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You may have heard of Greek Mythology or Roman Mythology, but have you ever heard of Viking Mythology. Viking Mythology is the least talked about subject in the United States. So maybe after reading this, a new interest will be sparked. Imagine you were a Viking, after your death, where would you want to go? You would think you would end up somewhere you are happiest, right? Wrong. There are at least three Viking heavens, and one is the underworld. The three

heavens are Helgafjell, Folkvang, and Valhalla. The underworld, which is the last place that any Viking would want to go, is Helhiem. Helhiem is said to be a miserable place. If a Viking died in a dishonorable way, they would end up here. Crazy right, no one can help old age or death through sleep, but to these people, these were of most dishon-orable ways to die. If you were a good Norse man or woman, you would most likely end up in Helgafjell. There is one catch though, you must not die in battle to end up here. Life here is to go on as if you were living your normal human life. This is a very peaceful place, less like the normal life. There are no battles or wars here, only laughter and kind-ness.

May 2017

Volume 9, issue 6

AWSD

The BLOB

Inside this

issue:

Main Article 1

Bloberta

Did You Know?

2

Life Hacks

Captain O

3

Top 10 4

Student of the

Month

5

Current Events

Embarrassing

Moments

11

Collage 15

The Best Literature on the Block

Of course, there has to be two heavens for Viking warriors. One of them is Folkvang which is “The field of armies.” The goddess Freya rules this domain. So here’s how it works, Freya takes half of the Vikings that die in battle, and of course, Odin takes the other half. Odin is the god who is in charge and is the one who controls Valhalla. This brings us to the most known Viking heaven, Valhalla. The meaning of Valhalla is “The Hall of the Fallen.” The warriors who are lucky enough to get in here are chosen by the god Odin and his Valkries. The meaning of the name Valkrie, is “Chooser of the Fallen.” They basically make all of the decisions on who gets into Valhalla. Valkries are portrayed as noble and elegant, but they also have a darker side. They decide who dies in battle as well. There is one more side of the Valkries that most people don’t see, they carry the souls of the warriors who died in battle to the place where the warriors will be chosen. Back to the people who get into Valhalla. Besides all of the fun they get to have up there, there is a more important reason why they are chosen. They wait until the fight of Ragnarok, which is the time when both the gods and the universe fall. This is the Viking’s version of Doomsday. When this time comes, these chosen warriors will fight by Odin’s side to defeat the giants that seek to destroy them. Viking Mythology seems pretty exciting when you think about it. So this summer head to your local library and get on the road to research.

Viking Afterlife By Bailey B.

2

Dear Bloberta By ???

Page 2

The BLOB

Did You Know? By Tristin G.

Did you know lemons have more sugar than strawberries?

Did you know the Hawaiian alphabet has 13 letters?

Did you know the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes?

Did you know 8% of people have an extra rib?

Dear Bloberta,

My best friend has a boyfriend now and doesn’t spend as much time with me. I feel

angry and jealous of her boyfriend. What should I do?

Sincerely, Third Wheel

Dear Third Wheel,

Don’t worry., I’ve been in the same boat you’re in and I know how you feel. I would just

talk to your friend and tell her how you feel. Hopefully it all passes over and you are still

best friends in the future. Good luck!

Sincerely, Bloberta

Dear Bloberta,

Someone posted a hurtful picture of me on Instagram and everyone in my class liked it.

What should I do?

Sincerely, Hurt and Lost

Dear Hurt and Lost,

I’m really sorry someone did this to you. If you know who posted it, maybe try to talk to

them and persuade them to take the picture down. Also, you could report it to the

principal or your parents and they could take care of it. While they are taking care of it,

you should probably stay away from the person who posted it if you know who they are.

If you don’t know who posted the picture, just don’t talk about it and try to get through

the mess. Again, I’m really sorry.

Sincerely, Bloberta

3

Life Hacks By Vanna W.

Page 3

Volume 9, issue 6

Captain O By Hunter L.

B.L.O.B is the school newspaper.

Weston Middle School is a school.

Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Bennett are

teachers.

There is no school during summer

break.

4

Top Ten By Nevin M.

Tristin’s Top 10 TV Shows

1. The Walking Dead

2. Grey’s Anatomy

3. New Girl

4. Law and Order

5. Glee

6. Friends

7. Vampire Diaries

8. Malcom In The

Middle

9. Supernatural

10. SpongeBob

Hunter’s Top 10 Gun Brands

1. Winchester

2. Smith and Wesson

3. Remington

4. Ruger

5. Savage

6. Weatherby

7. Colt

8. Glock

9. Springfield

10. Taurus

Taylor’s Top 10 Video Games

1. Dark Souls

2. Fallout 3

3. Elder Scrolls Online

4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

5. Halo 3

6. Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

7. Halo Reach

8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

9. Far Cry 3

10. Titanfall 2

Victoria’s Top 10 Sports

1. Softball

2. Volleyball

3. Karate

4. Football

5. Lacrosse

6. Basketball

7. Soccer

8. Swimming

9. Tennis

10. Track

5

May athlete of the Month By Tristin G.

Tristin G. 8th– “Tristin is a natural track

athlete. She got first in the 200 meter dash at the

championship meet and was very important

anchor in the 4x100 meter relay for another

second place.” - Coach Munck

LeBraun A 8th.— “ LeBraun is a great track

athlete. He is determined and dedicated to

doing better in his events. LeBraun placed

top 4 in the 100 meter with a personal record,

second in the 200 meter and was the first leg

of the 4x100 relay for a second place finish

at the championship meet.” - Coach Munck

Rubin P. 6th- “This was Rubin’s first time

participating in a sport. He is a very coachable

kid, he listens, and strives to perfect his

technique in his events. He is very positive with

his teammates and loves learning from them.”

- Coach Munck

Makaela S. 7th - “Makaela is the

hardest working track athlete I have ever

coached. She always tries her hardest and

never complains. Makaela tries a variety of

events, even if she knows she won’t be very

successful. She is very encouraging to her

teammates.” - Coach Munck

6

Monthly Polls By Vanna W.

Viking Burials By Hunter L.

Memorial Day was yesterday where

Americans honor their fallen soldiers.

Other cultures have traditions like this.

The focus today is on the Viking culture.

Viking or "Norse funerals were customs

of Vikings. Society can thank the Vikings,

for their burial tradition in which we use

today.

One traditional burial in Viking culture

was a ship burial. This is where the dead

person was lain in a boat or a stone ship.

They also added grave offerings in

accordance with their wealth status and

profession and sometimes including sacrifi-

cial slaves. Afterwards, stone and dirt were

put on top of the remains to create a Tumu-

lus. A Tumulus is an ancient burial mound; a

barrow.

Some ship burials were just as they sound,

the deceased were lain in a boat and buried

as seen in the picture below. For great warri-

ors, however, they were set out to sea and the

ship was set on fire. They did this to get them

into Valhalla. These were not the only types

of burials they had done; other types of buri-

als were like the ones we see today. There are

ancient sites known as Tumuli that honor

Viking Kings and Chieftains. The Tumuli

were often laid out in the shape of something

to beautify the grave site. The shape they

often laid the headstones in were ovals.

The world owes the Vikings gratitude for

the ways in which we honor and remember

our loved ones today.

7

May Student of the Month By Tristin G.

Alex W.

7th

Autumn W.

6th

Emma C.

5th

Emily Y.

4th

Jesse M.

8th

8

Try This maze!

9

Fabulous Faculty By Bailey M.

Wacky Laws By Tristin G.

In Oregon, it is against the law to use canned corn as bait

for fishing.

In Florida, it is illegal to sell your children.

In Texas, you can be fined a large amount of money if

you sell your eye.

In Kentucky, it is illegal to throw eggs at a public

speaker.

In Tennessee, you can be arrested for sharing your

Netflix password.

Mrs. Nelson is one of the awesome 4th

grade teachers at Weston Middle

School. She has been teaching here

for around 20 years! She has taught

6th grade and 4th grade, but she has

been teaching 4th since 2004! This

year, Mrs. Nelson has been working

really hard on teaching math to

her students. Mrs. Vescio says,

“She is a kind and patient

teacher.” She says, “Mrs.

Nelson and Mrs. Olson work as

a great team together.”

Mrs. Nelson handles all of the

Tigerscot token raffles and does

a great job at it. As a mother of

twins, Mrs. Nelson is still able to

maintain an excellent teaching

environment.

Great job, Mrs. Nelson!

10

Celebrity Look-Alike By Nevin M.

Countdown By Abi M.

Four more days ‘till school is

out!

Three more days for 8th

graders who will advance to

recognition!

Mrs. Capps As A Kid Soliel Frye As A Kid

Jesse M. Emma Watson

11

Embarrassing Moments By Abi M.

One time, I was showing a pig and the judge was talking so I

was paying attention to him and not to my animal. When I did

so, it went right through my legs, and I went riding with it;

backwards! I rode all the way across the ring and it dumped me

off on the opposite side I started on.

-Hog Rider

So I’m in college and I was late for class. My clothes were in

the dryer so I just grabbed my pants out of the dryer and drove

straight to school. Then, I ran all the way across campus and sat

down in class. When class was over, I had to walk all the way

back across campus again. On the way back, I felt this slapping

on my leg. My bra was hanging out of my pants pocket like a

football flag.

-The Grand Old Flag

Current Events By Vanna W.

The Rock as president? The actor

and former pro wrestler, Dwayne

Johnson, told GQ magazine that he

thinks a presidential run

is a real possibility.

What started as a joke,

has taken a new turn.

He thinks becoming

president in 2020 is

turning into a more serious

possibility. Johnson said, “becoming

president would be an opportunity to

make a real impact on people’s lives

on the global scale.”

Although, he said, “not to soon”

because there are many other things

he wants to do first, he has made it

clear on his thoughts about

the presidency. If he

becomes president one day,

his top priorities would be

“poise” and “leadership.”

He wants to see better and

greater leadership. “The

responsibilities as president, even if

we disagree, we’ve got to figure it

out.” If the Rock ran for president,

would you vote for him?

12

Recipe of the Month By Bailey M.

Sprite Fruitsicles!

Recipe:

Prep time 5 mins

Total time: 5 hours

Home-made Fruitsicles

Makes 6

What you’ll need:

1 kiwi

10 blueberries

5 strawberries

1 C of pineapple

Sprite

Popsicle holder/maker

Directions:

Cut fruit into thin slices

and put into popsicle

holder, evenly distrib-

uting them between the

columns.

Poor Sprite on top of the

fruit, and put lid on.

Freeze for 4.5 hours.

Enjoy!

13

Critics’ Corner By Abi M.

The majority of people can

agree that Nike is the best

store ever! Between their

shoes and their clothes, the

material and quality of their

products are amazing. They

may not have the best or the

most sales out there. The

products may be pretty

expensive, but again, the

quality is great. When Nike

was created, only certain

people purchased the shoes

or other products. Since it

has grown, many people own

at least one thing bearing the

famous Nike “swoosh.” Phil

Knight and Bill Bowerman,

founders of Nike, are genius

for the creation of

such an awesome

brand!

Everybody loves social

media! Instagram is rated 6th

in the top used social media

apps. They have changed

and updated the app and it’s

really great. Now you are

able to post multiple pictures

instead of just one, you can

have stories, you can take

boomerang videos, and

overall it’s just a great app.

The app lets you edit the

pictures that you want to post

by cropping it, choosing a

filter, making collages,

tagging people, and changing

the lighting. You can

customize it by adding a

caption telling everyone

what it’s about or what

you’re doing.

14

Blast From the Past By Vanna W.

Now Then Mrs. Bennet

Mrs. Turner

Now Then

15

Co

llag

e B

y J

adyn

P.

16

Comics By Taylor S.

4/5Art Contest By Vanna W.

5th Grade: Harley Stiffler

https://www.google.com/search?q=summer+comics&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXy-

7N14bUAhWJjFQKHYjxBBQQ_AUICigB&biw=1040&bih=754#imgrc=UhAahejUN8SWhM:

17

18

I am sad to report that next year our fabulous eighth grade language arts, social studies, and B.L.O.B. teacher will be retiring. Mrs. Turner has been teaching for 23 years, 13 of which have been at Weston Middle School. Mrs. Turner started the first B.L.O.B. in 2008. Mrs. Turner says, “Teaching is my passion. I truly believe the following quote: ‘A rising tide lifts all ships,’ from Joseph S. Renzulli. Having high expectations for all students has been my motto all along. I have found that all students rise to the occasion when the teacher expects their best effort.” Mrs. Turner also said that she enjoys the mental challenge of teaching and loves finding ways to connect with students and helping them connect to their learning. When I asked Mrs. Turner what part of teaching made her most happy, she said that she loved middle school students and how they make her laugh, cry, feel proud, and even feel a little sad. She also said, “Mostly, they keep me young at heart.” Mrs. Turner is a fabulous teacher who makes a wonderful learning environment for her students.

Mrs. Turner has been a fabulous addition to the Weston Middle School staff and she is greatly appreciated here. Mrs. Vescio said in regards to two of our retiring teachers, Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Turner, “They are the model of an outstanding teacher. Not only do they work very hard to deliver high quality instruction, they also care deeply about their students. Both give up enormous amounts of time to better the school and the district. Weston Middle School and Athena-Weston School District are better because of these two ladies.” Also, eighth grade student Brooke D. said that Mrs. Turner is willing to help me understand more and is engaged in helping each individual. Plus, she has a good sense of style. Another eighth grade student, Caralee S. agrees and says that one thing she appreciates about Mrs. Turner is how she keeps her class in control. Bailey M. also says, “Mrs. Turner is a fun, upbeat teacher. She is kind and helpful. She has prepared me for high school so well! It really is a shame that the younger classes are losing one of the best teachers I’ve EVER had.”

I personally love Mrs. Turner's classes because Mrs. Turner is patient, kind, helpful, and always provides a chal-lenge. She always tries to connect with each student and get the help that they need. She congratulates you on your suc-cesses and helps boost the areas you need help with. She is never discouraging and always thinks that we can be the best and do whatever we want. Mrs. Turner has so much faith in her students and I admire that about her.

Many of the teachers around WMS are sad to see Mrs. Turner go too. Mr. Angell says, “As a fellow teacher, I’m really going to miss her leadership in the building.” Mrs. Turner is always collaborating with other teachers to make sure we all do the best we can in every class and she is a great model of a leader to her students. Mr. Clancy says that Mrs. Turner, “…gives so much of herself to so many people, she’ll be greatly missed.” Mr. Clancy also said that she is very professional and an amazing teacher. Mrs. Capps says that Mrs. Turner is very organized and thorough and that all her students have a high level of respect for her, which is very true. Mrs. Turner is really going to be missed around here.

Mrs. Turner, We hope you enjoy your retirement, but you will be missed. Have fun! We all LOVE you!

You are the best teacher ever! Love, Your Blob Staff

See Ya!, Mrs. Turner By Rylee M.

19

So Long, Mrs. Bennett Mrs. Bennett has been a loyal member of the WMS

staff for thirty-three years and has made a huge differ-

ence. She is the PBIS Queen and the teacher who intro-

duced WMS to “Be a Big Elephant!”.Mrs. Vescio says

“she is a master at teaching, she brings out the best in her

students. She also provides a safe and caring working

environment and is just an amazing person in general.”

“I love that she allows kids to be who they are and

embraces their quirkiness and at the same time allows

them to learn,” says Mrs. Shafer.

Mrs. Glover says that Mrs. Bennett is the most even

mannered mellow person on the staff. Mrs. Capps says

that one thing she has always appreciated about her is her musical ability and her

enthusiasm. Mr. Angell says that one thing he loves about Mrs. Bennett is her humor

with the students and how she allows the students to be goofy in their own unique

way. Mrs. Dennis stated that she is very energetic. According to one of her closest

colleagues, Mrs. Doremus, she says that Mrs. Bennett can find a positive spin in any

situation. She also says that she is an inspiration to everyone.

Mrs. Bennett is known for snorting when she laughs and scratching her nose the

same way since she herself was in school. Oh don’t forget, she

LOVES chocolate and the Beavers! Some things that her stu-

dents have said their favorite things about her are: she is crazy

but keeps things in order, she loves to dance, she is very nice,

and creative. All in all, Mrs. Bennett is a fabulous teacher who

was not only adored by her students but by her co-workers as

well.

Thank you, Mrs. Bennett, for all you have

done for our school! Love,

The B.L.O.B Staff

By Samantha W.

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AWSD

Brain Teasers By Taylor S.

http://

wms.athwest.k12.or.us

BLOB Staff

Jadyn

Bailey M.

Rylee

Sammie

Taylor

Savannah

Victoria

Abigayle

Jesse

Tristin

Hunter

Bailey B.

Nevin

Sponsor:

Mrs. Turner

Editor:

Jesse M. and Victoria V.

1. Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child’s name? 2. A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh? 3. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

1. Johnny 2. Meat 3. There is no dirt in a hole.