October 2020
Facts About Vampires
By:Aaliyah Montes
Do you believe in vampires? If so, how much do you know about vampires? Well here are some more facts. I asked Eva Hernandez, a 7th grader, how long do Vampires live for and she said "300 years". I also asked her if she liked Vampires and she said "yes".
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A group of Vampires has variously been called a clutch, brood, coven, pack, or a clan.
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Prehistoric stone monuments called “dolmens” have been found over the graves of the dead in northwest Europe. Anthropologists speculate they have been placed over graves to keep vampires from rising.
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The Muppet vampire, Count von Count from Sesame Street, is based on actual vampire myth.
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The First Mention of the Name Vampire Came in 1734
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Dolmens Were Used to Stop Vampires Rising
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Vampires Are Connected to the British Royal Family
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The name “Vampire” comes from the Albanian Dhampir which means “to drink with teeth”.
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Vampires can be killed by the use of a wooden stake through the heart.
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Vampire’s habits include being very pale, being super hot, sleeping during the day, not eating food and remaining young-looking forever.
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People are turned into vampires by being bitten by a Vampire.
Halloween Movies You Must Watch
Written By: Haily Ziemer
-Spoilers Alert-
This Year we might not be able to dress up in our costumes and go trick or treating so this year a lot of people are staying inside to watch movies instead.“I am ok with it because I don’t want my kids to get sick,” Lisa Rogers stated. It will give people more time to design their costumes for Halloween next year as well. Here are some movies that you can watch for Halloween this month during the quarantine to keep your kids from getting sick.
1. Hocus Pocus
“Hocus Pocus” is a movie starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, with Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw. The film is about a trio of witches who are resurrected by a teenage boy on Halloween Night. This is a 1993 film Directed by Kenny Ortega. The set was filmed in Salem California and is still a very popular Halloween Movie and most likely will be for a long time to come. This movie has a 4.6 out of 5.
2. GhostBusters
“Ghostbusters” is a film about a team of scientists losing their positions in New York City. They decided to become the “Ghostbusters” and they stumble upon a portal to another dimension. The doorway had released ghosts to the city. They had to team up to take out the ghosts and put them back into their own dimension. This movie is a 1984 film Directed by Ivan Reitman. They filmed in Los Angeles although watchers are told it’s in New York. This movie is a really popular one as well and 87% of people liked the movie. This movie has a 4.7-star rating out of 5.
3. It’s The Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown
“It’s The Great Pumpkin” is about an unseen character called “The Great Pumpkin” in the Peanuts comics. According to Linus(A character in Peanuts) “The Great Pumpkin” is a character “who rises from the pumpkin patch on Halloween evening and flies around bringing toys to sincere and believing children.” The Comics were created by Charles M. Schulz and Later turned into movies including Peanuts, It’s The Great Pumpkin, and many more. The Director of this movie was not Charles Schulz but Bill Melendez. Out of all of the people who watched this movie 93% liked it. This movie has a 4.1-star rating out of 5.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is about a skeleton called Jack who is getting “tired of the same old thing”. Every year they celebrate Halloween in Halloween town and sing an amazing song. Jack began getting bored and took a walk through the forest stumbling upon doors shaped for different holidays. He went through the Christmas door and thought it was so amazing he wanted to try out a new holiday and become Santa Claus instead. This movie was created in 1993 and directed by Henry Selick. Although Tim Burton’s name is above the title he did not direct. His name is only there because he was a major producer. He also helped come up with the looks for the Characters. “I love Nightmare Before Christmas because I feel that like the animation style of the movie matches the story,” Alaina Butler from 8th-grade states. This is a very popular movie and 92% of people who have watched this movie liked it. This movie has a 4.7-star rating out of 5.
5. The Addams Family
“The Addams Family” is about a man that claims to be Uncle Fester, the Brother of Gomez Addams. He arrives at their home and the family is excited. Morticia Addams suspects that he isn’t really Fester because he can not recall his memories from his life. A lawyer Tully Alford helps Fester evict the Addams from their home because he had no memory of them. Gomez realizes that they are trying to take away their fortune and have to challenge Fester. This is a 1991 film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. This is a popular movie and 89% of watchers liked the movie. The Movie has a 4.7-star rating out of 5.
Multiple Ways To Decorate A Pumpkin
Written by: Kadynce Whitehead
There are many ways to decorate a pumpkin some people might think there's only one way but in my case there's not. I think that there are so many different ways today I will be going over three ways to decorate a pumpkin. Starting with the traditional pumpkin carving. So many people use this method this way when you use your handy dandy pumpkin carving knives and you just carve like you’ve never carved before! The second way you could carve a pumpkin is well….. You're not really carving a pumpkin more than decorating it but painting! I love painting pumpkins. I think it's really nice to just let your imagination take you away into some other type of world.The last way to carve/decorate pumpkins is with nails or toothpicks. You can get a design on a paper and poke holes to make that design and you can put a candle in it for super cool effects! All of these ways are super fun and cool. I asked my mom which way to decorate a pumpkin was her favorite and why? She said” I like to carve my pumpkin because it's really fun and i'm not a great painter so carving pumpkins is my favorite” I also asked my best friend Alaric Montenez and she said “ I like to paint my pumpkins because I can get really creative when painting them”
The list of tools
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Carving knives
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A spoon or seed scooper
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Paint
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Paint brushes
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Paper plate
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A nail or toothpick
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Malete
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Paper with your design
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Small candle
Are Black Cats Bad Luck?
By: Kade Andino
This should be obvious to most people, black cats are not bad luck and don’t give someone bad luck. So now the question is, why do people say black cats are bad? Let us start at the beginning of humans, when us humans were not as smart as today and just became human, felines like the saber tooth tiger were the normal types of felines. They were large and almost more dangerous as wolves which humans decided to domesticate first. Moving to Medieval Europe, there was a rumor that a man crossed a black cat and tossed a stone at it. The cat ran to the house of a suspected witch of the time. Cats were also a sign of the devil according to the Medieval Church. Black cats got hit the worst though because well, they were mostly just covered in black fur. In the Salem Witch Trials, some people were accused to be witches purely because they owned a black cat. Jessica Simpson said “People portray black cats as “bad” or do bad things to black cats because of “beliefs.”
Are Black Cats Great?
Now you are probably thinking, are black cats great? For someone who owns one I can say as kittens, they are like most other kittens which would be playful. This is not the same when they reach adulthood though. If you constantly play with them while they grow up then they will be playful cats, although if you can’t always give enough attention then be prepared to have them be king of the house. I can tell you from experience, If you need a cat who will bug you while being king of the house then these cats are perfect. These cats are also perfect at hiding so if you think you might have lost them, they might just be hiding in the darkness or under furniture. Like any other cat, they will push things off the table. They can be tricksters as well, they might tell you to pet them but then you will pet them a bit and then you have got some cuts. I will say that they are mostly chill so if you want a cat but don’t always have enough time to give them attention then these cats are perfect for you. Elias Valdovins says “People say when you see a black cat you can get good luck or bad luck so probably not black cats.”
Are You Going Trick or Treating? Should You?
By: Amirah Jones
Halloween is coming up soon, one of the most popular holidays. Josiah from the 4th grade said “Halloween is my favorite holiday”. Kids like to dress up as their favorite monster or cartoon character from their favorite show. Gracie from the 8th grade said “I’m gonna dress up as a vampire”. Parents get to walk their children around the neighborhood and some give out candy. Teenagers plan to match with their friends and some plan to scare all the little kids. Everyone is having a good time but what about this year? With covid around and forced to be in quarantine should you go out trick or treating? Here are some reasons you should consider not going out trick or treating. Reason one covid 19 cases are spiking up again. Especially because it is flu season and going out trick or treating doesn't help with that and you and whoever is with is more likely to get the terrible sickness. Reason two why go trick or treating when there are many other ways to have a fun Halloween without having to go, like having a small party or having a scary movie night with your family. You are less likely to get covid and you are still quarantining. Lastly reason three to stay safe there are some people who give out candy and they put things that aren’t supposed to be in the candy. Or some people like to try and bring kids inside their homes. So you could just stay home and do some fun Halloween activities like carving pumpkins or having a contest to see who has the best costume. Those are some reasons why you shouldn’t go trick or treating this year.
Fun and Creative Ways to Carve Pumpkins
By: Caydence Gourley
Pumpkins are very fun to carve, but they could also be very messy. I asked my mom what her least favorite part about carving pumpkins is and she responded with “the mess that it makes”, which I agree as well. You might want to think about carving pumpkins in your backyard. Normally when you carve a pumpkin you should bring a plastic bag/ container so that you could have a place to put the seeds in. The seeds inside of the pumpkin are very sticky (and they kinda smell bad). To start with carving your pumpkin, you start at the top and carve around the stem. Next you take out the seeds, which you may want to use a spoon or something that could scrape the inside of the pumpkin with. I asked my little sister, Riley what her favorite part about carving pumpkins is and she responded with “ I like taking out the seeds”And finally you carve your pumpkin on the outside with any design of your choice. Some designs you can do on your pumpkin are…
4 Fun Facts About Huskies
By: Lilliana Atkinson
There are some interesting facts about anything and everything but I am just going to tell Fun Facts about huskies since it is our school mascot and here are some facts about huskies enjoy!
Fact 1: Huskies made their first debut at the second year of the All Alaska Sweepstakes Race in 1909. The canines have proved the word true by dominating the racing competitions in Alaska they are very popular in most dog sled race.
Fact 2: Huskies have a thick double coat that keeps them well insulated. Their undercoat is short and warm, while their overcoat is long, water-resistant, and thick. Their almond-shaped eyes allow them to squint to keep out snow. Huskies will wrap their tails around their faces while they sleep. It keeps their breath warm, the tail keeps the nose and face protected from the cold.
Fact 3: In 1925, the children of Nome came down with a disease called diphtheria. The closest antitoxin was 1,000 miles away in a hospital in Anchorage. They could only take the medicine so far, and it was up to mushers with teams of sled dogs most of the sled dogs were huskies to transport the package the remaining 674 miles.
Fact 4: Huskies often run long distances on very little food. When humans attempt this, we start to use our body’s glycogen and fat. But huskies burn a lot of calories without ever tapping into other energy sources.
Bonus Fact: During WWII, the army employed huskies as search and rescue dogs. They were also used for transportation, freighting, and communication.
In Conclusion Huskies are really great and fascinating dogs and are fun plus they are amazing and have a lot of interesting history. My Grandma says “That there are many different breeds of huskies.” I looked up how many different types of husky breeds on the internet and it says that there are 13 different types of huskies breeds and my Grandma also said “That huskies race in the Iditarod Race in Alaska.”
Recent UFO Sightings
By Bryce Jacobson
There have been many mysterious UFO attacks, and that's what we will be talking about today. November 9th, 2019 a UFO sighting was reported in The Dechmont Woods in the UK. Robert Taylor, the man who reported the UFO sighting who had been living on the property for 40 years. He was checking fences when saw the mysterious flying saucer. Navy Pilots have also seen flying saucers over Virginia for over six years now. Lieutenant Graves, a Navy pilot who saw the UFOs described it as a floating cube. One incident on March 26th, 2014 the Navy picked up an unknown object flying that was the size of a suitcase. The Pentagon has been investigating these sightings. Evan Wilson, a friend of mine said that “ That they shouldn’t be such a big threat. Aliens aren’t real”. One of my other friends, Brock Murray says that “If Nasa has confirmed UFOs, Aliens are real”. According to DW.com Japan has ordered air force pilots to report UFOs and any strange activity in the sky. Japan states that UFOs are known to be around volcanoes, making Japan a prime target for aliens. Who really knows if aliens do or don’t exist.
Reviewing a Short Scary Story
By: Alaina Butler
Pretending to be Asleep Doesn’t Work (By Gray Bread on Reddit)
(Might be disturbing to some readers. Ages 9 and under I advise not to read this.)
A young boy is sleeping in his bed on a usual night. He hears footsteps outside his door, and peeks out of his eyes to see what is happening. His door swings open quietly to reveal a murderer carrying the corpses of his parents. After silently propping them up on a chair, he writes something on the wall in the blood of the dead bodies. He then hides under the child's bed.
The child is scared beyond belief. He can’t read the writing on the wall and he knows the man is under his bed. Like any child, he pretends that he slept through the whole thing and hasn’t awoken yet. He lays still as the bodies, quietly hearing the breathes from under his bed. An hour passes, and his eyes are adjusting more and more to the darkness. He tries to make out the words, but it’s a struggle. He gasps when he finally makes out the sentence.“I know you’re awake”. He feels something shift underneath his bed.
First of all, This story has an amazing start to it. Right when you start reading, it feels like something is off. In the middle, I feel like it’s a little too quick to tell the reader what’s happening. I think it would be better by maybe instead of putting, “ His door swings open quietly to reveal a murderer carrying the corpses of his parents.” Put, “His door creaks open quietly to reveal a figure carrying the corpses of his parents.” In the end, I feel like it completes the story perfectly. It puts you on edge and leaves it to your imagination of what happened next. There are some typos that I think the creator should fix but other than that it’s a good story. On a scale from one to five, I would rate this a four.
Haily Zeimer, an eighth-grader from Highland Academy says, “I love horror movies. My favorite thing to do is look at the corpses to see if I can see them breathing. I would rate this a four out of five because I want to find out what happened next.”
Brianna Bohler, an eighth-grader from Highland academy states, “I love horror stuff! It’s always super scary and shocking! I would rate this a 5/5.”
Other Ways to Use Pumpkin Seeds
By Emerson Direen
Have you ever carved a pumpkin and had leftover seeds well if you were throwing them away, you can actually cook them and they are really good. Some good ways to cook pumpkin seeds is to carve your pumpkin, keep the seeds and let the seeds dry out. Then add whatever seasonings you want I prefer to use honey and whiskey that you poor over the seeds. When you are done, with that you need to preheat your oven to 200 degrees. After it is at 200 degrees you put them in the oven for 20 mins then you flip them then put them back in the oven for another 20 mins. After you finish, all that get some plastic bags and stickers that say happy Halloween, and then give them away to family and friends and watch their faces when they taste how good they are.
Another way to use pumpkin seeds is by decorating your house you can put the pumpkin seeds in the fake spider webs and it will look like spider eggs. You can put the pumpkin seeds all over the lawn to make it look like ash. You can also make your pumpkin have teeth with the pumpkin seeds. As you can see, you can do a lot of stuff with the pumpkin seeds next time you carve a pumpkin, make sure to save the seeds. My dad said ¨I never knew that you could do so much with pumpkin seeds¨. Sage g said ¨wow these things are better than some chips I will try this next year¨