I was running full speed towards the nurse’s office at Crane Lake Overnight camp. My councilor was with me. As we got within a meter, my breakfast made its way up my digestive system and into my throat. The nurse hurried out with a bucket probably not intended for me.  i grabbed it, leaned over, and regurgitated my food into it. I felt like a kangaroo  with a broken leg. I was so exhausted, and I felt awful.

Inside the nurses office was air conditioned so I felt relieved.  There was so much heat outside, it felt like lava. The nurse grabbed a thermometer, took my temperature, and told me I had the stomach bug going around.

“You’ll have to stay at the nurse’s office overnight.” The nurse told me. She made me drink some Gatorade but when I swallowed it, I puked it right back out again. 

“Hmmmm…Well, you won’t be able to eat lunch or dinner so I guess I should take you to the room you’ll be staying in for however long it takes you to mend.” The nurse told me.

I was put in room two. That room was designated to people with stomach bugs. There were two bunk beds, and four trash cans. I went to the left lower bunk. In the opposite bed there was another camper. He was from the oldest group. I was in the youngest group. The other camper was passed out. I was drowsier than a guy with no sleep of 52 hours. I fell asleep.

I awoke to find my councilor Ari bringing me my pillow and book. I was grateful. The mattresses were harder than a rhinoceros horn. As soon as he left I leaned over and threw up into the trash can. Then it happened again… and again… and again.  When throw up finally stopped coming, I fell asleep.

“PAM” screamed my ‘roommate’. I almost fell off my bed. The nurse came in.
“Oh dear,” said the nurse when she came in. “Di-ow did a little boy like you throw up all of this?”
“ I don’t kno- GLORPPFF. I had puked again.

When she came back with new trash bags, I was just dozing off.
“Wake up,” she snapped. “We have to feed you.” When I snapped back to reality, I saw it was a different nurse. No wonder she was impatient. I was given some water and a bagel. I tried to drink some of the water. It went down, but it hurt to swallow. Then I tried to eat the bagel. When I tried to swallow, the water and the bagel came up and I regurgitated them into the trash bag. She put her thumb and fore finger to her chin.
“Well, we can’t feed you, so you should get some sleep.

As I awoke from a fitful slumber, the main nurse was on the phone saying, “…can’t swallow anything. If he can’t eat anything in the morning we’ll have to move him to the hospital. No, don’t worry, Stefan only has a stomach bug not an infection. Yes. Thank you, goodnight.” I leaned over the side of my bunk and barfed.

I  threw up five more times that night. It hurt. A lot. To top it all off, I had nothing to eat or drink! It was probably for the better. If I tried to swallow, I would have thrown it back out again. By around six (I couldn’t tell because there was no clock), the throw up bucket was filled to the brim. I felt like I had a migraine. My head hurt so much and my stomach felt as though it weighed a ton. The camper next to me was on his iPod touch. We weren’t supposed to bring those to camp but because he was older he probably got more privileges. He turned it off and fell asleep.

At some point I must have dozed off too because I woke to hear people splashing in the pool outside. The nurse was in the room cleaning the barf buckets.

“You need to take a shower.” She told me. “You’re leaving soon.” All I managed was a weak, “Yay.”

After my shower, I started walking in the wrong direction instead of to my room. Then I crashed into the doorway. The nurse finally found me and took me outside to my bunk. They were just leaving for lunch.

“We’re glad to have you back Stefan.” said my counselor.  
“I’m glad to be back,” I replied 

Check out students' posters! Students researched an animal and created a poster that cleverly displayed the information they learned. 

My question is, “how is electricity made?’’  I think it is a very interesting topic because most of the people in our society only talk about how we use electricity and what it is good for. We really don’t pay enough attention to how it is made. Some people don’t even talk about what we use it for let alone how it is made. But by finding out how it is made you could start a very successful electric company.

Electricity is made by something called a windmill. What happens inside a wind mill is that there are two huge magnets rotating inside of a coil of wire. What you see of a wind mill (and what you notice most) are the spinning blades outside. The blade are attached to an axle which on the other side of the axle, the two magnets are connected. The magnets spin because of the rotating axle.  When the magnets spin inside the wire they create something called an electric field. If you make some bits of the wire jutting out into cases of rubber attached to everyone’s homes, then you have electricity.

Another way to get electricity is solar panels. Solar panels are made up of    individual solar cells.  When the sun comes out the beams of sunlight hit the solar cell and each solar cell starts to turn the sunlight into electrons. As the electrons build up there eventually is no more room for the electrons to go so they start moving because the new ones get squished. Electrons don’t like being near each other just like two people at a party wearing the same dress. They move away from each other.  The electrons that are squished expand pushing the other electrons around.  The electrons go throughout the wires in the house giving electricity to all.

You can also get electricity with lemons. You stick barbed wire in the lemon and gently squeeze the lemon. Some juice will come out but if you attach it to a phone charger and let it sit a while and change the lemon every half-hour or so, our phone will charge. Iff you connect it to wires throughout the house, it will but very weakly power your house.

This is how electricity is made. Don’t you think it is really cool? I do and I especially like using solar panels. I hope that you liked learning how electricity is made.

Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan were explorers from the 15-16 centuries. They became famous for things they didn’t know they would do.

For example, they both had a dream to get to the Indies. But they both went off course and that is what made them famous. They were both leaders. Instead of going south and around the tip of Africa, they went west; Different than most explorers. Columbus went due west and landed in the Bahamas. In contrast, Ferdinand Magellan went southwest and through a straight at the tip of South America. Columbus hated admitting he was wrong. If all the clues said that he had messed up his, “so clever calculations,” his dream of finding the Indies over took him and he somehow convinced himself he was right. Unlike Columbus, when Magellan found out that the Pacific Ocean was much larger than he thought, he just said, there’s got to be a first for everything and kept on sailing. Another similarity they have is that both crews didn’t manage their hunger. They both ended up eating rats and other animals on board.

All in all, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan have very many things that are different, and in contrast, things that are in common. 

The media should stop saying bad things about football because parents will worry and won’t let their kid play. For example, I have a friend who was coming home from school and wanted to play football with a sibling. He was looking everywhere for the football.  Earlier that day his mom had hid the footballs that the family owned. My friend was looking for a week without finding them. Eventually he found out that his mom had hid them. Apparently it was because a player on Sunday had broken his arm and his mom had worried.

In addition to that, parents start to think that sports like baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, and football are dangerous. To back up this evidence, I was antsy to go outside and practice kicking the football. My mom said I wasn't allowed because I could "slip on the ball and get a concussion.” About a one out of one-hundred chance of that happening.

The media doesn’t balance the bad things in football with the good ones.  Usually, when you play, you come out rolling in the dough. This can be donated to charity or help find houses for orphans. The media says, “So & so got a concussion” or “So & so has a shattered knee!” instead of what the retired players do that’s good with their money! What the press doesn’t do is say, “Let’s give a whooping shout out to Rob Gronkowski for making a diving catch and rolling into the end zone for a touchdown that won the game for the patriots!!!” or, “The patriots give thanks to Drew Bledsoe who has retired, and served a long career!” Before the game, the reporters say the highlights of the previous game. I love it when they do this because it is the one time that reporters aren’t saying all that football is bad for.

When the newspaper says something, people believe it because the newspaper said it. But really, the paper sensationalizes their stories all the time. They exaggerate their stories so people will read them and say to their friend what a good story it is. The most dangerous position is running back because of high momentum collisions. But even running back isn’t that dangerous. The most dangerous thing you can get is a moderate concussion; and in the coaches opinion, a fumble! The only reason that the running backs get concussions is because they run straight into the pack. This position isn’t as dangerous as the newspapers make it sound. The paper exaggerates how bad injuries are. They say that a sprained wrist is a broken arm. They say that a broken toe requires surgery. I’ve broken my toe and the thing that it needed most was ice.

I understand that sometimes something awful happens and people have to report it. But in the news we already have too many stories of bombing, suicide, and wildfires. Why add football injuries to the list? With too many bad stories on the news where so many people get their local news, it makes the world seem like a terrible place to live.

The last reason and the most important is that there will be a generation of bad football players because nobody has experience. They will be so awful that not a single person wants to watch the games in person or on T.V. The teams won’t be able to pay the players salary and the N.F.L. will have to drop teams. The little fans that still watch will sue the N.F.L. for dropping their team. They lose more money and have to drop even more teams. People keep suing the N.F.L. and more teams get dropped. Eventually, there are no teams left and the N.F.L is lost forever.

 I think the media should stop saying bad things about football because parents will worry and won’t let their kid play, the media doesn’t balance the bad things with good, and the game of football will be gone forever.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Students task was to write a well-structured opinion essay filled with evidence supporting their claims. Special features include:

• A strong, clear thesis statement
  
• Three unique, powerful reasons
  
• Meaningful personal experiences
  
• Facts and evidence from others
  
• A strong introduction and lasting conclusion

Students could write about any topic that they felt strongly about. We hope you enjoy our essays!

Why I think I should have an underground cave in my room.

I think there should be an underground cave in my room for many reasons.

• When my brother (Julien) and I get into fights, I could just escape to my room.
  
• You and I both benefit because you could relax instead of breaking up fights all of the time.
  
• You wouldn’t have to waste time telling me to go outside and play a sport.
  

For all of these reasons I believe that you should get me this underground cave.  To make it even easier to say yes, I’ll do the dishes for the week leading up to the time that I ask you. You will benefit even more than me. You would also get to come down into the cave with me and whenever you want!

Just about every single person that I had talked to that had asked for this has gotten it, loved it, and even their parents said they were happy they gotten it for their kid. The parents weren’t hearing nearly as much pestering from older siblings.  The parents would even relax and do everything in the cave while the kid who they bought it for was out at school.

If you say no, don’t think about what I lose but think about the opportunities you miss out on too. You would miss out on the chance of a:

• Basement sauna
  
• Basement shower
  
• Loads of storage area
  
• A spot to put a sun lamp so you could read on the “beach”.
  

I have already figured out the price.  There is this place that sells them cheaper than the rest. There cost is $100,000.00 bucks and judging by the customer reviews, they say to drop the idea since it’s impossible to get out of the cave.  The manufacturers changed it so it said it is impossible to get out of the cave because of how nice it is.

This is why  I think I should have an underground cave in my room.

Song
You gotta crave the cave
You gotta crave the cave
You have to be very very brave, to savor the cave.

The cave is the best it aint at all like the rest.
The comfort is great
But it can disintegrate
You put your head on the headrest
You put yor foot on the footrest
You do whatever you need to do in the cave that you gotta crave.

You can put any thing you like, in the cave
 From smooth water to a rippling shockwave.
You have to be brave, to put up with the cave
And brave you will be, if you crave the cave.

You gotta crave the cave
 You gotta crave the cave
You have to be very very brave to put up with the cave.

Have you ever experienced a scalding hot night when it seems to be warmer than the day? It’s kind of like the sun’s heat was transferred to the moon. Because it was so humid; bugs my family had never seen before were whizzing about in the night sky. Good thing we had gotten our malaria shots. I’d like to say the temperature was 1,000,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit; but it was only about 70 degrees. Still, that is hot for nighttime, even in Hawaii where we were.

A cockroach three inches long came darting out from under the coffee table; and under the couch where my uncle and I were sitting. My fourteen-year-old- cousin was so freaked out that he jumped onto the table where the cockroach came from, screaming, “mommy.”(His high pitch voice when he’s scared is priceless) Then a bee bigger than the cockroach flew out from under the table. “BZZZZ. BZZZZ,”  Alex(my cousin) jumped so high he caused an eclipse. Julien (my brother) was so freaked out by the bee that he jumped onto the table also. The two were making such a racket crying and dancing like a slow dance. My other cousin Matthew had earphones on listening to music and had no idea what was going on. Then the bee flew in the direction of the cockroach and they went into the light of the steaming moon, and with the other bugs.

I  was standing outside of a  ecaying yard. Trees that were deceased loomed over me and threatened to fall over. The wind was howling and groaning against a house that was brown with cobwebs. As the wind blew I could almost tell it was telling secrets about me. I started walking towards the ancient modern Victorian. There was one light in in the house and it was flickereing- CRUNCH CRICK CRACK. I looked down with horror. The terrible truth dawned on me. I stepped in the milky white remains of a skeleton. The morbid area is suddenly filled with a freakish laugh that seems to be coming from every direction exept the direction in the house.  Moonlight streams into the yard from the glowing orange ball that just rose above the wood.  A clanging noise makes me turn around to find the gates closed. No turning back. As I run towards the steps to the house, I trip because something grabs me. It is an arm sticking out of the ground. After 3 min of trying to free myself, I finally manage to pry the fingers of that iron fist off me. I run up the steps with over grown roots; and into the house. I hope I’m alone.

Reading time had come. “Hooray”!!! Everyone shouted in unison. Aiden, Fitzy, and I, all plopped on the roller coaster that took you to the cannon that shot you to Spain where the water slide is that takes you to the Parthenon. We settled down to read. But we only got to read 30 Min. because we had to make the trip back. Now it was time for Italian. [censored]

Fitzy and Aidan bribed me to race them back to school.  I took the cannon that shot me to my roller coaster and it rumbled back to school. I lost to Fitzy by a foot. I lost to Aidan by a mile. Lunch Time.  The lunch ladies served fried worms and pigs feet disguised as burgers and French fries.  So many poor, poor people bought lunch. I sure felt sorry for them. By now it must be affecting their brains. At recess, I met up with my friend Blake, and told him I made some renovations on my private island in Hawaii. He and I jumped into the portal and the world vanished; only to be replaced with Hawaii. In Maui the scenery is unbelievable; and we spent hours gazing and drinking icy drinks; but the time to go back much too quickly.  He stepped into the portal, of sent him back to recess.

Check out some outstanding student work from the first homework project of the school year, All About Me. I've listed the requirements of the project here; below is what some especially creative students did with it.


Job 1. Mini-biography: Choose two from the following:

• Writing about yourself, your life, and your family – funny stories, sad stories, amazing family facts, etc.
  
• Describe the best book you have ever read.
  
• What was one of the proudest moments in your life?
  
• Describe a turning point in your life.

Job 2. Predictions: Write predictions about where you and three of your friends will be, and what they will be doing with their lives in: Ten years time & Twenty years time.

Job 3. Compliments: Write a page of compliments to friends and family, the kind of thing that you may have thought but never said. Try to include as many classmates as possible.

Job 4. Portraits: A page (or pages) of photos and/or artwork expressing your personality and what makes you YOU.

One of the most proud moments of my life was when I won the Little League World Series for my team.  There was one out and I was stranded on third with the score tied.  Teddy was up at bat.  “What if he strikes out?” I thought.  WHIZZ.  Strike one. ZOOM.  Strike two.  “Looks like my wish came true,” I mumbled.  THWACK.  “You’re out!” said the Ump.  

Great, now Nick was up.  He rarely hits it and when he does, it cruises along at 1 mph to the pitcher.  WHIZZ.  Strike one.  My coach turned to me.  “Stef,” he said.  “When the catcher catches the ball, go halfway down the line.  He’ll follow you back to third base.  Then, when he throws the ball to the pitcher, sprint home.”

So, ZOOM.  Strike two.  I go halfway down the line.  The catcher jumps at me but I stay where I am.  He starts running.  When he is just out of arm’s reach, I slide back to third follows me all the way there.  I tag the base and the catcher throws it to the pitcher.  It’s my big moment.  Now I see why Coach George wanted me to do this.  The catcher was at third and there was no one at home for the play. 

 My cleats dig into the dirt.  My legs are pumping and my heart is racing.  I’m sprinting.  My foot hits something hard.  I hear the crowd explode.  My teammates race out of the dugout and tackle me.  The fans burst through the gate and start rushing at me.  I’m lifted off my feet.  When I land I start running because 1) the paparazzi; 2) my brother’s rushing at me (which is always a bad sign); and 3) my coach is rushing at me with the water cooler.