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 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!    

Anime by Jazmyn

I am writing about anime, which is an animated medium of cartoons from Japan. Most people think cartoons and anime are all the same but they aren’t. Anime is usually made for teens, while cartoons are made for children. The reason why anime is meant for older viewers is because children might not understand some of the situations that happen in most anime. Other reasons that anime is for older audiences are that most anime has violent and dramatic scenes that might not be suitable for younger viewers. An example of a dramatic situation would be in the graphic novel Black Bird the characters deal with relationship problems, such as a love triangle.

I really like anime because of the graphic design, but all anime does not have the same design. The designs differ because they are all by different people; therefore, they’re unique in their own way. Another reason why I like anime is that there are a lot of genres to pick from, like action and fantasy. Anime is mostly about the plot or the storyline, but anime authors and illustrators also put a lot of work and detail into the characters so you can understand their personalities. A character I really like is Rei Miyamoto from High School of the Dead because I understand how she felt when she lost one of her best friends when a zombie apocalypse broke out. If that happened in the real world, I would be very upset, and I think I would feel the same as Rei did.

By the time you’re done reading my blog post, I hope you would like to give anime a try and experience it in your own way.

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.

 

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.

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale by Noah

This game is a fighting game with different modes. What this game is about is that you are trying to get to the boss by trying to beating other characters.  There is a variety of characters you can play, and you can play online with other people around the world. By wining matches, you can earn different costumes, and you can level up, earning different player cards. The way you play is by finding weapons and fighting other players in an arena. Some weapons you can find are swords, baseball bats, and RPGs.

The reason I like this game is because of the characters. Some of my favorite characters are in this game like: Kratos , Cole, Bigdady, Sly Kooper, Sackboy, Zesu, and Issac Clark. All these characters come from different Playstation games.  The game play is really good on this game because of the animations they put on the boss. The boss is made from the stage that you are playing.  If I was the creator of this game, I would change the character list to include Hades from the game God of War. Thank you for reading my post.

Sims 3 for PC by Jacob

I’m going to be reviewing Sims 3 for PC. Sims 3 for PC is a game where you don’t just live a virtual life, you can design your own house and character on your computer. Sims 3 is one of my favorite games on computer too. You start off in a town called Sunset Valley, where it gives you an option to create your own character, with the options to adjust his strength, weight, and colour. Your character has a large selection of clothes that you can put on him, such as formal wear, swim wear, and many other wears. There is no end to the game; instead, you will eventually just die of old age. The real point of the game I guess is to live a life that you have more control over.

I love the game for its amazing graphics and its millions of choices for house design. If you have an eye for design, you would love this game. The colour choices are unlimited, and the patterns are fantastic. In the game, I have started out as a DJ manager at a grocery store, and two Sim weeks later, I was the manager of the store making thousands of dollars. I took my money bought three parks and made a mansion, but then I became poor and could not afford my house, and I had to sell everything I had. So it goes to show that you want to watch what you spend your money on in that game. This is why Sims 3 for PC is the game you should be asking for your birthday.

Note: This game is rated T for Teen.

House of Night Novels Review by Chris

I am reviewing the House of Night novels by PC and Kristin cast. The novels are about a 15 year old girl with brown hair blue eyes named Zoey. She lives in Florida in a small town, and the novel mostly takes place in her high school. The challenge she faces is that she is unknowingly turning into a vampire. Sunlight becomes a problem for her, her eyes go black when she craves blood, and her hearing is heightened so she is more aware of high pitched noises like the bell and dog whistles. Zoey is in a society where humans are aware that vampires exist. She is not accepted in her normal school, so she has to move away to a vampire school, where she will feel comfortable in her own skin and make new friends and live a new life.

What I like about the first House of Night novel is that it is not too romantic, and it has got a basis in real life. It is not too outrageously violent and gory, but it has got the just right amount to make it interesting. The book relates to real situations today, even though vampires aren’t real. There is an episode in the book when it describes how humans know that vampires are real and they have their own society. In reality, kids face those types of situations, like not being accepted into certain groups that they think they would fit in. I also like how there were a lot of cliff-hangers that kept me reading, and I also liked the small details the authors put into the novel, such as when Zoey goes into class the book tells what they’re learning about and what they talk about. If this sounds interesting, I would recommend this book for you.

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.

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.

Macklemore by Cameron

Macklemore is an inspirational musical song writier that created the song called "Wings." It was truly an inspiration for me to buy Nike Air Jordans. Macklemore is a cool guy with his own style of music. He plays basketball just like I do, and he has the same taste in shoes as me. He is my favorite artist that actually makes catchy songs, and my family likes him also. His music truly inspired me to play basketball.

Macklemore has a best friend named Ryan Lewis who makes his beats for his raps/songs. I have a friend that makes dubstep beats, and his name is Ryan also. Macklemore likes dubstep and rap music. His favorite headphones are Dre Beats, which are the same headphones as mine.

The song "Wings" is about Macklemeore's life with his Air Jordans. His life with his Air Jordans is the story of when his friend' brother was murderded for his fourth Generation Air Jordans. Macklemore also gets his shoes taken in the video when he is walking home from school.

Check out the video for "Wings" below, and thanks for reading.

Halo Reach by Tristan

Hello my name is Tristan B., and I’m going to write about a video game called Halo Reach. Halo Reach is a first person shooter, and it can be hard at times. The objective of the game is that aliens have invaded a planet called Reach, and you are assigned to a team that is called Noble Team. I’m going to start by explaining the details on what and what not to do in Campaign mode.

First, you should not let Kat drive. Also, if you find a sniper rifle, you should pick it up and use it. Another tip is: if you have a sniper rifle, you should try to find a shotgun and change it out with your other gun. In other words, keep both the shotgun and the sniper rifle. Last, you should not try to jump off a cliff to assassinate an Elite. In conclusion, I really think you should try this game. It’s fun.

Note: This game is rated M for Mature. The contents of this game may not be appropriate for all ages.