top of page
August 2020

 Let’s Talk About the Stress of Online Learning!

By: Alaina Butler

 

Everyone is somewhat stressed with online learning, from helping your siblings or children with school, to coming up with a plan on how to deal with learning online. Students, parents, and teachers are all having problems with online learning. Let’s take a closer look at why online learning is such a challenge. 

​

I found out that from a teacher’s perspective, they can't see their students during class while sharing their screen. Teachers can’t tell if the student is paying attention or even there once they are screen sharing. Additionally, the technology during class may start acting up and all of the students and teachers have to adapt accordingly. Although the students have to be flexible to adapt, Andrea Maddox, a teacher at Citrus elementary school, states, “ I’m worried that if my school district suddenly changes its policy on something and makes me have to start over on a task.” Whenever there is a new policy, teachers have to go to training to learn how to use the new website and teach students how to use it as well. 

​

If the students are struggling with something they don’t understand, sometimes the students don’t know if the teacher will be there to help them right away and then the work may end up being late because they weren’t sure of what to do. Some students may also be concerned about getting into the classes early, or even having problems with getting into the zoom call. I’ve talked to other students and they all have either the same problems or at least one of them. 

​

Parents are having problems with helping their kids with school and even keeping their kids behaved during zoom calls. They have to make sure that kids are doing their work and not being inappropriate during the calls. It’s also hard for parents to have to be home with their kids all the time and unable to go anywhere. Haily Ziemer states, “I’ve been getting a lot of help from my parents although I have 3 other siblings that need help as well.” Parents who have to go out of the house to do their job have to make sure they can be there for their kids as well. 

​

Inevitably, as I’m waiting for the meeting to start, I get anxiety about possibly being in the wrong class and it has already started, or it’s a different class rotation that day. Usually, after the third period, our teachers make sure we have time to do our homework. I almost always worry if I have time to finish everything before then. Don’t be afraid to message or email your teachers if you need help or more time to finish something. If you need 1 on 1 attention there is extra tutoring on Fridays.

alainas pic.jpg
amirahs pic.png

Virtual Sports Just Aren’t the Same

By: Amirah Jones


In the beginning when Covid-19 cases started to rise everything started to shut down, one thing that almost everyone loved shut down as well, that thing was sports. From baseball to football, all the sports started to go away. Although everything was starting to shut down one of the most popular sports, if not the most popular sport shut down as well and that sport is basketball. Now that Covid-19 isn’t spreading as fast as it was, basketball is starting up again but it isn’t the same from 2019. Currently, no fans are allowed to attend games for the rest of the 2020-2021 season and have to watch virtually. Fans aren't mad though everyone is just happy to be able to watch their favorite sports again. For example, from the New York Times article What it’s Like to be a Virtual NBA Fan it states “We wanted to create something that would bring our fans to the players.” This tells us that people are not mad and are probably excited to see what comes next. Another example is “ I really missed sports when they left but now I’m glad to be able to watch them again even if it means virtually” says 4th grader named Josiah. This also is a great example telling us that people are just glad to be able to watch sports again no matter how they have to watch them.

Why Tik Tok Might be Deleted in the U.S.A.

By: Kade Andino

 

You most likely have heard about how the famous app called Tik Tok was almost banned in America and you are probably wondering, why? Well, today we are talking about how Tik Tok was almost banned in America, and how Microsoft plans to buy it.

 

Tik Tok was supposed to be banned on July 28th  but to people’s surprise, it was still up. 

 

The reason Tik Tok was almost banned in America was that Tiktokers bought almost all of the tickets to a Trump rally. It was also almost banned because “it sells your information to the Chinese Communist Party”  even though most apps sell your information already.

 

The President also said that he was concerned about the predators that use the app due to there being “No adherence to the law.” ByteDance stated that “We have made it clear that Tik Tok has never shared user data with the Chinese government, nor censored content at its request.”

 

But it doesn’t seem like it will necessarily be here to stay because afterward Donald J. Trump announced that if Tik Tok wasn’t bought by Microsoft in 45 days, it would be banned in America. Callie Hatch asks “What jurisdiction does the President have to shut down TikTok?” Many sources say it would violate the First Amendment.

 

(The First Amendment is what allows you to say almost anything in the U.S.A., so if we didn’t have it, Trump could shut down TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, MySpace, StoryFire, Youtube, etc. in an instant)

 

Microsoft has up to 30 billion U.S. dollars so they most likely can buy Tik Tok, but if they don’t strike a deal with ByteDance by September 15th, it is reported that it will be banned.

kades pic.png
caydence pic.jpg

Are You Bored in Quarantine?

By: Caydence Gourley

​

Are you bored in quarantine? I have just the solution to help with that! I know it gets boring being in bed and on your phone all day so.. I am going to give you some tips on what you can do. “ I love colorful things!”- Riley Hanzich. Something you could do that is colorful is Tie Dye! Tie dye is so much fun, ESPECIALLY when you get to create your own design of different patterns. You could tie dye on anything, such as..shirts, shorts, pants, hats, socks, gloves, towels, blankets, and many more. Another fun and easy thing to do is re-organize/ re-decorate your room. It might sound boring but TRUST ME it will make you so feel so much better once you have a clean and organized room.  “Sometimes I feel like I should write a bucket list of things to do”- Taylor Hanzich. Another fun and easy thing to do when bored is to write in a journal. You could write a lot of goals you have planned for 2021 or something you want to do when quarantine is over. Writing in a journal will help you feel less stressed and bored. Just remember that there are so many fun things you can do while you're at home and please make sure to stay home and be safe! 

How Tesla Became Successful 

By: Trenton Judes

 

    Tesla is a successful company because Elon Musk is a genius. Even though Elon Musk is very well known to many, others like Mrs. Bourland “have heard his name before” but don’t know who he is.He knows about batteries and he hired people who knew about cars, between them they built the first Tesla. He combined his knowledge with Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning to build the Tesla roadster. When they started they sold expensive cars so they could make enough money to build more affordable cars. Before the Tesla roadster, electric cars were small, underpowered and embarrassingly ugly. The Tesla roadster was big, fast, luxurious and the first electric car that was fun to drive. That was Elon Musk’s genius, he realized that if he made a nice electric car they would sell.

    Another example of Elon Musk’s genius was putting charging stations all across America. Tesla made them free to use for all Teslas, although this feature has now been discontinued. When I asked Mrs.Bourland if she knew that you had to pay to charge a Tesla she said, “No, I thought it was free” .This feature helped to sell many cars in the early years of Tesla. It also made the customers confident that they wouldn’t have any problems finding somewhere to charge their car.

    Today Tesla stock is worth over $2,000 and it’s still rising. With the Tesla stock rising Elon Musk became the world’s fourth richest person with a net worth of 83.6 billion dollars. Part of the reason tesla stock is so high is because Tesla has sold 891,000 cars since 2012. Tesla is still on the rise and I think it will continue to become bigger for many years to come.

trents pic.png
Hailys pic.png

Will DC Be Doing Anything For The Fans?

By: Haily Ziemer

​

Hall Of Heroes 

If you are a DC fan, then you’re sure to have heard about DC Fandom. This year, due to Quarantine, there will be two 24-hour global virtual fan experiences. The first event kicked off on August 22nd. Unlike most comic events, these will be completely free to enter. They will be opening the Hall of Heroes island and repeating the live event twice after. The teaser trailer was released about two months ago. 

​

Explore The Multiverse

A second event called Explore the Multiverse will be held for 24 hours on September 12th in case you missed anything. The reason they split it into two separate events was that some fans were complaining about some of the events crossing over at the same time. So at this event, they will be opening the rest of the dc islands the Youverse, Watchverse, Kidsverse Insiderverse, and the Funverse. Logan Ziemer from third grade says, “I’m excited to go to the Explore the Multiverse event because I really want to go to the Kidsverse event and play the games.” This event will hold more information for everything already released, some will be available to be rewatched, and some fun games for the little ones will.

​

DC Universe

DC will also be releasing a ton of new trailers including The Suicide Squad, The Flash, Harley Quinn season three, and much more. Some of your favorite actors and comic writers will be attending FanDome, and… Great Krypton, will there be a lot of fans attending! Alaina Butler stated, “I’m excited to see everyone and find out the new movies and games coming out,” DC fans will be excited to know the cast of some DC Universe originals will be there including… Titans, Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, etc. 

​

Actors & Comic Writers That Will Be There

Some big actors will be attending as well including Harley Quinn herself Margot Robbie, Gal Gadot and the cast of Wonder Woman 1984, The Batman director Matt Reeves and star Robert Patterson, director James Gunn, Idris Elba, and the cast of Suicide Squad, Black Adam’s Dwayne Johnson, The Flash’s Ezra Miller, director Zach Snyder and his Justice League cut, and the stars and/or producers of TV’s Watchmen. Some of the Arrowverses actors from The Flash, Black Lightning, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Superman & Lois will be there. Including TV’s original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter. 

 

Plus superstar comic creators like Niel Gaiman, Brian Michael Bendis, Amanda Conner, Dan Jurgens, Christopher Priest, Joelle Jones, and Mark Waid will be there.

​

See the schedules at https://schedule.dcfandome.com 

go to https://www.dcfandome.com to see the events

DC Fandoms official trailer & DC kids Fandome official trailer

Fun Facts About Ferrets

By: Aaliyah Montes

 

Some facts about Ferrets: when ferrets feel threatened they will dance,  arch their back, puff their tails, and move side to side. A group of ferrets is called a business. Ferrets can be used to hunt rabbits. The ferrets will run into the rabbit holes to make the rabbits run out from hiding. When the rabbits come out of their holes, human hunters catch them with a net.  Ferrets also team up with falcons and the two of them make a good hunting team. Some ferrets have jobs. They are known for pulling wire through underground tunnels.  They even helped lay wire for London's Party in the Park in 1999. Ferret racing is also a popular sport in London where the ferrets race through drain pipes. Ferrets they love to jump but can sometimes land in bad places. Ferrets are cute, active and playful animals. Even though they are very active, they sleep a lot, as much as 16 hours a day. The average life span is around 7 years although they can live longer.  I asked Eva in 7th grade how long she thought ferrets lived and she said “2 years”.

Aaliyahs pic.jpg
lillys pic.jpg

Exciting Must Read Books for ages 8-12

By: Lilliana Atkinson

​

My Books of the month for 3-6 graders include Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson.

 

    Charlotte’s Web is a fun story about a pig, a spider, a girl, and a barnyard full of friends. I like that there is a friendship between a pig and a spider, a total unlikely duo. The spider whose name is Charlotte can do amazing things with her web spinning skills. My favorite part was when the county fair occurred since I have never been to one. I imagine that a county fair has lots of fun things to see and do. I asked my Grandma who was a Children's librarian and she said, “Her favorite part is when Charlotte spins the word Some Pig in her web.” If you are a parent of younger children you might want to prepare them for the ending when something unfortunate happens.  If you liked Charlotte's Web then you might like to read Stuart Little.

 

    The Bridge to Terabithia is great for 5th grade and up because it’s a story about kids about our age and things that we do. It’s also good because it’s about a kid who wants to be an artist and a dad who is totally against his son becoming one. He makes friends with a new neighbor, a girl named Leslie, they start hanging out and creating a whole new place in the woods where they can let their imaginations run wild. In the Spring of their school year something tragic happens to Leslie, you will have to read the book to find out what it is. My Grandma says “this is a must read for kids in 5th or 6th grade.” Katherine Patterson has written many books like Jacob Have I Loved and The Same Stuff as Stars, several of her books have won awards. I hope you have the chance to read these books and enjoy them like I did.

Things To Keep You Active While Stuck In The House

By: Juan Camacho

 

           Write down your goals in life and look at them every day to motivate you.  You still have to do indoor-outdoor activities. It's good to keep up so that you can be fit and not go back to school all lazy.  If you have nothing else to do, use your extra time getting ready for virtual classes. I  know that just because we're doing digital does not mean don't carry any supplies you usually need, you need every supply like the ones you use during school in person. The main supplies are probably Notebook, Pencils, Any Color Utensils, Folder, A Device That You Can Use To Be Able To Communicate With Your Teachers these are the Pros. Another thing is always pay attention in class even if your dying to playing video games but either way listen, you don't want to make the wrong choices cause they can mess you up badly but not only you even  your parents too cause they are not gonna look forward to successful student / kid, it's good to make the right choices cause you can make it far maybe be in the olympics, something in the Law Enforcement anything like that.

 

            Fun Things To Do Outdoors - Indoors : Somethings to do with your family, friends, or anybody you want is get Wet, Catch, Skating, Biking, Fly Kites, Scavenger Hunts, Hula Hoop, and water plants most of these will keep you active for the most part during this quarantine. Things you can do while quarantine indoors are like DIY’s Outside Or Inside, Board Games, Bake, Dance Party, Bring Some Outdoor Activities To Make Them Indoor, Jigsaw Puzzle, Go on A Hunt, Experiments, and last but not least hide and seek these will keep you entertained for the most part so that you won't have to keep annoying people or your parents while they are doing their business. “Good people can do bad things, make bad decisions. It doesn't make them bad people.”

― Sonia Sotomayor, My Beloved World


            Exercises To While Quarantined : My most 10 exercises I recommend and are basics are Lunges, Squats, Pushups, Single-Leg Deadlifts, Burpees, Side or Chest Planks, Crunches, Walking-Running, Bicycling, Exercising Your Hands Like Doing Boxing Helps, and that's all it for my exercise statement hope you guys enjoy and listen.  “There’s going to be anxiety about uncertainty and fear about failing, but push yourself to keep going. After all, you’ll never know how close you are to succeeding if you quit now.”

Juans pic.png
bryces pic.png

The Apple Fire, News and Stories

By: Bryce Jacobson

 

The Apple Fire has recently ripped through the heart of Cherry Valley and the San Bernardino mountains impacting many. Today, I will be giving you the latest information and the earliest information of the Apple fire. Recently it was discovered by authorities that the Apple fire was caused by a malfunctioning tailpipe from a diesel vehicle that started in Oak Glen / Cherry Valley. Nick Jacobson, a local resident was interested to find out that the fire had started by a diesel vehicle. He stated “we had heard for days an arsonist had started the fire and wanted the person to be found and brought to justice. I am glad to hear this wasn’t the case”. Natalie Jacobson, a local resident said, “she was sad that the fire had burned so much wildlife”. The fire burned over 33,000 acres of forest and tall grass fields. Bogart Park campground was the first threatened park. To protect it,  helicopters would hover over the Lake in Bogart Park to get water to dump on the fires. The brave owners and some firefighters defended the park so no structures would burn. The fire was reported to be started on July 31st at 4:55 PM PST. As of now, the fire is contained with a current expense to California reaching 51 million dollars. 12 structures were destroyed, two of them being outbuildings. The massive fire has caused a massive heat wave that has struck Southern California. More updates to come on the Big Apple fire of Southern California.

Online School Catastrophe

By: Kadynce Whitehead

​

One day a young girl woke up and shot out of bed in excitement. Now wide awake she picks out her first day of school outfit, and finishes getting ready. She was so excited for the first day of school, she sat down at her desk in her room and went to log on to zoom but her computer wasn't working. It was five minutes till class and she had to figure out why she couldn't log on for school. She tried everything she could, she tried plugging it in to charge, powering it off then powering it back on, she even tried putting it in rice just in case one of her sisters spilled a drink on it.

    This girl was so worried she thought “ It's my first day of school and I am going to be late!!” So she asked her mom what she should do and her mom said “ I will email your teachers and let them know what's going on and have them send me any work you need to complete.” “I will take the computer down to the electronics store and get it fixed.” The girl immediately felt relieved knowing everything was going to be ok. 

    Her mom left to get the computer fixed while the young girl stayed home and did her school work. Once her mom got home she eagerly jumped out of her chair and ran to get her computer. She grabbed it and said “Thank you” to her mom and hurried into her bedroom to log on to her computer for the last class of the day. Thinking to herself she wonders how many people go through this in a day and can't wait to go back to school.She finally logs on to her computer and finishes the day off with her favorite class yet, yearbook.

 A Lot of people go through this with the distance learning some people, like Amirah Jones, have already been through something like this "I like this story because the same thing happened to me a few days ago. I can relate to this story and I'm sure a lot of other people will too." Students aren't the only ones that have computer issues. My own teacher Miss Bourland says "I think a lot of us are having thoughts like this as the new school year is only virtual.  Teachers worry about getting the correct assignments out to students, students worry about their chromebooks and due dates and parents worry about not being there to support their student's online learning." Lots of people, students, teachers and even parents worry about this happening every day.

kadys pic.jpg
kelvins pic.jpg

Good Workout Ideas You Can Use For PE

By: Kelvin Parham

 

     Hello, I’m here to tell you some good PE workouts you can use to get fit and in good and healthy shape. The first workout on the list is push-ups, it’s pretty basic but really good for the upper body strength, “they are also good for triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders”, they can also strengthen your lower back and mainly the core. The next workout on the list is sit-ups, also pretty basic but amazing for the core, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques in addition to your hip flexors, chest, and neck, “I like to work out with my dad, mostly push-ups and sit-ups”(A.J). And the last for the basic workouts are crunches. They are good for trying to get a six-pack. This also makes them ideal for strengthening your core, which includes your lower back muscles and obliques.

 

     Most of these workouts are for high school or higher. Some advanced workouts are some leg extension, they are good for the patellar ligament and quadriceps attachment for the knee. It can be a good finisher exercise too. You can focus on target muscles more selectively, and also goes good with some leg curls. Next on the list is Barbell Squats, Barbell Squats are the only exercise that directly strengthens your posterior chain muscles. These are the hamstrings, the glutes, and the adductors. These workouts can improve your ability to jump also, and will improve any movement involving your lower body. “If you drink less water you will show off more muscle.” This was a suggestion by someone.

bottom of page