Circle Gazette December 2009

CONTENTPage 1

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke: A Good Read by DanielaGomez

Shop Smartly this Holiday Season by Roman CostaPage 2

RAY DAY by Violeta TumoloThe Story of The Burrowing Owls by Zurie Lewis

Page 3Best Friends by Sara Cross

I'm Milky Way by Daniela GomezPages 4 and 5

Readers, Writers, Artists - EditorialPage 6

Leatherback Seaturtles at Grande Riviere by JulianLewis

Cedar's Art GalleryBean Salad by A.J. Cross

Page 7Tut's Mummy: Lost and Found by Maria Schlecht

Edgar Degas by Natalie SchlechtImagine This by Glen Oglesby

The Story of Judah Maccabee by Daniela GomezPage 8

The Cat and The Crow by Elizabeth AbramsNice Frog by Emma Gomez

Kids can Give Back by T. HaynessPage 9

Green Tip of the Month by A.J. CrossThe Shortest Day of All by C. SChultz

Inspired to Write by Roman CostaQuesta Enters The "Ho Ho Down" by Logar Silverman

and Nick GambardellaPages 10 and 11

ART BOX and Did you know...

I really can't think of a story with twoplots except for Inkheart. This amazingtale written by Cornelia Funke, is abouta twelve-year-old girl named Meggieand her father, whom she calls Mo.This story is based on books, aparticular, made up by the author book:Inkheart. There is the plot of whathappens to Cornelia's characters andthe plot of what happens in Inkheart, abook that those characters read.

It starts when Meggie was reading astory at night and saw a blond hairedman (Dustfinger) standing outside herwindow. That incident starts theadventure and when Mo, a bookbinderwith unknown magic powers, and hisdaughter go to visit their great auntElinor Loredan in Italy, they findthemselves in trouble with some verybad people. Mo is a Silvertongue, aperson that can read characters out oftheir books. Dustfinger had magicpowers with fire and he could doamazing things. Elinor was a bookloving woman who was very particularabout her books.

Many years before, Mo had readDustfinger, Capricorn (the bad guy)and Basta (the bad guy's helper) out ofInkheart and unfortunately, Meggie'smom went into the book. Dustfingerwants Mo to read him back to theworld he came from. Capricorn wantsMo to read aloud to him and make

money and riches come out of books.He doesn't like his own world. Hewants to stay in ours because he is amore powerful person in this newhome. Meggie discovers that she hasher own magical talents and has to tryto save her dad and rescue back hermom while fighting all of her enemiesby trying to return everyone to theirbooks.

I recommend this story and its movieto everyone who loves and cares forbooks. The only thing I wouldn'trecommend is the Spanish translationof Inkheart, because even for Spanishspeakers like me (I come fromVenezuela), it is hard to understand andfollow the meaning of the story.

I like Inheart because it haseverything a good book needs, andeven more. It has some reality and alsoit explains things that probablywouldn't regularly happen in this world(fantasy). Part of the story is funnywhile the other is scary and serious. Inthis tale the author knows it all, so thereader can see and experience the storyfrom each character's point of view.Which made me wonder things like:what if I could read someone out of abook? What if I was read out of myworld? What if I had lost my motherwhen I was little? I wonder what Iwould do. Would I be like Dustfinger?Trying to desperately get back home?Would I be like Meggie? Longing toknow people's secrets? Would I be likeCapricorn? Leaving my own homebehind and searching for new

adventures? Would I be like Mo?Clinging to the memories of someone Ihave lost? Or would I be like Elinor?Being very protective of my books?

So many questions you could askyourself when you read a story writtenlike Inkheart, and I think that's just

what needs to happen when someonereads a great book.

I would probably like to read CuriousGeorge out of a book! Who wouldYOU read out of a book?

THE CIRCLE GAZETTEDECEMBER 2009

A Newspaper by Children

by Children

Issue 3

INKHEART by Cornelia Funke: A Good Readby Daniela Gomez, Age 9Margate, FL

Photo by P. Gomez

"I recommend this story and its movie to everyone who loves and cares for books."

Shop Smartly ThisHoliday Season

Smart shopping is very important andeffective for saving money. With the holidayseason upon us, and the economy struggling,shopping smartly is more important than ever.Here are some ideas to help you shop smartlyand save a ton of money. You will need todecide what you really need, be cautious ofgimmicky advertising and have a detailedspending plan.

First, we all want unnecessary stuff, games,electronics, that new CD, but there is a bigdifference between getting what we want andgetting what we need. A smart shopper knowsthe difference and sticks to buying what hecame for. When you are going to pick up thatlight-up reindeer sweater for granny, don't pick

up that chocolate bar and CD you have beendying for, get something you need like a newpair of socks. To be a smart shopper, you haveto know the difference between what you needand what you want.

Next, with all the holiday advertising jingles,the commercials and sparkling billboardstempting us, it is easy to get sidetracked. Asmart shopper must beware of the trickytemptations of holiday advertising. So youcame to Publix for some eggnog, and you seedangling above, the new and improved toy HotWheels car, just calling you to pick it up. Itlooked so cool in that dazzling commercial, it ishard to resist, but a smart shopper is not trickedby an exaggerated ad. He puts the car back onthe display, and heads straight for the check-outline, past all the goodies, and doughnuts.

Finally so you made it past the beginner'stemptation, but now you will be put to the test.

As you are walking through the mall, your eyespots something you wish it didn't - the X-Boxoriginal on sale for only $99!! But you haveestimated the cost of your shopping list, andbrought only what you needed, so thattemptation is no longer a threat. You are a smartshopper! And a smart shopper arrives at themall with a detailed spending plan (budget) andsticks to it. Groovy Baby, yeah!!!

To be a successful shopper you must knowwhat you need, steer clear of catchy advertizing,and have a detailed spending plan. So as youprepare for the holiday shopping season, thesetips should help you stay on track with yourholiday spending budget, when making sure youget everything you need.

Enjoy your holidays, without the stress andworries. You are a smart shopper now!Smashing Baby, yeah!!!

by Roman Costa, Age 11Hollywood, FL

THE CICLE GAZETTE

Join our group of writers and artists! Con-tact us at: [email protected] orat 954-9182541. More information aboutthis publication at www.enrichmentcir-

cle.com

The Holistic House Call Vet...your pet's second best friendHousecalls-Phone Consults

561-3915615www.therightremedy.com

THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, INCA non-profit corporation for the advance-

ment of education.ART, NATURE, MUSIC, PHYSICALEDUCATION, LANGUAGES, BOOK

CLUBS AND THE CIRCLE GAZETTE.www.enrichmentcircle.om

Some time in spring, I wasplaying in the shallow waterat the beach. I ran to my dadand ran back to the waterwhere there was a Rayswimming by. A man asked,"Did you see the Sting Ray?"

I nodded but I didn't think itwas a Sting Ray. I think itwas a Butterfly Ray. I don'tknow for sure.

There are Sting Rays, But-terfly Rays, Electric Rays,Round Rays, Manta Rays,Guitar Fish, Saw Fish andthere are rays called Skates.

Skates lay eggs and rays'babies are born live. A ray'stail is thinner and a Skatesrays are thicker. Rays areusually bigger than skates.

I don't know if it was a rayor a skate that I saw that day,but chances are that it wasprobably not a Sting Ray.

"They like to eat small lizards, frogs, birds, smallinsects and snakes." PHOTO by G. Goddard.

Illustration by Violeta Tumolo. Wax Crayons on Paper.

..."Did you see the Sting Ray?"

Land and Sea Stories ...

by Violeta Tumolo, Age 9Fort Lauderdale, FL

The Backyard Wildlife project is an initiative of TheEnrichment Circle, Inc. and it consists of an on-lineforum in which families participate in a fun game ofidentifying the little and big critters we all run into onour backyards/neighborhoods day to day.The idea is to use this playful exchange to "enhance"

and "sharpen" our appreciation of the animals that sur-round us; and while we are having fun at it we also:

*Develop the ability to describe the features of thespecies we encounter

*Strengthen our connection with the natural world sowe can care better for it

*Revisit and apply the geographic concepts of loca-tion (latitude, longitude, altitude) - geotagging.

*Generate data (population, geographic distribution,behavior, migration) that can be used for parents/edu-cators and scientists on their conservation projects.

The more we know about something, the more weenjoy it.

We will have experts mediate the discussions andhelp us ID each creature!

HOW DOYOU JOIN?

If you are interested in participating, this is what youhave to do:

*Create an account at www.enrichmentcircle.com*Go to the Wildlife Repository in "Nature" (Main

Left Vertical Menu)*Go to the category of theWildlife you found and up-

load your picture directly from your computer, alongwith a title and a description. Place the geotagging co-ordinates in the description so we can update it.*Start the online discussion about the image in the

Wildlife Forum (Top Menu in the Home Page).

Join the discussion and have fun!

RAY DAY

by The Enrichment Circlewww.enrichmentcircle.com

THE BACKYARDWILDLIFE ONLINE FORUM

THE CIRCLE GAZETTEA Newspaper by Children for Children

2DECEMBER 2009

OWL FAMILY

"They were so cute. They were pretty small." Il-lustration by Zurie Lewis. Pencil on paper.

Burrowing Owl

At Plantation Central Park

Speotyto cunicularia

The Story of The Burrowing Owlsby Zurie Lewis, Age 8Plantation, FL

One night, when I was on myway to soccer practice at Planta-tion Central Park -Field #3, Isaw three burrowing owls on theground. Two were surroundedby a fence and the other one wasby the fence which goes intofield 3. There was a fencearound them because they are aprotected species. They were socute. They were pretty small.

Do you know how our eyes arewhite with a black spot inside it?Their eyes were yellow with a

black spot. When we got tooclose it made a sound like ascared cat over and over again,and it turned its head back andforth, also the black spot in itseyes got bigger. I read in my An-imal book that they try to soundlike rattlesnakes to scare offother animals. They like to eatsmall lizards, frogs, birds, smallinsects and snakes.

We can help burrowing owls bydigging burrows in our yard tomake new homes for them. Thisis the first time that I saw an owlin the wild! I was like "Wow! Awild Owl!

Organize your own reading circles by age, interestand location. Enjoy our online library, suggestedreading lists, study guides and book reviews. Createyour own list, define the frequency of your meet-ings: tailor your reading club and enjoy the experi-ence!What does it mean to be a member of a book club?

*Members should come up with a name for theBook Club!

*Members can volunteer and vote to select a Club

Representative or Leader. This person (or family)will serve as the administrator of the club. This per-son (or family) will have an account in The Enrich-ment Circle website that will allow him/her to postand update information about the club in our site.

*Members agree on the book to read - every mem-ber can participate on the making of their club'sReading List

*Members must read the book before the meeting.

*Members can be:

Ages 4 and under - YOUNG BOOK LOVERS(Parent reads to child)

Ages 5 and 6 - BEGINNERS 1Ages 7 and 8 - BEGINNERS 2Ages 9 and10 - INDEPENDENT 1Ages 11 and 12 - INDEPENDENT 2Ages 13 and up - TEENS

One of the most fun but difficult parts of manag-ing a Book Club is choosing the books to read. Youwant titles that aren't too hard but aren't too easy,books that will be interesting for readers who likedifferent things. Where on earth can you find thesemagically perfect selections? For our monthly sug-gestions, visit www.enrichmentcircle.com.The best way to make sure your club's happy with

the book choices is to create a list and then vote onwhich ones you're going to read. The more informa-

tion you have on each book (author info, recom-mendations, previous reading experience), the easierit'll be for your club to make a smart decision. Someclubs like to plan out their reading for a whole year,but we suggest that a list be created for 3 months,since interest varies often.Sometimes it's risky to try a book that no one's

heard of before, but by experimenting you mightfind a new favorite.Choosing your books should be fun; make a good

list and then enjoy the best part --- reading and dis-cussing great books!For more information about how to conduct a

book club meeting, where to find books and postreading activities visit our web page and join TheEnrichment Circle Books Clubs!

Sara Cross. Aquarella pencils on paper.

"I like to drink milk, I like to eat fish,and if a mouse runs by, I'll put it on my dish"


"I like to drink milk, I like to eat meat,and if I find a bone, I get a treat"


"Why do people say that cats and dogs fight?ones that are not friends, maybe just might."

THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE BOOK CLUBSby The Enrichment Circlewww.enrichmentcircle.com

Small and fierceWith pointy earsDon't get in my wayOr I'll make you payA purple noseAnd tiny toesPopping eyesAnd a little surprise

You can't figure it outI'll see to thatBut hey! My friendsBy the way-Don't you know?I'm Milky Way

by Daniela Gomez, Age 9Margate, FL

I'M MILKYWAY

THE CIRCLE GAZETTEA Newspaper by Children for Children

3DECEMBER 2009

I am a cat, my name is Yammi,if you're looking for a dog, talk to my friend Sammi.

We run around, we play and fight,but even when we're mad we never bite.

I like to drink milk, I like to eat fish,and if a mouse runs by, I'll put it on my dish.

We do everything together, just Sammi and Me,and I don't know why, I just can't see.

Why do people think that dogs and cats fight?ones that are not friends, maybe just might.

I am a dog, my name is Sammi,if you're looking for a cat, talk to my friend Yammi.

We run around, we fight and play,and at night in each other's dens we stay.

I like to drink milk, I like to eat meat,and if I find a bone, I get a treat.

We do everything together, just Yammi and me,and I don't know why we just can't be.

Why do people say that cats and dogs fight?ones that are not friends, maybe just might.

BEST FRIENDSby Sara Itka Cross, Age 9Boca Raton, FL

YOUNG WRITERSAaron Cross, Age 12

Boca Raton, FLDaniela Gomez, Age 9

Margate, FLMaria Schlecht, Age 8Pompano Beach, FL

Wil Murphy-Hacker, Age 9Fort Lauderdale, FL

Julian Lewis, Age 11Plantation, FL

Fenella Riordan, Age 6Fort Lauderdale, FL

Natalie Schlecht, Age 6Pompano Beach, FL

Cedar Schultz Brandon, Age 11Hollywood, FL

Emma Gomez, Age 6Margate, FL

Jack Riordan, Age 8Fort Lauderdale, FL

My name is Aaron, but for writing I go by thepen-nameA. J. Cross. I am twelve years old. I livewith my mother, father, and little sister. I wrotemy first story when I was three, and I have beenwriting more and more ever since. I like to playwith LEGO toys, play computer games, cook, doorigami paper folding, and help the environment,along with authoring. (See my 'Green Tip of theMonth' column for ways to help Planet Earth.)

My favorite things to do are playing onhills and in trees, math games and boardgames, and playing instruments such as theviolin, piano, and recorder. I love animals,especially cats and otters. I don't like it whenpeople cut down forests to build apartments,hotels, houses, and businesses. When I growup, I want to be a veterinarian and a writer.

I enjoy fishing, climb-ing trees, building treeforts, & laughing andplaying with my friends.

I am a very experienced actresswith The Fort Lauderdale Children'sTheatre and I love to read and write.Not long ago I joined the CoralSprings Swim Team. I am tall, friend-ly and love to meet new people.

I like video games. I like eatingmacaroni and cheese, pizza, and chi-nese noodles. I like to play with kidsand I am very friendly. I have alwayswanted to become a basketball player-or an artist if that does not work out.

My name is Fenella Riordan. I am sixyears old and I love doing pictures and sto-ries for the Circle Gazette. I am theyoungest in the FLCT production of "AChristmas Carol" and I am in the choruswith Emma and Dani Gomez. I hope to bein lots more shows as I get older. I can't waituntil I am old enough to be a babysitter.

My favorite food is tuna sushi. My favorite hob-bies are reading Fantasy Series, Lego, baseball,video games, Yu-gi-oh, board games, shooting mysling shot, watching Pokémon, and climbing trees. Ilove to play with my friends and my cousins. Rightnow I'm working on creating a video game, buildingthe ultimate Yu-gi-oh deck, and making a made upYu-gi-oh deck. I'd like to be a Spiderologist/scientistand a video game designer when I grow up.

I love to do theater and swim. Iwould like to start playing the vio-lin. When I grow up I would like tolive in a big house and be a musi-cian.I like to learn new stuff everyday!

I love to play a game called "Guess Who?",going to the beach, and dancing especially! Myfavorite subjects are spelling, art, and writing. Idon't like it when people fight.When I grow up, Iwant to be a gymnast in the Olympics, and maybealso be an artist. I have two dogs, Buck and Titan,and a cat, Katy. I also have an older sister, Maria,whom I love even though we don't get along some-times. Maybe we'll each have our own room soon!

PHOTO by P. Gomez

Cost of printing: beyond our reach, extra hours of work: counteless. A child intently readingthe paper: PRICELESS!

YOUNG READERSEveryone has experience

based on interests and talents.This experience/talent mightbe big, it might be small butthat doesn't matter. What mat-ters is that you have some-thing unique to offer. This iswhy we developed The CircleGazette project. Children fromall over the world can sharetheir skills and knowledgewith our readers. What if youare passionate about cooking?gardening? video games? artwork? books? writing?

nature? sports? music? math?theater? movies? What if yousent and you're your ideasprinted in the Gazette?Everyone who sees or readsyour creation will be inspiredand you will be proud andencouraged to keep going.Children are the future. In

this special issue we get tomeet some of our artists andwriters, children like you, ages3 to 12. These kids create newshapes and meanings to ourworld with their work. It is

like a breath of fresh air whenencountering their uniqueness.It's wonderful that throughtheir mind and eyes our futureworld is invariably fashioned.The Circle Gazette creates

the opportunity and outlet forideas, images, thoughts andwords of wisdom to be passedon and introduced to the restof us. Being a publishedauthor gives children ways toprocess ideas and fostersenthusiasm and confidence.

by The Circle GazetteEditorial Team

Page 4 DECEMBER 2009THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

I'm Jack Riordan. I go to Sea Star Initiative inBoca Raton and my favorite subject in school isMath. I am a very good friend of the Gomezfamily. My all time favorite sport is Rugby - Ieven went to Ireland three weeks ago to watch agame between Ireland and Australia - it wasgreat fun. When I grow up I would like to be aprofessional rugby player for Munster andIreland. I would like to be an author as well.

Violeta Tumolo, Age 9Fort Lauderdale, FL

Andy Hernandez, Age 9Caracas, Venezuela

Danny Hernandez, Age 9Caracas, Venezuela

Liora Elkoby, Age 8Hollywood, FL

Zurie Lewis, Age 8Plantation, FL

Sara I. Cross, Age 9Boca Raton, FL

Ellie Gomez, Age 4Margate, FL

Elizabeth Abrams, Age 5Fort Lauderdale, FL

Roman Costa, Age 11Hollywood, FL

Abigail Abrams, Age 3Fort Lauderdale, FL

I enjoy surfing, snorkleing, andclimbing trees. I also love to paint ,draw and record music with my broth-er. I like to make friends with familiesvisiting our local beaches, and I have aknack for helping them become com-fortable getting into it's warm waters.

Hola amigos! I am Danny, the twin brother ofAndy. Of course, I am 10 years old, even though I amthe second one! I am Venezuelan and I live in the cap-ital city, Caracas. I study at The British School Caracasand I am currently in 4th grade. I have a great teacher,Mr. Rumsey. I like to read and my favorite books arefiction and Guinnes World Records. My hobbies areplay guitar, go to the cinema and go down to the park.I hope you read my articles and have fun with the newspaper. Bye!

My name is LioraL ove collecting and playing with dolls and

dressing up.I can be spotted by my red hair (and enjoy

swimming like Ariel the Mermaid).O nly child. (Wish I had a baby sister.)R eally ready to be grown up.A rtist at heart, drawing and watercolors my

favorite.

Hola a todos! My name is Andrés but everyonecalls me Andy. I am 10 years old. I was born inCaracas, Venezuela, where I still live with my family.I have a twin brother called Danny. I am in 4th gradeand I study in The British School Caracas. My hoobieis to play bass guitar, football, tennis and travel. Myteacher says that I am a good reader and writer, andhave a good imagination. I have a music band and Ienjoy writting songs. I am happy to be part of thisnewspaper and I hope you enjoy my articles. Bye!

I have 7 pets: 5 chickens, 1 dog, and1 turtle. One of my favorite things todo is to play with my dog Benji. I alsolike to play the piano. One of myfavorite colors is baby blue, and I Iiketo eat pizza. My future dream is tobecome a good dessert maker.

I live with my mother, father, big brother,and my many pets including our pet iguananamed Latka. I wrote my first story when Iwas five years old. It was about a butterflynamed Karlina. I have been writing ever sincethen. My dream is to be a professional singerand dancer. I have already composed a coupleof songs, and a dance to go with one of them.

I love going to Hebrewschool. I also enjoy gym-nastics and to play thepiano! I can dance, sing andread stories all day long!

I enjoy writing, play-ing/watching sports and,like almost every otherboy, video games/elec-tronics.

I have two sisters andwhen I grow up I'm goingto be a doctor, a cook anda nature teacher.

I love "TheWizard of Oz"and I enjoy being Dorothyvery much. I always wearmy red slippers. I love toread, dance and sing!

YOUNG ARTISTS

To our young writers and artists: You have shown initiative, talent and hard work. We hope that you haveexperienced great pride, satisfaction and confidence in your abilities. You should be very proud of yourwork and continue to embrace your dreams as the world needs your fresh take on things.To young artists and writers all over: You can all benefit from the experience of being part of The CircleGazette community. You don't have to wait until you grow up to be a writer or artist: You can be a pub-lished author today. You all have it in you to shine and showcase who you are or what you have to say. Thisproject gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the community and the world at large. It instillspride and ownership of your ideas and thoughts.You too can become one of our featured authors. Take pride in your abilities and join us. After all it is

you, young author, who are the future.Great Experiences come by taking chances and being pro-active, and in many other ways too. Those whoare determined to find Great Experiences will find the way. The Circle Gazette provides an opportunity toexperience just that!Congratulations to all our 24 young writers and artists! May you all continue to enlighten us.

(See 4 more wonderful authors on page 6).

Hi I'm Julian. This isa story about theLeatherback Turtlesthat we saw earlierthis year. I hope youenjoy it.

In April, I drove withmy cousins, sister,brother, mother, andaunt to Grande

Riviere (means BigRiver), which is abeach in Trinidad,where thousands ofturtles come up overthe turtle egg layingseason, to lay andbury their eggs.

At night they cameup on the beach to lay

their eggs-many at atime-We even got totouch one. Some ofthem came up in theafternoon and morn-ing also.

You should go andsee these turtles atGrande Riviere. They

are huge! They growto over 4 feet long!Grande Riviere is oneof the most popularbeaches in the worldfor these turtles to laytheir eggs becausethey are highly pro-tected from peoplewho want to kill them.


Enjoy!Photo by A.J. Cross

"They are huge! They grow to over 4 feet long!"Photo by G. Goddard

BEAN SALAD

LEATHERBACK SEA TUR-TLES AT GRANDE RIVIERE

CEDAR'S ARTGALLERY Ingredientsfor the Salad:

*Two 16 oz. Cans or ½lb. Cooked dried chick-peas,*One 16 oz. Can babycorn,*1 c diced pickles,*½ c chopped onion,*½ c diced sweet red pep-per,*½ c sweet orange pep-per.

Ingredients for theDressing:

*1 c cider vinegar orpickle vinegar,*½ c olive or vegetableoil,*½ c chickpea water,*2 tbsp minced onion,*1 tsp oregano,*1 tsp salt,*¼ tsp pepper,*½ tsp garlic powder.

Mix the ingredients wellin a large bowl. Make thedressing and mix well.Pour the dressing over thesalad stir lightly, and serve.

Visiting Trinidad and Tobago

by Cedar Schultz Brandon, Age 11Hollywood, FL

Today I am posting photos of Pokémoncharacters I made up. I won't always postPokémon sometimes I will post Mario pic-tures or Yu-gi-oh.

I hope you enjoy.

Today's pictures are Lizoat, Limerine,and Aquadon.

Lizoat: the first evolution of Aquadon.A small Pokémon - that's all there is to say.

Limerine: the secondevolution of Aquadon.

It's about 3'2", it is ableto use the plates on itsback to glide off a cliff orwaterfall to get away frompredator or swoop downto attack its opponent.

LIZOAT

Aquadon: A largesuper powerfulPokémon able tocreate huge geysersof water strongenough to crushboulders.

AQUADON

LIMERINE

Photo Credit 4

Photo credt 3

Photo credit 5

MOREREADERSWRITERSARTISTS

Logan Silverman, Age11Hollywood, FLI enjoy to play the gui-tar!

by A.J. Cross, Age 12Boca Raton, FL

Daniela Gomez, Age 9Margate, FL

Gracie Slentz, Age 4Plano, TXI'm excited to start

Kindtergarten and I spend lotsof time with books. I lovemaking Christmas Cookies!

Abby Slentz, Age 8Plano, TXI'm really big into reading and

listening to audio books. I likeGoosebumps, Geronimo Stilton,and Hank the Cowdog. I also enjoythe making of Christmas cookies.

Nick Gambardella, Age 11Hollywood, FLI attend Summit Questa

Montessori School and enjoymounting bike, singing, play-ing the guitar and baseball.

by Julian Lewis, Age 11 Plantation, FL

ABook Review

by Natalie Schlecht, Age 6Pompano Beach, FL

Author: Mike VeneziaType: Non-fiction biographyPurpose: to inform, to tell about Degas'life and art

Edgar Degas was a French impression-ist. He was born in 1831. He was friendswith Mary Cassatt. His family worked ata bank. When he was young, his fatherliked to take him to the art museum.

One day, Degas told his father he wastired of working at the bank and wantedto be an artist, and so he was. He pre-ferred more to paint inside than outside,where it was noisy. He took pictures out-side then he would go inside and paintthem. Even after he sold them, he wouldstill be working on them!!!!

When Degas lost his eyesight, he startedmaking clay models of dancers. The onlyone he would show to anyone was "LittleDancer Age 14." After he died in 1917,people were surprised to discover thatthere were more models in his studio.

I like him because I like his paintingsand he's an artist, just like me. My fa-vorite sculpture is "Little DancerAge 14."

I liked this book.

Once upon a time, in a land of Jew-ish people known as Judea, there ruleda Syrian King named Antiochus. Thisking wanted all the people he ruled tobelieve in the greek Gods that he be-lieved in. Many accepted this, butsome people, the jewish people didn't.In a small village near Jerusalem,there lived a priest named Mattathiasand his son Judah. The priest was dis-appointed to see the poor state of The

Great Temple and was horrified at thesight of Zeuss' statue in the altar. Thesaddest thing of all was to see that thelight of the temple didn't shine any-more.Judah became known as the leaderof a group of faithful jews that foughthard and long against Antiochus andhis soldiers. He was known as JudahMaccabee (Judah "The Hammer") andhis whole group of fighters werecalled "the Maccabees". They wonmany battles and eventually Anti-ochus left for good.

Judah and his group gave back thelight to the temple, and the first lightthey lighted shined for eight nightsstraight.Today, jewsih people around theworld remember the the recovery ofthe temple by the Maccabees duringthe holiday of Hanukkah. They lighteight candles, one each night.

Illustration below: Craft by Eliza-beth Abrams, Age 5: "Chanukiah"

Author: Judy DonnellyType: Non-fictionPurpose of the book: to inform, to tell about thediscovery of King Tut

In the 1800's, people in England suddenly becameinterested in Egypt. They looked for artifacts untilthey could not find anymore. Then Howard Carterwanted to keep looking because he found artifactsthat belonged to King Tutankhamen. He did notthink, like others did, that this king had been found.

Carter found some steps that led to a door, and hesent a letter to Lord Carnarvon, the man who wasfinancing Carter's dig. Carter wrote him that hefound a door and wanted him to be there when theyopened it. The door said "Tutankhamen" on it.

It took two weeks, but Lord Carnarvon arrivedand they opened the door. They found lots of goldstacked up six feet high! Then they found the doorthat led to King Tut's sarcophagus. Carter opened itand looked at the face. King Tut quickly became fa-mous.

In England, people made jokes about him andwrote about him in newspapers. Lord Carnarvondied from an insect bite but people said it was the

curse of the mummy because Tut was angry that hehad disturbed him. Carter lived a long life, though,so the curse was not true.

There were both photographs and drawings in thisbook. The photo of the Senet board is cool. It has

hieroglyphs around the edge and its pieces look likechess pieces. It was found in his treasure room.

I liked this book because it tells about one of an-cient Egypt's pharaohs and how he was found in aninteresting way.

Photo by R. Schlecht.

"I liked this book..."

"Tut's Mummy: Lost and Found"EDGARDEGAS A book by Judy Donnelly. A review byMaria

Schlecht.

The Story of JudahMaccabee

Maria Schlecht, Age 8Pompano Beach, FL

by Daniela Gomez, Age 9Margate, FL

Little Dancer Age 14by Natalie Schlecht.

DECEMBER 2009 Page 7THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

THE CAT ANDTHE CROWOnce there was a cat who sat on a

rat.And he found some snow on a

crow.But that cat did not move or throw

the crow.He wanted to throw the snow.But the cat was hiding in the snow.So he picked up a piece of snow

where the crow was hiding,And the crow jumped out and said,"Hey! You get me back in my cold

snowBecause I am a funny crow. Ho!

Ho!Hey, Ho Ho can be my nameBut can you get a better name for

me?Lo Lo," said the crow."I am a small crow, but very use-

ful."And then the cat said, "I am a big

cat but very useful too."So the cat said, "Come and meet my

friends."The cat led the crow to her home

where all the cats and dogs lived.It was starting to snow more and

more and more.The crow said, "Come and meet my

friends. They fly a lot."The cat met the crow's friends and

that was a happy ending.

In the year 2001, a frog lived in alovely lake in a valley. The lake soonbecame polluted with trash, oil, soapand other contaminants that flowedfrom a river.The frog could not talk to the fish and

the fish could obviously not walk onland. So the frog had only one choice.He had to save the valley himself. Hehad heard that some people were com-ing to make a town and he thought thatthere were very tall mountains at theedge of the valley that would take yearsfor the people to climb. The frog alwaysclimbed the mountains to get food so hewondered and then he knew that hecould stop the people from getting in thevalley by making a really tall gate. Heknew a little place in the valley that hadlots of wood pieces just the right size tomake a big gate. He built the gate justfar enough for him to get food.The people arrived soon after and

found a way to pass through the gate.The frog had to come up with a betteridea.The frog had a friend from the crowd

of people. This friend was the loveliestgirl of the group and her name wasChristina. He took her over to a littlecottage close by that was filthy, to showher how it felt to live in such a dirtyplace. She found a way to clean it witha tiny sponge.Christina decided to help the frog

clean his home. She found a way to fil-ter the oil, which was the worst of thepollution. She cleaned up most of the

trash and went back to the big townwhere she lived to clean up the river, sotrash in the river would not flow into thelake again.The frog almost had done what he

was supposed to do. He cleaned up therest of soap, trash and contaminants. Hefound a little dump and put the trashthere. The people in the town finishedcleaning the river and soon found thefamily that used to live in the cottagenear the valley. When this people got tothe valley, they said hello to their friendthe frog and moved back into the cot-tage.

"I am a big cat but very useful too."Illustration by Elizabeth Abrams. Wax crayons on paper.

"So the frog had only one choice. He had to save the valley him-self."

Illustration by Emma Gomez. Soft Pastels on Paper.

Kids Can Give Back

NICEFROG

Miley Cyrus wrote that "If you pick up a guitar whenyou're 8, you're really good at it by the time you're 20.It's the same with giving back." She and her family visitKentucky coal mining towns every year deliveringclothes, gifts and school supplies to needy children.They've been doing this since before Miley becameHannah Montana. Miley has an intensely busy calen-dar with all her entertainment activities, but she believesin giving back and making time to do it. We can findtime too.

Not only is volunteering helpful for the communitiesand organizations you assist, but study after study hasshown that helping others and giving pleasure makepeople feel happier and more fulfilled than seekingpleasure for oneself. Most of us know this. Most of usalso feel overwhelming compassion for others less for-tunate, whether it's sick kids, lonely senior citizens, dis-placed animals or hungry families. We want to help, butgosh, between work, homework, sports, activitiesfriends and family, who has time? I understand com-pletely, and this article is not meant to make you feelguilty, but as a reminder to myself and others that thereis no better time than Christmas to get into the real spir-it of giving.I've been scouring the web researching interesting

ways to do family volunteering this season and it turnsout there are many, many things that kids and familiescan do that don't take enormous amounts of time. Findan activity that you enjoy or a cause you feel passionateabout. The Teenagers Guide to the Real World listssome of the most popular programs.

•Homeless SheltersYou might help prepare or distribute meals, work

behind the scenes in the business office, help organize afood drive to stock the pantry, etc.http://www.miamirescuemission.com/broward-outreach.htm•Food BanksFood banks often work with homeless shelters, but

they also serve poor people living in the community

(especially around the holidays). Food banks collectfood, manage their inventory and distribute food tothose in need.http://www.dailybread.org/index.cfm/category/1/page/2/lang/EN.html http://breadoflifeinc.org/•Volunteer from HomeNowadays lots of organizations have virtual volun-

teer opportunities like writing, editing, doing research,mentoring, providing tech support, and consulting.•Special Olympics•Habitat for HumanitiesHabitat for Humanities builds and gives houses to

poor people in local communities. Volunteers not onlyhelp others, but can learn a great deal about buildinghouses by getting involved. See the Habitat forHumanities web site for more information. Call thenational office or your local office for information aboutvolunteer programs in your area.•State ParksMany state parks offer volunteer programs, and in

these programs you can try anything from educationalprograms to trail construction and maintenance.•County ProgramsMost counties and cities, including those in Florida

offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities.•Helping Others Learn to ReadWhen you think about it, reading is one of the most

important skills an adult can have. Many adults, howev-er, have never learned how to read. Literacy volunteersact as tutors who help illiterate children and adults learnthis important skill.•Hospitals•LibrariesMany libraries need help reshelving books, running

children's programs, making books available to thecommunity, and so on. Contact a local library for volun-teer opportunities in your area.•Senior Citizens CentersMany senior citizen centers offer volunteer programs

to provide friendship and community activities to seniorcitizens. If you would like working with senior citizens,call a senior citizen center in your neighborhood and see

what kinds of volunteer programs they have available.•Animal SheltersMany animal shelters are non-profit or government

organizations, and therefore they welcome volunteers tohelp take care of animals, keep facilities clean and workwith the public. Call a local animal shelter for moreinformation. .•Environmental OrganizationsThe Sierra Club (and numerous other environmental

groups) encourages volunteer support to help with envi-ronmental activities. You can help in many ways: byhelping lobby on conservation issues, by leading hikesand other activities, cleaning up a beach or park.•Political CampaignsYou can find specific volunteer opportunities in

Broward County at:http://www.volunteens.com/volunhere_bc.htmhttp://www.volunteerbroward.org

So remember, volunteering offers much needed serv-ices to the community and it makes you feel good.Don't just feel sorry when you hear or see something sadanymore ..help fix it!(On the side: Photo of Homeschooler Tai Precilla,

Age 7, volunteering to distribute water to runners at theWomen in Distress Fundraiser)

Volunteering is fun!

AnEnvironmentalStory

Your ad could be here!

Contact a staff member to find out how!

HappyHolidays!

"Not only is volunteering help-ful for the communities andorganizations you assist, butstudy after study has shown thathelping others and giving pleas-ure make people feel happierand more fulfilled than seekingpleasure for oneself."

~T. Haynes

by Tracey HaynesPlantation, FL

Emma Gomez, Age 6Margate, FL

Elizabeth Abrams, Age 5Fort Lauderdale, FL


Hello!We would like to tell youabout an activity that anyone can join.

Our school, SummitQuesta Montessori School,entered the annual DAVIE,FL HOLIDAYDECORAT-ING CONTEST.

There are thirtyChristmas trees, threeMenorahs, and a Kinara.Anybody can enter thecompetition. There areprizes for all ages! But bewarned if you make some-

thing that is not water proofit might get destroyed in alldifferent types of weather.

Also every year there is adifferent theme. This yearit is "The Ho Ho Down."

All trees are looking good

but there is going to be achallenge! It is anybody'sgame at this movement andtime. Read next month'snews paper to find out whowins.

See you next time formore...

Two times a year, the Earth experienceswhat we call a "solstice" - it literally means"stopping of the sun". There is a solsticeJune 21 and then again, 6 months later, onDecember 21. Here in the NorthernHemisphere - north of the Equator, the sol-stice that happens in December is called theWinter Solstice and the one in June is theSummer Solstice. It is opposite for peoplein Australia.Because of the angle of the Earth on its

axis - 23.5 degrees, we have variation andseasons. When the Northern Hemisphere isangled away from the sun, the days becomeshorter and shorter and the weatherbecomes cooler. It reaches its peak onDecember 21 - which is the shortest day ofthe year in the Northern Hemisphere andthe longest day in the Southern Hemisphere(Summer Solstice). Because Florida sitsrelatively close to the Equator, we get moresun than someone in Canada, or Alaskawhere it is dark for most of the day duringthe autumn and winter. That is why it isstill 80 degrees Fahrenheit out and it's notsnowing!!After the Winter Solstice, the days begin

getting longer and longer, by minutes eachday - because the Earth is beginning to tilttoward the sun again. It remains colder upNorth until the spring because the oceansremain super cold - which keeps the northcold, and because it takes many months forthe Earth to angle back toward the sun.The returning of the sun has been cause

for celebration for people all over the Earthfor millennia. Evergreen trees are broughtinto the house, fires are lit, songs are sungand stories told to mark the wonderful newsthat the sun is returning once again to bringbounty to the Earth. Evergreens (like yourChristmas tree) are an important symbol oflife; they survive the harsh winter andremain green - giving them a special placein the midwinter celebration. Fires and

candle lighting (like your Menorahs andstrung lights) are also important parts ofmidwinter celebration - they symbolize thelight and warmth coming back with thereturn of the sun.There are many ways to celebrate the

return of the sun this Winter Solstice. Oneof my favorite ways is with a lantern walkoutside - in the woods at a park or in yourneighborhood, or maybe at the beach.

Decorate a jar with paint or wax and placea votive candle inside, hang some garden-ing wire around the top so you can hold it,then have an adult light the candle for youand take your family on a lantern walk.Sing songs while you walk, tell stories, orwalk quietly; maybe your neighbors wouldlike to join you.On the solstice, which is December 21,

you could decorate your home with ever-

green branches, wreaths, or a tree. Insteadof using a cut tree, you could decorate apotted tree or one in your yard. Stringlights around your home, light candles, or ifit is cool enough - light a fire or a barbeque.Spend the solstice evening telling stories

with your family, eating warm soup, andhonoring the movement of the earth and thebeauty of its seasons. Happy Holidayseveryone! See you outside!

GREEN TIPOF THEMONTH

Welcome to the first green tip of themonth! Every month I will write somenew easy things kids can do to helpPlanet Earth! Humans depend on theenvironment to live. If it is destroyed, theworld that you know, will more than likelyend. Every little thing that you do willhelp to save Mother Nature!December is a good month to be green,even though it is winter (ha-ha). The holi-days offer many opportunities to be envi-ronmentally friendly. Here are a few...

* Decorate with natural items like thepine cones you find at the park, and fruitbowls. Herbs like basil and mint work,too. These not only make the housesmell nice, but they also make wonderfultea and are great seasonings on food.Be creative!

* Buy real live growing Christmas treesto decorate instead of artificial ones thatstay in the landfill forever. Artificial treesmay last longer, but plastic will neverdecompose. Real trees will decomposeand can last years if planted in theground. If everyone planted a tree everyyear, soon there will be enough to createa forest!

* Give your holiday gifts in reusable clothbags instead of wrapping paper. You canbuy these at most food and departmentstores. You, and those you give to, canuse the bags when you go shoppinginstead of the plastic bags the storegives you.

* Reuse the wrapping paper from thegifts your friends gave you by wrappingyour presents with it, or cutting craftpaper from it.

* Tell your family and friends how to begreen, too!

Give Earth the gift of green this holidayseason!

The Shortest Day ofthe Year

INSPIRED TOWRITE

QuestaEnters the HoHo Ho Down

Teacher's Corner with...The Nature Teacher, Christy Schultz

Artist at Heart

Illustrations by Christy Schultz

"when the Northern Hemisphere is angled away from the sun, the days become shorter and shorter..."

" All trees are looking good but there is going to be a challenge!

Hi, my name is RomanCosta. I am 11 years old and Ilive in Hollywood Fl. I haveone brother (7 years old) andno sisters. I enjoy writing,playing/watching sports and,like almost every other boy,video games/electronics. I par-ticipate in the Teens ‘N Tweens(TNT) homeschooling groupand attend Broward VirtualSchool (BVS). A few yearsago, I thought of writing as adeath trap waiting to happen.But with the help of my mom,and language arts teacher Mr.

Grimes, I have been very suc-cessful in writing. Something Itook a similar approach on afew years ago, was art. I feelthat I have grown substantiallyin art and I always look for-ward to sketching or drawing apicture. Compared to some ofyou, my art is nothing, but thisjust goes to show you how ifyou put your mind to it, youcan accomplish anything. Iwill be submitting at least onepicture per issue in The CircleGazette. Thank you and happyreading!

PHOTO by Logan and Nick, 6th graders at Summit Questa Motesori

by Christy Schultzwww.thenatureteacher.com

by A.J. Cross, Age 12Boca Raton, FL

Logan Silverman & NickGambardella, Age 11

by Roman Costa, Age 11Hollywood, FL



ART BOX

Jack Riordan, Age 8. Fort Lauderdale, FL Jack Riordan, Age 8. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Chomp: The waterish type creature with fiery red eyes, Chomp is a very grumpy monster. Thebig things sticking out of his body are none other than strong curling horns that have fireballs at

Wil Murphy-Hacker, Age 9

"River, River". Wax crayons on paper.

Flame Smash: Also known as "The Fire Creature", doesn't have scales to keep him cool insidefrom all the fire on his back. But he doesn't care, because he is almost entirely made of fire. He's

Fenella Riordan, Age 6. Fort Lauderdale, FL

"Beach Girl". Crayons on paper.

by Daniela Gomez, Age 9. Margate, FL

"Mommy and Baby". Color pencils on paper.


DID YOUKNOW ...

The Northern RightWhale. Mother and Calf.

... that the northernright whale is perhapsthe most endangered ofthe large whales? Thiswhale lives and feedsclose to the shore and it'seasy to approach. It gotits name from thewhalers because it hasall the "right" features tomake it the ideal "catch".

Showy Crotalaria, aFlorida's Wildflower

... that the ShowyCrotalaria (a Floridawildflower) is madeup of 5' long clus-ters of numerous 1"yellow pea flowers.The leaves are 8"long and the stemsare dark purplish?

that Benjamin Franklinwas an inventor, a bestsellingauthor and a father of theUSA? When he was an ap-prentice at his older brother'sprint shop he wrote the famousSilence Dogood letters, inwhich he acted as if he was amiddle-age woman of histime. He founded the Pennsyl-vania Gazette in 1723. TheCircle Gazette carries the"Gazette" part of its name inhonor to Franklin's newspaper.

... that the originaledition of "AChristmasCarol" by Charles Dick-ens was originally soldfor 5 shillings/copy?(20 shillings used toequal to 1 pound until1971) and that today asingle copy of that firstedition would be valuedat around $30.000?

...that Rotterdam isthe largest city in TheNetherlands and it isprobably the busiestport in the world? Itis on the Maas Riverand usually morethan 30.000 shipsand 110.000 bargesvisit it every year.

that the motherChimpanzee builds anew nest in a tree forher young almostevery night? It buildsit by bending over andintertwining manybranches to make afirm, leafy platform,away from predators.

Science, History, Books& Geography TRIVIA

"Hebrew Letters Tet, Gimmel, Zayn

and Chof"Acrylic and Tempera on Canvasby Elizabeth Abrams, Age 5Fort Lauderdale, FL

The author's favorite activity

of the week is to go to Henrew

School!

"MONDRIAN ART" by Natalie

Schlecht, Age 6

PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)

Mondrian's geometric abstract

art illus-

trated the balanceof shape and colors in

modern art

ART ACTIVITY: Balanceof Shape,

lines

and colors

MEDIA: Construction paper

Based on a projectfrom the Meet the Masters

curriculum: www.meetthem

asters.com

"I am Ellie Bel-

lie. When I wake

up in the morning I

have breakfast and

the I ask my mom

if we can go to my friendAbby's house. My mom says

yes or no. If she says yes, I go and play with Abby!"

~ Ellie Gomez, Age 4 (Color Pencils on Paper).

"DANCING DRAIDELAND MENORAH"

by Liora Elkoby, Age 8.

Hollywood, FL

I like Hanukkah because

I like to eat dough-

nuts. Ilike lighting

the candleson the Meno-

rah and dancingwith daddy in front of

them.

I like playingDraidel and getting

my pres-

ents!

"Once a time there was a little frog

and he was all brown. He jumped in

the bushes.He jumped in Daddy's

hands.He jumped on Lizzie's hand

and she looked at it andhe jumped in

the bushes.He said, "R

ibbit, Ribbit."

And we saw a dragonfly." ~ Abigail

Abrams, Age 3.

ART BOX

This week we started preparing for Chanucah by making Latkes. We

used the following recipe from The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays

(Malka Drucker and Nancy Patz):3 large potatoes1 small onion2 beaten eggs2 tablespoons flour1 teaspoon saltPinch of pepper½ cup of vegetable oilWe washed and peeled the potatoes. Then we grated them into a bowl.

We grated in the onion and added the eggs, flour, salt, and pepper. We then

fried them on the pan and ate them with sugar. They were delicious!

Abigail and Elizabeth Abrams, Ages 3 and 5

Famous Portrait of Ben-jamin Franklin by Joseph

Siffred Duplessis.

"A Christmas Carol" byCharles Dickens. First Edi-tion 19 December 1843.

RotterdamPort

Mother Chimpanzeecarrying her baby!

Documents

Circle Gazette December 2009