the crayons with the blow dryer and watch the wax fall down the paper!

Baking Brownies

By: Lauren and Reagan

Edited By: Coria Chaloupecky

Today we will be reviewing the Genius Kitchen brownies.

We first searched easy brownie recipes and the first thing that popped up was this websight, http://img.sndimg.com/food/image/upload/w_966,h_483,c_fill,fl_progressive,q_92/v1/img/recipes/54/22/5/qIqcb75sS5OeQx967fmt_brownies.JPG.

We made these and they were excellent! It seemed like a lot of sugar at first but then we added more ingredients and it started to level out. Instead of making them in a big pan we made them in a little cupcake pan.

We definitely had doubts on our brownies. We weren’t sure how they were going to turn out, but at the end they tasted fabulous. This recipe gets a four out of five stars.

Electrocity

By: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

If you're in Purple Pod then you’ve probably heard of Electricity. In Electrocity your objective is to build a town and keep it running while keeping the environment safe and healthy, keeping a steady population, staying popular, and managing your energy. It’s easy to play, but hard to master. Some tricks and tips could help you in the long run while playing this game. Always remember to keep an eye on the market if you want to buy or sell coal and gas. When you start playing Electrocity spend your money a coal plant, and keep your taxes high. This will make your popularity drop like crazy but it will get you the money you need to upgrade. Once you have 1200 buy a paper mill and you will make money super fast. Now that you're making money lower your taxes to a regular price that everyone is happy at. Those are some good starter tips, later in the game just remember to keep an eye on the market and look for good ways to make money but keeping the environment safe.

Serafina and the Black Cloak

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

Credit to: Robert Beatty

Serafina and the Black Cloak is a book about a girl named Serafina that is hidden. Her Pa hides her because her Pa found her in the forest and once people came to try and take her away. She hides during the day and prowls the halls of the Biltmore Estate, the mansion she lives in, at night.

One night she sees a man in a Black Cloak when she is prowling the halls. What will she do? Who will she turn to? Will she be safe? Read the book Serafina and the Black Cloak to find out what happens to Serafina and the Biltmore Estate.

From Robert Beatty:

“Never GO into the deep parts of the FOREST, for there are MANY DANGERS there, and they will ensnare your SOUL.”

Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her Pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate. There’s plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate’s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.

But when children at the Estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a Black Cloak who stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak true identity… before all of the children vanish one by one.

Serafina’s Hunt leads her into the very forest she has been taught to fear. There she discovers the forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

History of Soccer

By: Akash Vemmanat

Hi guys, as we know soccer is one of the most popular sports. We should also know how it started.What team played first? The first teams to play soccer are China, England, Scotland, Ireland etc.The first tournament was played by European countries. Then it was like 5 teams playing. Today more than 50 of them are playing. While soccer craziness passed to the Americas, Argentina, Brazil ,Uruguay, U.S.A. etc. FIFA (Federation International Football Association) formed in1904. Soccer is also called Football in other parts of World.

Summary of world cup football

Year Winner

1930 Uruguay

1934 Italy

1938 Italy

1950 Uruguay

1954 Germany

1958 Brazil

1962 Brazil

1966 England

1970 Brazil

1974 Germany

1978 Argentina

1982 Italy

1986 Argentina

1990 Germany

1994 Brazil

1998 France

2002 Brazil

2006 Italy

2010 Spain

2014 Germany

2018 ?

As we know Brazil is the leading no.1 World cup team with 5 world cup trophies.

Room 113

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: Lauren Hansen

Once there was a guy who went to a hotel. The hotel was on 13th Street and his room was on the 13th floor.

The lady at the desk said: “You cannot go to the 113th room, and you will be fine.”

The man said: “That will totally be easy.”

One day he wondered why he couldn’t go to room 113. So he went to room 113 and looked through the peephole. He saw a girl with black hair that covered her face and and a white dress on. There was white tarp hung up everywhere.

Later he came back and looked through the peephole again. It was all red in the room. He just thought the girl put up red tarp.

He went to the lady at the desk and asked her what the girl in room 113 looked like.

She said: “She has black hair and always wears white. She also has one red eye.”

Thanksgiving Favorites

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: Megan Gretlein

_____What is your must-have for Thanksgiving? In this article I will share with you Thanksgiving traditions and favorites.

1. Have a relaxing breakfast in the morning. This could include blueberry pancakes, chocolate waffles, or just regular cereal. You might also have a fancy breakfast at a fancy restaurant. I also know some people that have Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast. Maybe think of having a relaxing breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. What is a relaxing breakfast to you?

2. Time by yourself in the morning before spending time with family. Surprisingly, you never really have time to be by yourself. In this time, you can read, play on a phone, exercise, or draw. This isn’t the greatest tradition, but it is a favorite one!

3. Remember loved ones who have passed. This is a very sad tradition, but probably the best. Take about thirty minutes reciting things that they have done for you. Maybe turn off lights and light candles. This is a very sacred time.

4. Take a long walk with family after dinner. This would be the best time to just give thanks with one another. It also will get in exercise. Think about this for a tradition!

5. Watch a movie. This is a fun time to sit and relax with family. You can watch an old favorite or new movie. Some people even watch the same movie every time.

6. Travel. One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. Many people live far from other family members and travel long distances by car, train, or plane to be with their loved ones. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year!

7. The Feast. Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple.

8. The Wishbone. Some families include breaking the turkey's wishbone as part of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the breast meat in the turkey's chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry and brittle, two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish!

9. Shopping. A lot of people like to go shopping at night on Thanksgiving. Others will get ready for Black Friday.

10. New York City Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This parade is a big part of Thanksgiving. Famous dance places, bands, shows, and much more participate. Also, Santa Claus is at the end of the parade. This starts the Holiday season.

Fast Facts:

• A ripe cranberry will bounce.

• All turkeys and chickens have wishbones.

• Canadians celebrate their own Thanksgiving every October.

• Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863.

• The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924.

• Some people put up a Christmas Tree on Thanksgiving.

Shazam

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: Shazam Entertainment Ltd. and techradar.com

Shazam is an amazing app that tells you different music,

and lets you discover new music. You can hook it up with an email or FaceBook account. Then create a username.

Say you’re in the car, and you want to know what a piece

of music is. You would go to the center slide of the three, and hit the little button in the center. In the matter of seconds, it tells you the song and who it is sung or played by.

The last slide is a discovery slide. You will click to

explore. Then, you will select what type of music you like best. It then will ask you what artists you like. Everyday, it will give you new stuff from the artists you chose.

From Shazam Entertainment Ltd.: Shazam is one of

the world’s most popular apps, used by more than 100 million people each month to identify music, get song lyrics, and now to discover the music that artists discover themselves.

“Shazam is an app that feels like magic” -- techradar.com

Identify music instantly and share in the thrill of music

discovery with artists you love.

See what top artists like Drake, Bruno Mars, Justin

Bieber, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled, and others are Shazaming.

I really like this app, you should definitely get it.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: Eagle Brand and All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin

• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 55 minutes Ready In: 1 hour 10 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Stop Child Abuse!!!

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: https://preventchildabuse.org/donation/

I believe we should all work together to stop child abuse! This website: prevent child abuse.org, will be a good way to start! Even if you only donate $5, it will help! You can also look up all about child abuse to understand (somewhat) what these children go through. preventchildabuse.org works to stop child abuse before it happens.

About Prevent Child Abuse America:

Prevent Child Abuse America® is the national champion of great childhoods for all children. Founded in 1972 in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America works to promote the healthy development of children and prevent child abuse before it can occur in order to help children to grow up and contribute in their communities. Our 50 state Chapter Network works every day to promote the kind of strategies and activities that make a difference locally as well as nationally.

Prevent Child Abuse America has helped nearly 100,000 families a year through their Healthy Families America program and put 94 cents of every dollar spent towards programs that help children and families thrive.

Please help me prevent child abuse, it saves lives.

Theodd1sout on Youtube

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

Theodd1sout is a youtuber that animates funny comics and stories. If you like storytelling and comics this is the right guy to watch. Theodd1sout has just about 5 million subscribers. He’s a quickly growing, and posting a new animation about every 2-3 weeks. But in the meantime you could watch other animations channels such as Jaiden Animations, Cypherden, Spechie, TimTom, ItsAlexClark, or SomethingelseYT. All of these youtubers are super funny and fun to watch. I personally like Theodd1sout because he connects with the audience and makes a simple everyday thing into a funny story. Some of his more famous animations are his Subway work stories, and school stories. I highly encourage you to watch this youtuber.

Iowa State Football

By: Macy Schulte

This year Iowa State is on a roll like never before! After they beat the two top 5 teams in the nation, (Oklahoma and TCU) they had gained a lot more momentum. This is what we Iowa State fans have been waiting for- for a long time. Nobody is doubting us anymore! We have a chance of going to a bowl game or even the Big 12 tournament. Matt Campbell as well as the Cyclones new quarterback, Kyle Kempt are having a great season. As of now we are 6-3 overall, but that will change as they play Oklahoma State this weekend. My family has season tickets to Iowa State football games, and I’m definitely excited for what’s to come for the rest of the Iowa State football season. (I’m also ready for basketball too!!)

Secret Santa

By Kiera Lacey and Lily Voynov

There is a great holiday for this, it’s CHRISTMAS! We all should spread the love by giving a gift to a friend or family member by being a secret santa. Although it is your choice, it doesn’t have to be secret. This is a way to spread the love too others during many people’s favorite holiday! It does not have to be a gift that is something big and expensive, it can be something small and meaningful instead. This is a way to bring Christmas joy to others. Try your best not to give away the secret!

Do you need a new Zipper Binder? Tips to get one that suits your needs!

By: Maren Lacey

If you look at your zipper binder and you think, “This will not work.” You might just need a new one. First, you need to choose a store. It would come down to about OfficeMax, Office Depot, Target, or Walmart. The best brands to choose are, Case It, Mead, or Five Star. others will work, but are not guaranteed of quality. Now that you know which brand, you have to choose a style and size. If you carry lots of things in your other zipper binder, you might consider getting a bigger binder.most binders have: A 3 ring binder clasp,pockets, and fold out pockets for paper. You also might consider (if you don’t have one,) a pencil pocket. Choose one with more than one pocket so you can store earbuds and separate scissors and pencils.

Waukee Spirit Bows

Written By: Sophia Kurtz and Prisha Patel

Do you ever go to Waukee football games and never have the right accessories to go with the outfit? I am here to tell you about a way to have style and Waukee spirit.

Supplies:

• Purple duct tape

• Gold glitter nail polish

• Flat surface (table)

• Scissors

Directions:

1. Layer duct tape on top of each other overlapping each piece by about ¼ of an inch. After that you are going to layer more duct tape sticky side touching. You want a six by three piece of duct tape fabric.

2. Next you are going to fold the fabric in an accordion style. Starting at the three inch side, folding down the six inch side.

3. Next you are going to fold the fabric in an accordion style. Starting at the three inch side, folding down the six inch side.

4. Put a small piece of duct tape in the center and wrap it around.

5. Next take another piece of duct tape a little longer than the previous piece but still the same thickness as the one piece in the center.

6. Now lay the piece of duct tape sticky side up, and lay a hair tie on the very end of one side, the duct tape should be on the inside of the hair with the sticky side facing away from the center.

7. Then taking the side of duct tape with the hair tie on it put that side against the bow so that the hair tie is in between the bow and the piece of duct tape. Next wrap the duct tape around the center of the bow.

8. Last take your gold glitter nail polish and put it everywhere you desire.

Bibliography

http://sparklyeverafter.com/5-easy-disney-diy-duck-tape-projects/

http://desertchica.com/diy-fear-from-inside-out-costume/

Weird But True:
Food Edition

By: Allyna Bross

1. In California it is ILLEGAL to eat an orange in the bathtub. First of all why would you even do that? This fact is super weird but if you’re in California I guess if you... yeah never mind this law is totally pointless.

2. It’s against the law in Kentucky USA to carry an ICE-CREAM CONE in your pocket. Why in the world would you do that? Sounds sticky.

3. Eating Fried Chicken with anything other than your fingers/hands is outlawed in Gainesville, Georgia USA. I mean I guess it kinda makes sense because what are you supposed to use instead of your hands? But what I don’t get is why do you need to make a law about it?

4. In France Ketchup is BANNED, In elementary schools. BANNED?!? I mean what does France have against ketchup?

5. In Singapore chewing gum is only available with a PRESCRIPTION!!! What in the world! We chew gum in school literally every day! And they need a prescription for it! Wow.

6. In Wisconsin USA it is illegal to serve Margarine in schools and hospitals. Yeah I actually get that one because margarine is like healthy butter and is kinda… totally… gross. It’s made out of like vegetables and stuff.

7. In Memphis Tennessee USA, an actual law makes it illegal to take leftover pie from a restaurant. You paid for it, you should be able to take it home!

Warrior Bucks

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

A lot of people like warrior bucks! There are multiple ways to earn and spend them.

My favorite way to earn Warrior Bucks are: newspaper, helping a teacher, and student of the month. There are multiple ways to earn warrior bucks, especially by doing something good.

My favorite ways to spend warrior bucks are: booths, lunch in the pod, and auctions. There are multiple ways to spend it, too!

So warrior bucks are a great reward students. One tip: don’t rub it in other’s faces that you have a ton of warrior bucks, it is super annoying!;)

Nice and Great

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

“It’s nice to be great, but it’s great to be nice!” - Unknown

This is one of my favorite quotes! It got shared to me from American Girl, but it is unknown who wrote/said it.

What is one of your favorite quotes? Why do you live up to it/like it?

I wish everyone knew it’s better to be nice than great.

9 Simple and Satisfying Peanut Butter Snacks

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By:

Credit to: livestrong.com and Jess Barron

1. The new PB&J: Peanut Butter and Jicama Sticks (175 Calories)

2. Peanut Butter and Baby Carrots (190 Calories)

3. Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt (125 Calories)

4. Peanut Butter and Jelly on Crack (125 Calories)

5. Peanut Butter Steel-Cut Oatmeal (215 Calories)

6. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein Shake (250-350 Calories)

7. (PB&G) Peanut Butter and Green Smoothie (250-350 Calories)

8. No-Bake Honey Peanut Butter Cookies (260 Calories per Cookie)

9. Peanut Butter and Mango “Sushi” (60 Calories per Piece)

Peanut Butter Replacements:

1. Sunflower Seed Butter

2. Tahini

3. Cookie Butter

4. Soynut Butter

5. Coconut Butter

7th Graders Now Allowed Into Newspaper

By: Lohit Chawla

Edited by: Kai Holt

If you did not know the school newspaper has recently this year allowed 7th graders to be in the paper. As being a 7th grader myself I was overjoyed! Last year only 6th graders were allowed since the supervising teacher was a 6th grade one, but this year she feels that she should have more diversity in grades. This all was a great development but one thing I wondered is actually how many 7th graders were willing to come and do this? So I did a poll on my Language Arts class which is advanced so this role would be easy. The results I came up with were actually surprising that 60 percent were not interested and only 40 were! So I asked some of them that said they were not interested why. This was one of my classmates response “I didn’t even know there was a newspaper so I don’t know what it is like”. I believe that the newspaper should be more easily accessible so that 7th graders and 6th would know more about it. A few ideas I thought could be good were we could have a page on the T.V.’s in the cafeteria and maybe the L.A. teachers could tell students about it. In the end though this is an exciting development and will greatly impact the newspaper.

-Ray 7th grader

Thanksgiving!

Edited by: Lena Carder

Do you have anything planned for Thanksgiving?

If you don't have anything planned I can give you some suggestions!

1. Get together with family.

2. Watch a football game with family or friends.

3. Play a board game with someone, but make up your own rules!

4. Watch a Charlie Brown special!

5. Make a craft, like a hand turkey.

6. Make a Thanksgiving dessert!

7. Take family pictures.

8. Invite your friends over!

Class Craft

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

If you are in Purple Pod, you probably know about Class Craft. In Purple Pod, both Mr. Fetters and Mr. Dohlman use it. I don’t know about any other pod.

Class Craft is a good way to reward students for good behavior. It gets students engaged to be a good student.

From http://www.classcraft.com/ :

• Gamify Your Classes. Transform your classroom into an epic adventure your students play throughout the year!

• Used in 20,000+ U.S. schools. Free for teachers, with unlimited classes.

• Unlock Your Students’ Potential. Meet your students culturally and see how getting them excited can impact every aspect of your classroom.

• Transform Your Classroom.

• Supercharge your existing curriculum with interactive quests.

• Gamify classroom management to foster deeper collaboration.

• Make learning fun with Class Tools for student engagement.

About MY Classcraft account:

Right now I am a level 2 Healer. I have 50 out of 50 HP (Health Points). I have 20 out of 35 AP (Ability Points). I have 5,035 out of 5,900 XP (Experience Points). I also have 25 GP (Gold Pieces). I have two powers: Heal One and Ardent Faith.

Heal one is: a teammate gains 10 HP, for both classes (Science and Social Studies). Ardent Faith is: the Healer can have first choice of materials or be used in demonstrations in Class period, for Science. In Social Studies, Ardent Faith is: during an exam, the Healer can ask the Gamemaster if their answer to a question is correct. There are many, many more powers for the Healer, Warrior, and Mage.

Other features on Classcraft:

• Avatar Dashboard: all of your HP, AP, XP, and GP are kept on here. You can also tell what level you are, what character you are, your powers, and your profile picture.

• My Class: your whole class is kept on here. You can view others’ HP, AP, XP, GP, level, character, powers, and profile picture. You can also tell what group they are in and their power points (you get to learn new powers with power points.

• Equipment: you can view your GP (used to get you more outfit) and your clothing. Your outfit includes boots, clothing, headgear, pants, power, and staff.

• Messaging: here you can message your teacher questions on things. The teacher can also put out class announcements (kind of like Remind).

• Game Feed: here you can see who has gained XP (and why), gained GP (and why), gained a level (and why), lost AP (and why), or lost HP (and why). You basically can see what your teacher is doing to your classes’ characters.

• Delayed Damage: this tells you who has damage that is delayed. Hopefully, everyone is safe!

The Five Worst Unhealthy Chain Restaurant Meals (and Five Better Healthy Options)

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

1. WORST: The Cheesecake Factory’s Miso Salmon. BETTER: The Cheesecake Factory Skinnylicious Grilled Salmon.

2. WORST: Applebee’s Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad. BETTER: Applebee’s Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (Half-portion).

3. WORST: Olive Garden Rotini Primavera w/ grilled Chicken. BETTER: Olive Garden Herb Grilled Salmon.

4. WORST: Subway’s Chicken Bacon Ranch 6-inch Sub. BETTER: Subway’s Black Forest Ham 6-inch Sub.

5. WORST: Chili’s Texas Cheese Fries (Full Order). BETTER: Chili’s Spiced Panko Onion Rings

7 Meatless Entrees That Will Make You Forget About the Turkey

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

Credit to: CDN, Jackie Newgent RDN. “7 Meatless Entrees That Will Make You Forget About the Turkey.” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 15 Nov. 2016, www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1012534-7-meatless-entrees-make-forget-turkey/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=112117_f_tue_curated&c_crid=cta1.

1. Curry-Roasted Graffiti Eggplant With Chickpeas And Grape Tomatoes

2. Kale, Baby Bella and Caramelized Carrot “Risotto” Skillet

3. Maple Spiced Cauliflower Roast With Pumpkin Gravy

4. Roasted Butternut Squash “Pasta” with Goat Cheese and Fried Sage

5. Stuffed Pumpkin with Herbed Quinoa and Pomegranate Arils

6. Thanksgiving - Inspired Ribollita

7. Cranberry Baked Brie

Forever Home Dog Rescue

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

Credit to: Forever Home and all of the Dogs there

I got my dog, Lanzo, from Forever Home dog rescue. I think it is a great organization! Currently, there are 12 dogs waiting to be rescued. If you are looking for a dog try to persuade your parents to look at their website, https://foreverhomedogs.org. You can also volunteer there!

I am going to talk about a couple of dogs that are in this program. If you want to see other dogs, go onto their website said up there!

Kiera: Kiera is a 3 year, two month female. She is a Pit Bull/Terrier mix breed. She has a perfect mix of chill and playfulness in her. She loves to cuddle and would let you rub her belly all day long if possible. She does very well with other dogs, once she has gotten to know them. She enjoys playing fetch, loves going on walks, and rides in the car without getting carsick. She can be a little timid around new people. She is improving on being less timid around new people.

Lulu: Lulu is a 2 year, 8 month female. She is a beagle mix breed (unknown what other breed she is.) She is good with dogs and children. She is cautious around new people, especially men. Once she warms up to them, though, she is snuggly and loving. Lulu loves other dogs. She isn’t that playful, but occasionally runs up and down the yard. She isn’t a fan of the kennel, but will stay in a bedroom. Her favorite things in the world are: snuggling under the covers, stuffed KONGs, and bully sticks. Lulu’s perfect home would be mellow, include another dog, and have tug-a-war ropes.

Miss Gracie: Miss Gracie is a 10 year, 7 month female. She is a Chihuahua, Italian Greyhound mix breed. She is good with dogs. Another name for her is Gracie Lou. She would really like and elder woman for her owner. She loves to stroll through the park. She likes to cuddle up under a blanket. She is house trained and loves other dogs. She would be fine with being without any other dogs, though. She would like a home with a fenced yard and only wants children in the home if the are a little older and mature. Not the biggest fan of men. She has no teeth. Though she still eats and plays with toys just fine.

Ruby: Ruby is a 4 year, 7 month female. She is a Coonhound. She is good with dogs. She is sweet and shy, and came from Kansas. She is smart and loves to play with other dogs, especially ones her size and larger that are okay with playing rough. Her dream home would have a big fenced yard and another dog. She needs a little more training on leashes and basic manners. She loves hugs and kisses, and she loves giving them, too!

I hope you can find a dog at Forever Home to come into your home! Now, because I like making up “better” names, I am going to give each of these dogs different names than they have right now. Kiera looks like a Roxy. Lulu looks like a Princess. Miss Gracie looks like a Cutie Pie. Ruby looks like a Polar Bear.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Written by: Sidney Berger   Edited by: Maren Lacey

Ingredients:

1 box (8 quarts) powdered milk

1 box (1 pound) Nestle Nesquik (chocolate)

1 Jar (6 oz) Coffee Mate

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Mix ingredients well and store in sealable container. Keeps well. Makes 50- 60 cups!

(You can make a half recipe.)

To enjoy add ⅓ cup mix to 1 cup of boiling water or milk and stir well.

Add your favorite topping such as whipped cream, marshmallows, or candy cane.

ENJOY!

Libby's® Famous Pumpkin Pie

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

Credit to: All Recipes and Nestle Toll House

Ingredients:

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 eggs

• 1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

Directions:

Prep: 10 min, Cook: 1hr, Ready In: 1hr 10min

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.) Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

3.) Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

NBA Standings

Written by: Xavier DeMarco

Edited by: Noah Kohtz

The NBA season has recently started up, and everyone is excited for the beginning of the year. We saw horrible injuries from Gordon Hayward, and we also saw amazing plays from the Wizards and the Cavaliers. Overall the Boston Celtics lead the Eastern Conference 18-4 followed by the Detroit Pistons, The Washington Wizards, the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks at 5th place. Leading in the Western Conference is the Houston Rockets at 17-4 closely trailed by the Golden State Warriors at 16-6. Behind them is the Minnesota Timberwolves who take 3rd place, then the San Antonio Spurs and after them the Portland Trail Blazers.

iPhone X

Written by Jaden Rogers

Edited by Jacob Webb

The iPhone X is an iPhone created by Apple. The iPhone X kind of looks like a Samsung Galaxy, but trust me. It’s an Apple product. I think my favorite part of the iPhone X is that it is all screen. There is no margins on the phone.

The Apple catchphrase for the iPhone X is “Say hello to the future.” This is a quote from apple.com. “Our vision has always been to create an iPhone that is entirely screen. One so immersive the device itself disappears into the experience. And so intelligent it can respond to a tap, your voice, and even a glance. With iPhone X, that vision is now a reality. Say hello to the future.” There is that say hello to the future motto again.

Like I said, the iPhone X is all screen. This is another quote from the apple website. “With iPhone X the device is the display. An all-new 5.8-inch Super Retina screen fills the hand and dazzles the eyes.” This is some Innovative Technology things. Also from Apple inc; another quote. “ The display employs new technology to precisely follow the curves of the design, all the way to the elegantly rounded corners.” I am assuming that this iPhone is very a very comfortable fit in the palm of your hand. Yet, another quote from Apple. “ The first OLED screen that rises to the standards of iPhone, with accurate, stunning colors, true blacks, high brightness, and a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio.” That is really good, even though I have no idea what it means. In this article, the quotes never stop. “ A tiny space houses some of the most sophisticated technology we’ve ever developed, including the cameras and sensors that enable Face ID” Face ID might not be the best idea. I mean, what if something happens to your face.

They made this thing with some durable glass. Just look at this quote from Apple about the All-New Design about the iPhone X. “ The most durable glass ever in a smartphone, front and back. Surgical-grade stainless steel. Wireless charging. Water and dust resistance” That is really good if you drop your phone a lot like me. This is what Apple calls, “Intuitive Gestures.” “Familiar gestures make navigation natural and intuitive. Instead of pressing a button, a single swipe takes you home from anywhere.” Okay that, I have to admit, is really cool. I love the new technology we are coming up with. The only downside, is what if you are swiping to scroll in an app, but it takes you to the home screen. How would you scroll in Snapchat or Instagram. This is my favorite part. It is called ANIMOJI. “The True Depth camera analyzes more than 50 different muscle movements to mirror your expressions in 12 Emoji. Reveal your inner panda, pig, or robot.” If you didn’t understand any of that, it basically means that emojis mirror your facial movements and expressions. Okay so about the face ID thing. Yeah. The iPhone X has machine learning. It lets the Face I'D recognize you, even if you look different. Those are just some of the many features of the iPhone X. I’ll coming at you soon with an article all about the iPhone 8!! Now for a bibliography.

Works Cited

“Apple.” Apple, www.apple.com/.

Summer In A Cup Smoothie

Written by: Macy Schulte

Edited by: Jordan Jeter

Even though it’s not summer I thought it would be fun to try this delicious recipe!!

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup frozen raspberries

• 1 large ripe, sliced and frozen banana (~1 cup)

• ½ cup pomegranate juice

• ¾ cup orange juice

• ¾ cup almond milk

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides if needed.

2. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add more milk or fruit juice if too thick. Add more frozen banana if not sweet enough. Serve immediately. Freezes well (or make into Popsicles).

recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

Stop Biting Your Nails!

By: Defne Tekinalp

Edited by: Sydney Berger

Biting your nails is a bad habit. Did you know that most nail biters start during their childhood, but on average stop near 35? You might bite your nails so badly that your fingers may bleed, or there might be no nail left on your fingers. If you bite your hangnails, infection might happen. If you want to stop, read these 4 tips.

1. Wear fake nails
Chances are, you can’t bite through your plastic nails. You will look fashionable, and you will prevent yourself from biting your nails.

2. Distract yourself with a new hobby
This one is kind of self-explanatory, but if you can’t find a new hobby, try finding a “Quit-Buddy” so they can cheer you on.

3. Cut your nails often
You can’t bite your nails if there are no nails left! As soon as you notice your nails getting long, clip them.

4. Paint them with a bad taste
A sour taste clear coat will make you think twice about biting your nails. There are different flavors you can get such as hot sauce and many other nasty flavors.

3 Wishes

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

If I was ever given the chance to pick 3 wishes, like a genie in a bottle, the choices could be endless. If I did ever get this opportunity I would think long and hard and savor these wishes. The first one I would make come true right away is for everyone who has lost someone that they love, they could be reunited and they would get to see their loved ones that have died. I’d choose this because I know so many people that have lost people, pets, and friends. I feel horrible and I also share their experience. My second wish is something I would use if the world ever came to an end. I’d use it to destroy or get rid of the thing or person that would end the world. For example if the world got to overpopulated I’d wish for a world that would expand to the liking of humankind as it grew bigger and bigger. Or if world hunger ever became a problem I’d wish for something that would never let that happen. Lastly if it was a plague or deadly disease I would want a cure for it. My very last wish is something I’ve always wanted, a tamed cheetah that could fly. I don’t know why I’ve ever wanted this but riding a cheetah at full speed in the air would be super cool. But overall if I did ever get wishes I'd want them to help the world and not make it any worse, just to support and help the human race. If you ever got 3 wishes from a genie or something else what would your 3 wishes be and why?

What’s Going On Around the World

By: Reagan Glass, Past and Present

Edited By: Coria Chaloupecky, Maren Lacey and Lauren Hansen

Does anyone even know what’s going on around the world?

An eight year old girl named Marta fell off a cliff at Backbone State Park. She did survive, but it was very close for her not to wake up.

There was a terrorist attack at Texas, at least 26 people have been killed and many more injured after a man walked into a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs,Texas, on Sunday and opened fire on worshippers.

On Saturday, November 11th we celebrate VETERANS DAY! This is a time where we celebrate the people that have fought for us.

That's why THANKSGIVING is here, to be thankful for all of the good things that's going on.

Jokes And Riddles

By: Braeden and Greyson

Edited by: Kai

1. Why can't a nose be 12 inches long?

Answer: Then it would be a foot!

2. You know how with a stop light you go on green and stop on red? What are you doing when you go on red and stop on green?

Answer: Eating a watermelon!

3. What do you call a fly with no wings?

Answer: Nothing!

4. What runs around Graveyard but doesn't move?

Answer: A fence!

5. What is the longest word in the dictionary?

Smiles because there is mile in between the s’s!

6. What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?

Answer: Silence!

7. In a one-story pink house, there was a pink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower– everything was pink!

What color were the stairs?

Answer: There weren’t any stairs, it was a one story house!

8. Who comes to a picnic but was never invited?

Answer: Ants!

9. If April showers bring May flowers, then what do Mayflowers bring?

Answer: Pilgrims!

10. How do you mend to a broken pumpkin?

Answer: With a pumpkin patch!

Get Ready For Christmas!

Written by: Lily V. and Kiera L

Edited By: Jordan Jeter

Get your Christmas tree out and start to sing because Christmas is coming to town! Start singing to your favorite songs, making gingerbread cookies and houses, and spreading Christmas cheer! Get out your wrapping paper and get wrapping! Turn on those special Christmas movies! Some of my favorite movies are ELF, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Paws. Be careful not to break any ornaments!

“ The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer Is Singing Loud For All To Hear.”

-Buddy the Elf

Forgiveness

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

Recently I went to Lutheran Church of Hope and listen to a pastor named Mike. He talked about what forgiveness really is and what it really isn’t. Even if you are not Christian this is still a really valuable lesson and could change your entire life. When I listened to him I was phased and thought really deeply about what he said. So I’m going to briefly go over what forgiveness is and isn’t.

Forgiveness isn’t you saying that it wasn’t a big deal, forgetting about it, them expecting that you got over it, you being weak, letting them off the hook, or minimizing the problem.

But forgiveness is one sided you have the choice to forgive them whether they ask or not, it’s an act of will, you letting go and setting yourself free from the grudge, you learning to live with it and move on, not letting them off the hook, and trusting god with justice.

Think about the person you hate the most. You probably couldn’t forgive them for what they did. That’s okay though because it’s in the human nature and everyone does it. Now is the time that you can change though, let go of the grudge and move on. Let them know they are not off the hook but you forgive them. This all can really set the right path for you spiritually and mentally.

Online World

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

In 1876 the very first telephone was made by Alexander Graham Bell. A pretty major marking point in history because we wouldn't have the idea of the iPhone without the telephone. The iPhone, brings a lot of features into one device, this is a really good thing, but it can also be a really bad thing. People put all of their information into a single device and are personal slaves to it without even knowing. If you don’t think that you are a slave to your device count the total amount of hours you’ve been awake and count the amount of time you are on a phone or other device. If you’re using over ½ of your day on your phone, then you are probably addicted and attached to your phone. Without even knowing it when you spend time talking online to friends and strangers it changes the way you speak to people in real life. Like slang words for example. Try not to use your phone for over half of your day and you should be all set!

Thanksgiving Feast

By Sam, Edited by Parker

Turkey, stuffing, cranberry, pie and don't forget family.Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because you get to be with family friends and all the food you can eat and don’t forget the football games all weekend long. And to wrap things up (literally) Christmas is right around the corner, make sure you’ve got all the christmas shopping done, black friday has already past.

Winter Break, Vacations

By Sam, Edited by Parker

California, Florida, Mexico, Colorado. Where are you going for vacation, here are some ideas maybe going skiing in the rocky mountains. Ohhh I got one, how about a adventures day in Florida? Or you might even go to Disney World! Or maybe even travel across the country to California, probably heard of the beach, to make it more special how about the coast of California. Or a nice relaxing day on the coast of Mexico. These are some ideas, thanks for reading.

Philadelphia Eagles 2017

Written by Ernie Jones

Edited By Caelan Blume

Do you know about the Eagles reigning record? It’s 10-1 which is the best season for the Eagles this far. They have the best division record for almost the whole season! Carson Wentz, (quarterback) Alshon Jeffery, (wide receiver) and Jason Peters (Tackle) carried this team on it’s back during this season. This new roster debuted in the preseason against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers is a talented and tough team which is going to be hard for the Eagles to beat them. The Eagles lost 9-24 to the Green Bay Packers, so the Eagles had a rocky start. Then they have proven that they are good by beating the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. They had a good run until the New York Jets beat them at the last game of the preseason. The Eagles proved they are worthy to go to the Playoffs. The Kansas Chiefs may have beaten them with a close game 20-27 they beat everyone they encountered in the season. They really improved this year and I hope high things from them this year. Thank you for reading.

Work Cited http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/schedule/_/name/phi/philadelphia-eagles

Environmental Problems

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by:Braeden Billings

Currently in Purple Pod we are all picking an environmenmental problem to focus on. This is mainly for science, but all of the teachers are helping out with it. For example, Dr.Ferchen and Miss Harbaugh have given us all a packet to fill out and keep everything organized. The packet includes questions you can ask yourself when researching and put into your final project. And for L.A purposes they added a section to record unknown words and text features. For math Miss. Stuber helped us get graphs and data. Mr. Dohlman the S.S teacher is giving us time to research on the project and taught us the tricks to tell if a site is trustworthy or not. And in science Mr. Fetters is helping us learn more about the types and kinds of problems in our environment. Every teacher that helps with this is speeding up the process a lot and we all get to learn a more at the same time.

Invisibility

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Braeden Billings

If you could ever have the power to be invisible for one day what would you do? For me I’d do quite a few things. If I was invisible all day I’d spy on my parents and see how they act when me and my siblings are not around. If they acted completely different then they do around me and my brothers then I would be quite shocked and ask why. The second thing I’d do is spy on the president. Not that I live in the White House but if I did it would be fun to see what the man in charge of the U.S.A does. The third thing I’d do is steal mangos. Mangos are the best fruit in my opinion. (Please don’t get mad if you don’t like them.) Mango smoothies are my all time favorite so I would go to Smoothie King and steal a mango smoothie because they are the best in the entire world. ;) But ya, that’s what I’d do, if you could have the power to be invisible what would you do for a day?

Introvert VS Extrovert

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited By: Braeden Billings

People will commonly tend to get intro, and extrovert wrong. You may think that introverts don’t want to have any friends. And extroverts always want to be the spotlight and are arrogant. Well that’s not true at all because it’s a big mix and there are healthy introverts, and healthy extroverts. What I mean by that is if you are a unhealthy introvert you tend to be a bit moody, anxious, rigid, sober, pessimistic, reserved, unsociable, and quiet. If you are a unhealthy extrovert then you tend to be touchy, restless, aggressive, excitable, changeable, and if you are to optimistic and active in a bad way then it can be considered unstable. Healthy introverts are passive, careful, thoughtful, peaceful, controlled, reliable, even-tempered, and calm. Healthy extroverts are sociable, outgoing, talkative (in a good way), responsive, easygoing, lively, carefree, and have a good amount of leadership. Some people may be a mix of all of these. These kinds of people are called ambiverts. Introverts can be shy, and book worms but that isn’t always the case and you need to be open to that. Not all extroverts are loud and obnoxious, you need to be open to that. I hope this clarified the difference between extrovert and an introvert. Look at the graph below and see if you are a stable introvert or extrovert, or an unstable introvert or an extrovert!

Would You Rather…

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By: Brooke Dohrmann

Eat a Larvette OR… Eat a Cricket

Have English all day OR… Have Science all day

Watch your little brother’s TV Show OR… Watch your little sister’s TV Show

Have a sleepover OR… Sleep all day

Have a cat OR… A dog

Have a panda OR… A horse

Build a snowman OR… Go skiing

Get presents OR… Give presents

Meet Star Wars characters OR… Meet Harry Potter

Dance on ice OR… Dance on a stage

Topic Generator For Writers

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: https://www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator

A lot of writers in the Newspaper sometimes have trouble coming up with ideas. Most of us get stumped and have brain farts. There is a topic generator called Hubspot Topic Generator. This website allows you to choose 3 nouns or things that you want to write about then it will generate ideas for you! I use this a lot when writing articles and it also inspires other ideas. Hubspot is free to use and is super easy to get to. I advise using this to inspire and create ideas. You can also check out other sites like HubSpot to get ideas and keep writing!

Sustainability
A Four Part Article About Making the World a Better Place
Article #1, What is Sustainability

Written By: Noah Kohtz

Edited By: Wrye Downs

Sustainability consists of 3 main parts: environmental, social, and economical. However, there is one more piece of the puzzle. Wellness is coming into play as a fourth part of sustainability. All of these concepts contribute to making the world a better place. When we use cars, airplanes, boats, any current mode of transportation, we hurt the environment. By hurting the environment, we hurt the only world we have! We don’t get a second chance. We need to protect the only world we have, for as long as we can. Sustainability is in the middle of all of the main parts.

If we have all 3 current components, and they are all equal, we have sustainability. Another way to look at sustainability is with a sustainability barrel.

The lowest point of the barrel is where the sustainability level is. When all of the parts match up at the top, we have a good sustainability level.

We don’t have a second chance. This is the only world we have. We need to protect it. We all do. You can make a difference today by using less water and electricity. Make sure to turn off lights that are not being used. You can make a difference, and you need to. Right now!

A Perfect Day

Written by: Brooke Dohrmann

Edited by: Coria Chaloupecky

A perfect day is different for everyone, but a lot of us can all agree staying home or going out is one of the things to do on a perfect day. For me a perfect day starts off with a hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts and a donut. The next thing I’d do is go take a morning job with a cool breeze and enjoy nature. I’d go jogging with friends, and it would be really fun. In the afternoon I’d want to go see a movie or go around the mall. There are a lot of cool things you can find everyday at the mall. My favorite place to eat in the mall is Charleys Philly Steaks, their California Chicken Sub is by far my favorite thing on their menu. At night I’d just want to spend time with family and enjoy the night with friends. These are all of the things that I’d do on a perfect day, what would you do on a perfect day?

Facts about Tornadoes

Written by: Jack Huffman

Edited by: Kai Holt

-A tornadoes is a rotating funnel shaped cloud that extends from thunderstorms to the ground that can reach up to 300 mph.

-Tornadoes can be up to a mile wide and 50 miles long.

-There has been about 1,000 to 1,200 tornadoes in the united states.

-You can call tornadoes, twisters or cyclones.

-Tornadoes can go 100+ miles till they dissipate.

-A tornado will last 5 mins. before dissipate.

-The month of may has the most history of tornadoes in the united states.

-There are about 60 people killed every year by tornadoes.

5 4 3 2 1
HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!

By Lily Voynov

Edited By: Alli Steele

You might watch the ball drop, or countdown at your own party, but it is a new year and a new start. You make New Year's Resolutions and see if you have accomplished your previous ones.

I interviewed Alli Steele and she said, “I personally love this time of year because my family always gets together and celebrates the start of a new year. Also, it has meaning when you are with your family that you don't always get to see.”

Lily: I like this holiday because it is good to make goals and see where you have gotten with your last goals. It's a fresh start and time to shape a new year.

Among the Enemy

By: Lohit Chawla

Edited by: Jake Webb

I recently finished a book called Among The Enemy and It was exhilarating! My first impression on the cover was not that exciting,but as the book went on it became fantastic and very interesting. The main plot is there is a government that is corrupt and wants all third children dead because of food shortage. We are introduced to this in the first book where Luke Garner meets a shadow child that is a baron,and she tells him about a rally that she is coordinating. This plays a humongous role in the later books. If we speed up to book three Jen who was the child is dead and Luke is in a shadow children school where he had learned in the second book had a student trying to turn in shadow children to the population police who maintain the 2 children law. Luke then proceeds to turn the boy in,but the boy also says that his partner was Elodie aka. Nina. Nina ends up in jail and meets Matthias,Percy and Alia. These three save her from jail and she finds they were testing her to see if she really was with the boy. All this leads up to Among The Barons then Among The Brave in which the children(Nina,Trey-Luke is his friend,Mike-a undercover population police,Luke and more not named) go work undercover in the population police headquarters. Matthias,Percy and Alia however were at a school which in the beginning of the book is taken over by population police and they are put on a truck to go to work camps. They however escape the truck,but Alia gets hurt in the process so they take her into the woods and find a cabin with rebels fighting police. Percy in this scene gets shot so Matthias leaves him and Alia in the cabin and picks up a fake I.D. card to be safe. He goes to the Talbots who are the family of Jen, and after getting help they go back and the police attacks! He accidently saves a officer’s life and goes to headquarters with him. Soon the officer dies leaving Matthias with the commander who had thought of that officer as a son. After hearing a fire was set to the cabin he is stricken with grief and refuses to help the rebels undercover. After seeing a warehouse of food though he decides to help and find the police are finding a way to know fake I.D. from real ones. He and undercover officer Mike blow the warehouse full of I.D. and before take the food. In the end the food is returned by the citizens that they asked to keep it and everyone thinks Matthias saved the food and the commanders life who was knocked back from Matthias throwing the guard. The end is a surprise.Overall this book is hair raising and makes you want to read forever!

Playstation 4 Vs Xbox one

Playstation is a good console but there are the downsides! Who would want to

Pay 400$ just to get a console? It makes no sound the controller. It is sort a good size, It's a nice controller but it's small and the battery can drain really quick. And also the joysticks are rubber and break really easy. The Playstation Itself is very expensive. Who would want to pay 400$? On Black Friday I saw 2 Playstations gone. On the other hand Xbox was sold out! There are a couple good things about it. The controller has a microphone. Well you can hear out of it that's it. There is also a touch pad. Lastly sony (Playstation) made a VR Headset. And also if you have Playstation plus you get free games.

Now It's the Xbox’s turn to rise up to the stage! The Xbox one is a good price and it comes with a stand so you can stand your Xbox up. I say the Xbox one is a great choice for kids the price on the Xbox one can be 250-325 I say it's a great deal. The controller is nice and quiet and the Xbox itself makes almost no noise it AMAZING! And I like how all you have to do to join a game is hold the home button and it makes you join. There is also skype and pandora if you want to listen to some music. And microsoft itself makes great things and sometimes they give away free gift cards! And if you have Xbox live gold you get free games! And you earn points for answering questions on your email or earn points from achievements you can BUY GIFT CARDS HOW AMAZING IS THAT! I saw the Xbox is a great deal! If you buy the Xbox one and have gold you get deals that can be 10-50%

By Gabriel Phoenix Galindo

Edited by Akash Vemmanat

Look for the pictures below

The Series of Unfortunate Events

By: Caelan Blume

Edited by: Ernie Jones

Dear reader, if you do not like things about misery and despair, then throw this book away and run for your life because you already know too much. Now that the warning is over, I can tell you about three kids who suffer a terrible loss and then come in with close encounters with death, but dear reader, you must read the book to find out all the tragedies.

P.S. Burn all the books after you read them, the FBI will be after you.

6th Grade Play

By: Reagan Glass

Edited By: Coria Chaloupecky

Come and join us at the 6th grade play. We will be performing The true story of Hey Diddle Diddle. This event will be held in February on the 2nd. This play includes humor stories and much more. We will be performing at Prairie View in their theatre. Please come and join us. I hope to see you there.

Pinstripe Bowl

By: Braeden Billings

Edited by: Greyson Rebel and Xavier DeMarco

The Pinstripe Bowl is played at Yankee stadium. It is an NCAA football bowl game. In the bowl, this year’s matchup is between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Boston College. The Iowa Hawkeyes record is 7-5. Boston Colleges is also 7-5. The very first Pinstripe Bowl was in 2010. Syracuse and Kansas St. were in that game. Before the Pinstripe Bowl, there was a bowl called the Gotham Bowl that was played in New York at the old Yankee Stadium. I think the Pinstripe Bowl is a very special event since it is played at Yankee Stadium.

stadium picture during game

pinstripe bowl logo

December Sports Cast

By Sam, Edited by parker

Every probably knows whats sports are like the NFL, NHL, NCAA. Stuff like that but it's what's behind those names that matter. In this article you will see all the interesting stuff spots have, and our first one is… you probably heard of the ncaa or college football or basketball well this time it's for football, we have all been cheering for our teams some more than others but we finally get to here whos in bowl games and whos in the playoffs and the team are Clemson at number 1, Oklahoma at 2, Georgia at 3, and Alabama at 4. And we have the NFL, last week the NFL had one of the most brutal games, and you would never expect these teams to be the ones playing in it, in the game there were 21 flags put out 4 injuries a cracked spine 2 concussions, and a ankle broken. That's a lot to think about, thanks for reading.

Christmas Meal

By Sam, Edited By Parker

We all love Christmas the presents being with family and all the fun stuff you get to do. But it's the food that makes it christmas. Just last weekend I was taught how to make brownies, apple pie cherry pie, pumpkin pie, and cut up fruit, bread and the basics. But I we didn’t make all the stuff we just were making recipes. In my family we have a huge meal together all the family members together and the food is great, my mom taught me because, this year we are hosting so she needs a few more hands. Comment down below about your christmas dinners. Thanks for reading.

How To Solve The Biggest Problems With Kids

By: Coria Chaloupecky

Edited By:Reagan Glass

Credit to: HubSpot. “Blog Ideas.” HubSpot's Blog Ideas Generator, 2017, www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator. “Kids Worry: Top 5 Kid Problems and How to Fix Them.” WebMD, WebMD, fit.webmd.com/kids/mood/article/kids-worry.

I have so much homework every day. I feel like I can't get it all done. What should I do? Try doing something physical when you get home. Something like shooting hoops, playing catch, or walking your dog. Then your mind will be in good shape to do your homework.

I stink at baseball and want to quit. Do I have to keep playing? Well, it’s really up to your parents. If your parents let you decide, finish the season off, and then you can either quit or keep playing.

I just moved to a new school, and I hate it. Can you help me disappear? I know it’s hard being a new kid. Well, actually, I don’t… But one thing I know is it’s not possible to just disappear. You matter and people want to get to know you. When you sit down by someone ask them a question. Maybe find out what they like to do in their free time. You could find some things in common that you like and maybe you could talk more about it. Keep going, get good grades, and talk to some people. Start with talking to someone that’s sitting near you. Then soon you will get one of them to be your friend. Then you could meet their friends, so on and so on. JUST. KEEP. GOING.

My best friend doesn't talk to me anymore. Should I ask what I did wrong? Just give it some time. Then, if they are still not talking to you, ask him or her a question like “Can you help me with this math problem?” If they don’t answer you, just move on. If they help you, then maybe while they are helping you ask: “It seems like you aren’t talking to me anymore, did I do something wrong?” It is good to try to talk it out when both people are ready.

Thanks for reading!

Are You Having a Bad Day?

If You Are, Here Are Some Adorable Baby Animals.

Baby Animals are the cutest things ever! If you are having a bad day, even if you are not, these little animal pictures are sure to make you smile!!!!!\

Charles Jenkins

By: Xavier DeMarco

Edited by: Greyson Rebel

Charles Jenkins, a former US Sergeant who defected to North Korea, died. Jenkins was a prisoner at Pyongyang and died at 77 in Japan. Charles had fallen in front of his house and was later seen to have had died of heart issues in the hospital.

In 1965 Jenkins was placed with his unit in South Korea by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). He later abandoned his unit and that’s when he defected to North Korea. He left because he feared that he would be killed or sent to Vietnam.

Jenkins led a difficult and amazing life. He thought that he could seek to find an asylum with the Russians and then get prisoner swapped later. He was captured the night in January while intoxicated. He walked across the DMZ from his post and turned himself to the North Korean soldiers. He was later let free and lived with his wife, Hitomi Soga, another former North Korean prisoner in Japan.

Cites:

http://www.bbc.com/

http://time.com/

Disgusting Foods

(Reader Discretion is Advised)

By: Xavier DeMarco

Edited by: Addison Onstot & Evan Vanorny

Casu Marzu

Casu Marzu, is an Italian delicacy and a pecorino cheese. This cheese is made into a block and its english translation is “rotten cheese”. This cheese might look normal, but if you’re not used to new things, don’t try this. It’s infested with maggots and has become a normal reproduction nest for them.

Soft Boiled Fetal Duck (Balut)

This non-fertilized egg of a duck is a common food in Vietnam as well as the Philippines. Though they are unfertilized duck eggs, they are allowed to stay in there shells for a few weeks. Then, peel back the shell, and along with the regular egg-like inside. Most people suggest slurping it from the shell with a little salt. Delicious!

Bat Paste

This interesting delicacy, commonly found in Thailand, Guam and China. This strange food can contains fruit, fox or other bats, along with herbs and spices. To make it you will have to put on some water or milk then wait till it comes to a boil, then you drop in thebat and add the chopped up spices and roast to perfection, or imperfection, whatever you call that.

Haggis

If you know what this is, you could guess it would be on this list. This Scottish dish, which is very common and is made from sheep. They use diced up livers, heart and or lungs of the sheep or calf. Then it is boiled and cooked in the carcass of the animal along with oatmeal, suet and seasonings.

https://www.culinaryschools.org

Banana Split Smoothie

Written By: Macy Schulte

Edited By: Lauren Hansen

This smoothie is more of a desert than a smoothie, but it’s still so yummy!! Hope you like it!!

Ingredients

Smoothie

• 2 medium-large bananas, ripe, peeled, sliced and frozen

• 2 Tbsp (6 g) cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

• 1 Tbsp (16 g) salted almond butter (if unsalted, add pinch sea salt)

• ¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened almond milk (more depending on preferred thickness)

• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

• optional: pitted dates (for extra sweetness)

Toppings

• 1 just ripe banana, peeled and sliced lengthwise

• Coconut whipped cream

• Ripe cherries

• 1 Tbsp (3g) shredded unsweetened coconut

• 1 Tbsp (4g) cacao nibs

Instructions

1. Add frozen banana, cacao powder, almond butter, and almond milk to a blender and blend on low until thick and creamy (see photo), scraping down sides as needed. You are looking for a soft serve consistency.

2. Add vanilla extract, dates (optional), and a bit more almond milk and blend once more until thick and creamy and well blended. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more almond butter for nuttiness, vanilla extract for vanilla flavor, salt for flavor balance, or cacao powder for more intense chocolate flavor. Set blender in freezer or refrigerator while preparing serving glasses.

3. Cut a banana in half lengthwise and peel. Then slice in half lengthwise again (so you have four pieces). Slide banana wedges down into two serving glasses (or 1 large serving glass, as pictured), and press with a spoon to “adhere” to the sides.

4. Add smoothie and top with desired toppings, such as coconut whipped cream, cherries, shredded coconut, and cacao nibs (I highly recommend all!).

5. Best when fresh but can be covered and frozen up to 2 days. Let thaw before enjoying.

Enjoy!!!

recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

Global Warming

By, Lauren Hansen, Past and Present

Edited by: Reagan Glass and Coria Chaloupecky

Credit to: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101

Global warming is a big problem, and it is happening. I am sure you have thousands of questions. This article will inform you with all the basic facts. I hope you enjoy it.

What is Global Warming?

For the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history.

How?

Global warming occurs when Carbon Dioxide (CO2), other air pollutants, and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere. They absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth's surface. Normally, this radiation would escape into space, but, these pollutants,which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. AKA the greenhouse effect.

-Burning fossil fuels to make electricity produces about two billion tons of CO2 emissions every year. This is the biggest source of CO2

-The second largest is the transportation sector, generating about 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions a year.

Why Should We Care?

-Global warming increases the risk of wildfires.

-It increases flooding.

-The disruption of habitats lead to animal extinction.

-Allergies,asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will be more common due to the growth of pollen producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution,and the spread of Pathogens and Mosquitoes.

Ways to Spread Kindness This December

Written by: Defne Tekinalp

Edited by: Macy Schulte

The Holidays don’t have to be stressful! Spread the love this month and maybe you will encourage others to be kind as well. Here are some ways to spread kindness:

Make Homemade gifts

Leave a happy note

Give money to a homeless charity

Count how many people you smile at

For more visit this website: http://www.actionforhappiness.org

SMS School Play
By: Allyna Bross

Edited By: Noah Kohtz

The sixth grade play this year is, “The True Story of Hey Diddle Diddle” more than one hundred sixth graders from SMS auditioned for roles in the play and to work backstage. Some of the roles are a cow, a cat, a fiddle, a dish and a spoon. Jobs backstage consist of working the lights, sound, and costume design. Stage Managers help to run the play smoothly. The cast list was posted on Friday December 1st and all students were rushing to look at it on Mrs. McGrath billboard or on her blog. The play is on Thursday February 1st at 7pm at the Theater Arts Center at Prairieview School. But if you want to go, there are limited seats so you should get tickets in advance. Information for that will be on Mrs.McGrath’s blog Here

If you come remember to congratulate the students involved. They are working very hard to make the play a good one.

Written by: Lohit Chawla

Edited by: Jake webb

I am sure you have heard of The Last Jedi from many people, and just the amount of interest in Star Wars there is in our school alone! I,being a Star Wars fan myself am going to see the premiere on December 14 even though you can see it a day before. The Last Jedi is a sequel to the movie The Force Awakens. In The Force Awakens ending scene it shows Rey

who is a main plot character, offer Luke the all famous character his lightsaber back. There have been many trailers which instead of helping answer questions,make more! I am not going to mention the trailers though, but you can check them out here https://youtu.be/Q0CbN8sfihY

. The concept of Star Wars started out an idea for George Lucas, but he continued to work on it and it is now a major franchise with movies, books, toys, T.V. shows and many other things. I am pumped to see The Last Jedi and know it will be amazing! May the force be with you and hope you will go see The Last Jedi in theatres!

Hacking Awareness

By: Wrye Downs

Edited by: Addison Onstot & Xavier DeMarco

This is a public service announcement. Keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior on your phone, tablet or computer. This could be something that is wrong with your device. Don't call any unknown number on the screen, go to the nearest store that you can buy that product from or search the web for the company's phone number. Don’t enter any personal information into any sketchy website. The outcomes of this might be purchasing stuff from you account when you are not purchasing anything. Hacking you social media or your accounts to store ect.

Merry GIFTmas!

By: Allyna Bross

Edited By: Noah Kohtz

At SMS our goal is to Give Love.

This Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, whatever you celebrate remember to Give Love this holiday season. It doesn’t take much, just giving a relative a hug and not squirming away even though you really want to, giving compliments and actually meaning it, or opening the door for students at school before break starts. Again, these are just little things that could make people happier. Make everyone happier for a better holiday season.

Also don’t just be nice for the Christmas season chose kind all the time, every day. So we can meet our goal of Giving Love.

All I Want For Christmas

By Sam, edited by Parker

No it's not my two front teeth, today we are going to talk about a Christmas list that we all dream of, here goes nothing. You all probably want something special like a hug or kiss from Mom or Dad, What? You don't want a hug or kiss how about a dog? Everyone loves a dog.” Oh you already have a dog? Well how about that new Lego set you've been wishing for,’’ that was five years ago really!”. Well how about a book? When I was a kid I read and read all day. You don’t like doing that?” What you don’t like to read? Then what do you want? Oh so you keep saying you don't want that but you really don't know?! Argh Argh! I give up. Santa can get you what you want, geesh, good night.

Winter Sports

By Sam edited, by Parker

Skiing, hockey, skating, snowboarding, bomb sledding. Are you ready for this years winter sports, well I am. Want To know why well first things first you ever heard of skiing and snowboarding well those are my favorite things in the winter sports, how about you comment down below. Ok everyone wants to be a professional something like a football player, or a basketball ball player, but I don't know to many people that want to be in the olympics, or even the winter olympics. It takes lots of effort to make it but to stay there is a different story. Thanks for reading comment below and tell me what you want to be when you grow up.

Christmas Meal

By Sam, Edited By Parker

We all love christmas the presents being with family and all the fun stuff you get to do. But it's the food that makes it christmas. Just last weekend I was taught how to make brownies, apple pie cherry pie, pumpkin pie, and cut up fruit, bread and the basics. But we didn’t make all the stuff we just were making recipes. In my family we have a huge meal together. All the family members come together and the food is great. My mom taught me because, this year we are hosting so she needs a few more hands. Comment down below about your christmas dinners. Thanks for reading.

December Sports Cast

By Sam, Edited by Parker

Every probably knows whats sports are like the NFL, NHL, NCAA. Stuff like that, but it's what's behind those names that matter. In this article you will see all the interesting stuff sports have. Our first one is… you probably heard of the NCAA or College football or basketball. Well, this time it's for football, we have all been cheering for our teams some more than others, but we finally get to here who’s in the bowl games and who’s in the playoffs. The teams are Clemson at number 1, Oklahoma at 2, Georgia at 3, and Alabama at 4. Next, we have the NFL, last week the NFL had one of the most brutal games. You would have never expected these teams to be the ones playing in the game. There were 21 flags put out, 4 injuries: a cracked spine, 1 concussions, and a ankle broken. That’s a lot to think about. Thanks for reading.

The ARL

By: Coria Chaloupecky, Past and Present

Edited By: Reagan Glass and Lauren Hansen

Credit To: https://www.arl-iowa.org/

The ARL stands for Animal Rescue League. They have multiple programs going on.

First one is “Home for the Holidays.” It is happening from Dec. 21-24. First you click “find a pet.” Then you can choose meet your cat match, dog’s day out, rent-a-Cat, pets for seniors, veterans, and transfer partners.

The next one is Pawfect Pet Holiday Photo Contest! You can win with a picture of your pet, and you can win a $150 coupon to spend at the ARL. First, click “Submit photo.” You have 6 days left to enter! You can scroll down and see other pet photos. If you want to enter, click the photo icon that says “Enter your own!” You have to give them a photo, title (required), caption, and email (required).

Another program is “The need is now. The need is local.” Here you can donate or “Give” to the ARL. First, click “Give now.” Then you can choose to give $40 to donate twelve scratch boxes for cats, $150 to feed all the animals for one day, $300 to provide ER vet care for one pet, $833 to feed one horse for a year, or give a different amount of your choice.

One of the best programs is “The ARL is nice, but a forever home would be the best gift ever.” First, click “Find a pet.” You can choose meet your cat match, dogs day out, rent-a-cat, pets for seniors, veterans, or transfer partners. You can also choose to get a pet notification. If you don’t know much about one of these categories, or you want to learn more, click “Learn more” on the category’s section.

Right under the programs is “Find a pet.” You can choose dogs, cats, small pets, or barn pets.

I just have one more thing about the ARL to share with you - the numbers for 2016. They hope to do better this year. 7,045 adoptions, 2,016 animals in foster homes, 118,523 volunteer hours, 228 animal cruelty interventions, and 4,024 spay/neuter surgeries.

I encourage you to check out the ARL’s website, adopt a pet, volunteer, or do something else to help the ARL. Thank You!