Soccer By Rachel

Soccer

Hi, I am going to write to you about soccer. In soccer you have 2 teams and a soccer ball with each team on opposing sides. You can play soccer outside or inside. I am writing about soccer because I was on a soccer team for 3 years, and I know a lot about it. One team had the name Jays, and we had another team named Bob. We got to pick our team name, and we came up with Bob. We picked Bob because we knew other teams would not have the same name. Before you play soccer you can do warm ups with the ball. All the players get their own ball, or we would have one ball for two people. Then we play the game. You have 3 people forward, 2 people defence, and 1 goalie. 2 people in the middle of the field would see who gets to go first, and then they kick the ball and try to get it in the other team’s net. If we did, we got a point. At the end of the game, we see who wins and show our good sportsmanship.

The reason why I like soccer

The reason why I like soccer is because you can meet new people and you get to know more about them. Another reason why I like soccer is that I have something fun to do and enjoy. Once you make the team you sometimes get happy, and you can go to different places like London, Toronto, and other places like that. Also I never gave up, even though it’s hard work.

How to make the team

You can make the team because you are good at it or fast. You have to be great at one spot like forward, defence, or goalie. Another way of making the team is by having good sportsmanship and not giving up. Now you know the reason why I like soccer and how I made the team.

My Experience At Studio Arts By Caleb

My time at Studio Arts was amazing. During out hour there, we learned to play electric guitar, electric bass, drums, and the keyboard. We learned to play songs with these instruments such as Long Way to the Top by AC/DC, The Sweater Song, and Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. Before we left, we played a big concert with smoke and a light machine on a big stage. My band, The Ostriches, played The Sweater Song as the main event for the concert. When we played out song, I took to the keyboard, Andrew took to the drums, Sabastien took to the electric guitar, and Greg took to the electric bass. It was special to me because I got to play my favourite instrument: the keyboard.

Studio Arts Trip By Dylan

Studio Arts is a guitar music school. It’s like the School of Rock of St. Thomas. Although it is located just down the street from June Rose Callwood P.S., the journey there felt like it took hours, but that’s because of the gravel and dirt sidewalks. When we made it to Studio Arts, you could tell that it is a place where you can just let your creativity flow. As soon as you walked in there were couches in the lobby and murals in the band room. You can really tell it’s a spontaneous place. The instructors are nice and well trained. Studio Arts can be for learning or jamming, and going there with friends is fun. It’s a once and a lifetime moment (unless you go there again). In conclusion, Studio Arts is an amazing place, and St. Thomas is lucky to have it.

Check out the Studio Arts YouTube Channel here.

My Studio Arts Experience By Greg

My experience at Studio Arts was great! I had a nice instructor name Eric; he was smart, creative and had amazing talents flowing from him. In the arts of music, he was a genius! I loved jamming with him and my tight group of friends. My group consisted of me (Greg), Sabastien, Caleb, Andrew, and Jesse. I took the best instrument there: the electric bass. Caleb took the keyboard, Jesse and Andrew took drums, and Sabastien took electric guitar. Our group was named The Ostriches. Other groups played songs like Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO and Long Way to the top (which we originally were going to use) by ACDC. We performed Sweater Song.

I enjoyed playing on the stage, and it gave me a whole new level of respect for musicians for their talent needed for playing in front of a crowd. I also learned some sweet songs, even though I didn’t learn the song I wanted; nonetheless, it was a lot of fun. I can’t say enough on how good of a job the instructors did and how great the place was.

In the end it was super enjoyable and I had a lot of fun. I highly recommend going there. Again, the instructors pushed us in the right direction! I had a great day.

Check out the Studio Arts website here

My Art! By Jade

Today I’m going to write about my art. The media of art that I use is sculpting, singing, and drawing. The reason I do art is because I am passionate about it, because it keeps me calm, and it keeps me concentrated. When I am drawing my mind is blank, so that I can better concentrate on my work. Once I’m done what I was doing, I feel proud of myself for what I have accomplished.

This drawing is a Crane Phoenix. A Crane Phoenix represents: fire, speed, and rebirth. The reason I drew this picture is that it was what I looked like in the game I was playing with my two best friends.

Karate By Ilea

Hi, I’m going to write to you about karate. I take karate classes in a dojo. A teacher is called a sensei. You usually start class by stretching but not always. Each level in karate is represented as a belt. You start as a white belt and move up to black. You go from white to yellow to orange to red to green to purple to blue to brown and then black. You also have advanced belts. An advanced belt is a normal belt, but it has a black stripe in the middle of it. If you are not old enough to get a black belt, you get a junior black. A junior black belt is just like a black belt but it has a white stripe on it almost like an advanced belt. To get a new belt, you have to go through a grading. A grading is when you do all of the basics and a thousand punches. You also have to do your kata in front of the sensei so he can see if you are good enough. If you are not, you will have to re-grade. Before you can re-grade, you have to wait a month. At a black belt grading, you have to go for 8 hours. Since I haven’t got my black belt yet, I do not know what goes on at a black belt grading.

The reason I like karate is because it helps me when I run into a bully and I really need it. Also, it helps me with self-control and not freaking out when someone or something makes me angry or sad. I like it because it makes me active instead of sitting around all day. Sometimes I don’t like karate because I don’t really feel like getting up or working out, and sometimes it’s because I know that they will work me out really hard. Even though I do not like going to karate when I’m having a bad day or I’m just not in the mood, I still keep going back because I don’t want to waste 4 years of hard work, which would make those 4 years count for nothing. I want to be proud of myself as a black belt and not a brown advanced for the rest of my life. Now you know what I’m proud of and passionate about. What is your passion?

My Summer Trip By Cameron

What are you planning to do this summer? Well, I am planning to go to an amusement park in the U.S. called Cedar Point. I am very excited to go on the rides because some of the rides are in the top ten for speed and for height in the world! My family is going to leave at the end of August in the morning for Cedar Point. We are driving, and we will stay at a hotel. In the morning, we will be heading to the amusement park, and we will be there for the whole day. Then, we will be spending the night at the hotel again and heading home in the morning.

I am most excited about riding a roller coaster called the Gate Keeper because the first dip it does does not just go straight down, it also twists. The speed of the Gate Keeper is 100 kilometers an hour, and the height is 170 feet tall! The ride takes 2 minutes and 20 seconds to get through the whole roller coaster, and the length is 4164 feet long. I am actually kind of scared to go on it, but I will still have the time of my life. I bet you know why I am excited now!

I hope all of you who are reading this have a great summer too.

Wanting Something You Can't Have By Dawson

This story is based on a girl trying to fill the empty spot in her heart.

Skye: I can’t wait for the nighter tonight!

Elizabeth: Yeah me too!

Skye: Do you have the 5 dollars

Elizabeth: Yup

Skye: Okay let’s go!!!!!!

(Skye and Elizabeth’s Grandpa Pulls up)

Bill: Are you girls ready?

Skye and Elizabeth: We were born ready.

Bill: Well okay then.

Skye thought to herself: Oh no what if he is there tonight, I can’t wait to see him, I wonder if he has a girlfriend?

Bill: Girls we are here.

Skye and Elizabeth: Okay, thanks see you at 10.Bye!

(Skye and Elizabeth walk excitedly to the front desk)

Secretary: What class? 5 dollars.

Skye: Miss Norton. And here’s the 5 dollars.

Secretary: Whoa, you haven’t missed any. Wait, you missed February.

Skye: I was sick.

Elizabeth: Skye, Skye, Skye!

Skye: Yes

Elizabeth: He’s cute. (Pointing at Sean.) 

(The song “Halo” by Beyoncé comes on.)

Skye:  Ask him to dance.

Elizabeth: I can’t.

Skye: You can, and you will. (Giving Elizabeth a push)

Elizabeth (to Sean): You wanna dance?

Sean: Yea sure, who’s your friend? (Pointing at Skye)

Elizabeth: That’s my cousin Skye.

Sean (calling to his friend): Hey, Dylan come here!

Dylan:  Yea what?

Sean (Pointing at Skye): That girl over there. She needs a dancing partner.

Dylan: Okay? Hey you wanna dance?

Skye: Sure. (Skye and Dylan walk over to where Elizabeth and Sean were). I love this song.

Dylan: Me too.

Announcer: That was the award dance, and the winners are Dylan and Skye!

Skye and Dylan: Yes! This is awesome! (They walk to get their $10 iTunes cards).

(Then before they knew it, the nighter was over. Little did Skye know, Dylan had been playing her the entire time. Dylan had a girlfriend, and now Skye was head-over-heels for him.)

Never Ever Do This At Home By Liam

I’m going to blog about Never Ever Do This At Home, a TV show you can find on Discovery Channel. Their motto is, “We do it so you don’t have to.” I would call this a science show. I have seen on this show: breaking toasters of the wall, playing golf in the house, lighting balloons of gasoline in a house, and making coffee in the sink. All of these experiments are dangerous. My favorite experiment they did was making a car into a remote control car. They didn’t show how they made it themselves, but they drove the car through an obstacle course while Norm, one of the hosts, was in the car. Teddy, the other host, made the car hit a tree, which the broke the left light in the front of the car.

The thing I like about Never Ever Do This At Home is when they are blowing stuff up. I like them blowing stuff up because I like seeing explosions. There isn’t really anything I dislike about the show. One thing I wish they would do on the show is light the oven on fire by overheating it. In one episode I just saw, they blew up a wall trying to make a walk in closet. The wall just fell down, and they blew it up with dynamite. The dynamite took out the wall and shook the top of the roof. It was a rough explosion. Thank you for reading my blog, and I hope you check out Never Ever Do This At Home on the Discovery Channel.

Deadpool by Seth

Today I’m writing about Deadpool, a character from Marvel comic books. Deadpool wears a black and red suit, and his weapons are two swords, a pistol, and smoke grenades. Deadpool also has a power that allows him to heal himself. This ability is also known as accelerated healing factor. Deadpool is basically invincible. He even has dying brain cells that are being regenerated at an extremely fast rate. He also uses clones when he is in trouble fighting villains. He uses the clones for extra help and defensive purposes. He can also use them for commands and they can do his deeds. Unlike Deadpool, his clones can die, but he can regenerate them. One of his villains is Deathstroke.

What I really like about Deadpool is that he can never die because his brain cells just keep regenerating. I also can’t wait until they come out with a game for Xbox 360 and Ps3. If you like Marvel, I would suggest that you read Deadpool comics because he is awesome!    

End of Days Book Review By McKenzie

I am writing about the book End Of Days by Eric Walters. It's about the world coming to an end by an asteroid that will hit them in less than a year. The book switches perspectives between the scientists and this little boy named Billy who lives in New York. Billy has created his own little society in an abandoned apartment building that has roughly around 200 people in it. In anticipation of the asteroid's impact, the people of the world have already gone mad because of their knowledge of the world's destruction. Policemen were sent out to find Billy after he had committed a crime, but the police are not interested in what will happen to Billy; they just want the reward that is given to them if they find him.

I really like this story because of the intensity surrounding the plot and Billy's character. Billy has so much on his shoulders, but he still manages to resist what is going on around him. He is strong in general, and he lost his parents at such a young age, which also makes him stronger as a person. He thinks of other people before himself. At this facility he is in, he has no friends and he is a bit lonely and confused. Despite the overwhelming atmosphere, he still seems to push through everything, and he becomes stronger every day.

One of the themes of this novel is perseverance, which is shown when they try nearly everthing to save humanity, but they never give up even if it comes with struggles. I think this is reflected in the scientists because the scientists are also doing everthing in their power to make sure that the rockets they sent up into space stay on track for that period of time. They continue to work on a solution, even though people are trying to kill them or something on the rockets goes wrong. They even face criticism from religious people who feel that God wants all this to happen.

Billy also perserveres by never giving up on trying to get back home. Some challenges Billy faces are escaping the electric fence around the facility, resisting guards, and surviving the troubles of the wilderness if he did make it out. He said in the book that he would do anything to make it back to his family in New York, even if it took his own life. He doubts that he will ever make it out of the facility, but he still sees the point in trying to return home.

I recommend this book for anybody who enjoys action and adventure, a great story with interesting characters, and some heartfelt moments.

JJ Talks About Skateboarding

Today I’m going to write a blog on skateboarding. I like to skateboard at the London or Port skateparks and around town. I have a Deathwish skateboard, Thunder trucks, Bones wheels, Reds bearings, and Girl hardware. I usually break a deck a week, and this one has lasted a week and a half so far. I use Thunder trucks because they last long and they turn great. When you grind they slide far and smooth and they are light. I like light trucks because it makes it easier to pop tricks, making them high and look nice. I like my wheels because Bones wheels won’t flat spot like other wheels.

Reds bearings may cost a lot but they last long without popping or seizing up, and they go faster than any other bearing. I like the Deathwish deck I have because my boards usually chip, lose pop and shape really fast and mine has lasted longer than most my boards so far, and it’s still got good shape and pop.

I usually break decks on rails, kickers and flat ground tricks. One of my friends named Keenan broke his brand new Venture trucks once on a frontside 180 kickflip over a big grass gap.

The shoes I like to wear are Chris Cole DC’s or Supra’s. I like wearing those shoes for skating drops and stuff they have good impact support and don’t hurt my feet. They break in quickly and feel comfy. Supra’s don’t last long; they only skate nice and feel nice on your feet.

I like to skateboard because it’s fun. You can hangout with friends, film, learn new tricks, and laugh when people bail. I got sponsored for skateboarding by a skateshop in town called Edge sports. I got sponsored because my friend Dez Barnim would film me. Once we got enough clips I handed it into Edge and got the sponsorship!!

Some of the things I put in my video were ollieing 9 sets, 180 6 sets, flip tricks on kickers, and grinds on rails and boxes. When I got sponsored, it got me discounts on everything, and if you go far enough with your sponsorship you can get free boards, shoes and other product. When you are sponsored, if you keep on handing in better footage, they will eventually hand your stuff in to bigger companies.

If they like your stuff they will give you free product every now and then, and if you still keep handing stuff in, they will put you on flow with them and give you a lot of product more often.

This is why I like to skateboard and why I find it fun.

 

The Loch Ness Monster By Justyn

Welcome to the Loch Ness Monster history blog post. The Loch Ness Monster is a mythical sea creature with a long neck. The neck is as long as a Brachiosaurus’, a neck which is about 30 feet long. Also, the Loch Ness Monster lives in a lake in Scotland. The Loch Ness Monster is very interesting, and it is probably not that friendly. The Loch Ness Monster is built to eat other animals, and it can also swim at very high speeds. It can also surface on the water, so it can catch low flying things above it. Some people have said that they have seen the Loch Ness Monster, and some people have claimed that they have encountered it too. Some boats have been flipped over by it, which has damaged and even sank some boats in the process. Photos have even shown a black image of something big travelling in the water. There are also a few photos showing the Loch Ness Monster sticking its head out of the water. Last, there has been some evidence found in the water that appears to be something destroyed by this sea creature.

I find the Loch Ness Monster interesting because I like knowing about something that is so big that can also be real. It is really cool to think that there is something that can destroy things in the water. The Loch Ness Monster also reminds me of an alligator gar swimming through the water, which is a fish with a strong skin and jaw. It is also interesting because so many people are still trying to find out about it. Thanks for reading, and go to the Wikipedia page below.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster

Freestyle Scooters By Tyler

Today, I will be talking to you about freestyle scooters. Freestyle scooters are stunt scooters designed for tricks. Riding scooters can be a professional sport, which means you can get paid for riding. Stunt scooters don’t fold up like most scooters do, and their parts a made more stable. Unlike a Razer, pro scooters like Grits, MGPs, and Districts are better made; for instance, they have stronger wheels, bars, and decks. Some tricks that professional riders will perform are finger whips, back flips, front flips, and 720s.

I love scootering because of all the tricks you can learn, and I love the feeling I get when I get big air. Also there is nothing better than the feeling you get when you land a new trick. One time at the Dresden skate park, I landed my first 180 in then back out (which is when you jump and turn 180 degrees, then jump and turn 180 degrees again). I was hopeful that I would land it, but it was still a shock to me because I haven’t practice that trick as much. I felt a lot of excitement running through my body, and then I felt more confident trying other tricks.

So when you are bored, hop on a scooter and give it a try.

Photography By Jayden

Today I will be telling you about photography, because I am a photographer. I like to use high ISO film speed because I take more pictures of moving things like a fire or a bird. I would also pick a Fujifilm or a Nikon camera over a Canon, because Canon cameras cost 10 times more, and their cameras are made more for trips and taking pictures of sports. Fujifilm and Nikon are for taking pictures of anything, but you just have to have the right settings set. I say this because I use Nikon and Fujifilm, and I know they are a lot cheaper and can be used for taking pictures of anything.

I like taking pictures because taking pictures is like I am freezing a single second in time, and then that second is saved forever. I think that is important because you can never get that second back, but now it is saved in a picture. That is why I like taking pictures so much.

So what do you chose: Canon, Fujifilm, or Nikon?

Mario Kart Review by Rodger

Mario Kart is a racing game for Nintendo where you have to drive in a Kart or a bike while you have to race other Mario Kart characters. Mario Kart is different than other racing games that look real and 3D, but the other games are not as fun as Mario kart.  There are 12 characters in Mario Kart racing. You could play in Battle Mode as either Coin Runners or Balloon Battle.  In Coin Runners, you work in a team to collect coins, and the team who collects the most coins wins. Balloon battle is where you have to shoot the other team’s Balloons. There are also cube boxes that you break in the game to get something to shoot, like a red shell or green shell.  There are a lot of levels you could win.

I think Mario Kart is fun because you can shoot other racers. I like it because there are hard levels too. My favourite character is named Dry Bones. The graphics are amazing, and when you shoot other racers they flip. I would change the game by making a mode where the Karts crash into each other. Thanks for reading my post.

The Life of One Direction by Rayne

I am going to be writing about my favourite band One Direction. Everyone in the band is from England except for the one member from Ireland. The names of the guys in the band are Niall, Liam, Zayn, Harry, and Louis. My favourite song by One Direction is “Little Things.” The meaning of the song “Little Things” is that you are perfect the way you are so there is no need to change. Lots of the songs that they have made have very special meanings that I really enjoy. One Direction first became famous in 2010, when they were put together as a band on the X-Factor. Simon Cowell put them together, and they succeeded even though they barely knew each other.

The thing I really like about One Direction is that I love the meaning of their songs and how they don’t act like spoiled celebrities. Also, when they’re on stage they are hilarious. One Direction is great when they goof around with each other and even with their fans. An example of how they will goof around is when some fans throw their phones on stage, and then they call someone on their contacts list and ask if they want a cup of tea. They goof around with each other on stage too, and they will take each other’s hats and run around with them. I really love One Direction and you might too.

Here is my favourite song by One Direction called “Little Things,” written by Ed Sheeran. My two favourite parts are when Louis and Liam sing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

NHL 13 by Tristan C.

Today I’m going to be reviewing NHL 13 for Xbox 360. NHL 13 is a hockey game with tons of game modes like Be a GM mode, Be a Pro mode, Online Versus, and plenty of others. The gameplay is in bird’s eye view, but with the Be a Pro game mode, it’s in 3^rd person. They updated the skating in NHL 13 from NHL 12, and the skating is much more realistic, but you can’t make sudden movements or you would have to much momentum and fall down. They also updated the goalies on how they move around when making desperation saves and poke checking. But they did not update the bots, which is really annoying because it’s really easy when you are playing against them. The bots do not play their positions correctly, and your goalie is a bot too, so you can score the same way on them over and over again. That is really all that is wrong about the game.

I really enjoy the online team play, because when you have a good match, you get experience points, which allow you to upgrade your player’s stats and make him better. You are able to customize your character on how he looks, his name, size, weight, and number; also you get to make a team with your friends and play against other online teams with the same skill level. I like to play Online Versus because you get to play one versus one. You pick a team and play against your opponent, and if you win, you get experience points and level up. I really have fun just making plays finding out new dekes, figuring out new ways to score, or making cool saves as a goalie.

I really enjoy this game, and I give it 8 out of 10. I gave it 8 out of 10 because the bots really bring the game down, and I hope they upgrade the bots of NHL 14. Also, I suggest that people who haven’t played NHL 13 before get to try it out, because if you like hockey, I bet you will like this game.

Skateboarding with Dustin

Hi my name is Dustin, and I skateboard. I skateboard because it looks fun. I started to skateboard at age 10 because I saw some kids that were skateboarding, so I got a skateboard and started to skate. I have an Element skateboard, and it has an Element logo on it. I can Pop shove it, Ollie, and Shove it.  (They are tricks that I can do.) I also ride my skateboard to get around to places. Places I like to go are stores, my friend’s house, to school, and my house.

I hope that St. Thomas gets a new skate park because we need a skate park. We need a place to skate and not ride uptown all the time, because we do not have many places to skate where it is not so dangerous. We also need a place where we can make more skateboard videos to get sponsored.

Super Mario Sunshine Review By Marcus

Visit Gamespy's Super Mario Sunshine Strategy Guide Here

Super Mario Sunshine was a game on the Nintendo Gamecube. When it came out it was very different from most Mario games. Most games in the series were basic platformers or 3-D platformers, but Super Mario Sunshine took that, put in a washing machine, and used that. It was changed mostly because of aspect called F.L.U.D.D. (Flash Liquidizing Ultra Dousing Device), which let you spray water, hover, shoot up like a rocket, or sprint at high speeds.

The story is pretty simple as Mario, Princess Peach, Toadsworth, and many Toads go on a vacation to Ilse Delfino, an island inhabited by Piantas and Nokis. Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr., have other plans, and they try to sabotage Mario’s vacation by making graffiti all over the island. While vandalizing the island, Bowser Jr. wears a Mario disguise. As soon as Mario and Co. land, they see the graffiti and Mario (this being a game) is the only one to help.

Then he finds F.L.U.D.D., which boots up and scans Mario to find out about him. He then introduces himself to Mario. Mario then cleans up the graffiti on the landing strip, picks up a Shine Sprit (the most collectible thing in the game) and gets arrested. You must get 120 Shine Sprits to 100% the game, but you only need 43 to beat the game.

I enjoy this game very much because it was different from most other Mario games. I enjoyed Nintendo’s approach at this game.

I would give this game a four out of five.