Have you ever wanted a different name? Well, February 13th is the day you can make that wish come true. February 13th is “National Change Your Name Day.” Parents love their child’s name, but often the child does not. My name is Rachel, but I’ve always wanted my name to be Allison or Ally. It turns out that my name is the 90th on the list of top baby names for the year 2010. The first for the girls was Isabella, and the boys’ most popular was Jacob. Click here to see the whole list. On February 13th, we are passing out name tags so you can “change your name,” and others can call you by the name of your dreams. Have fun!

By Rachel Russo, Grade 5

*** Click here to see a list of other bizarre or unusual “national” holidays!

YES:
I think having a Facebook account is a great idea. You can talk to relatives who you haven’t talked to in a year or two. You can talk to your friends instead of going on the phone. Also you can post photos and videos that tell people things about you. Many of my friends have it, and you should too! If you like to talk, this is a place for you. Ask others to join in, because it’s free!

By Lia Paolucci, Grade 5

NO:
No! Facebook can be really dangerous, especially for kids who have never had experience with it. Some random person may write something inappropriate to them that they might not understand, or maybe even ask for personal information. Facebook is mostly for adults so they can chat with their friends instead of e-mailing them. Facebook is NOT for children. Some kids like to post pictures of themselves on Facebook, where other people can look at them. When you post an inappropriate picture on Facebook, you can delete it, but it may turn up one day. You could get into a whole lot of trouble. For adults they can go to jail, court, or face fines. Children can go to Juvenile Court, or get banned from the website. I hope you make a wise decision before you ask for a Facebook.

By Alexandra Balassy, Grade 5

*** What do you think? CLICK HERE to take a survey and share your opinion!

The new movie “War Horse” is related to the book War Horse in many ways. The author of the book is Michael Monpurgo, who also wrote the books Private Peaceful, White Horse of Zennor, and of course Warhorse! It all starts at a horse sale where Joey’s mom is sold and so is Joey. They’re both separated and Joey never sees his mom again! He is taken to a farm where he meets Old Zoey and Albert. When Albert’s father took him to a stable, that’s where it all began. Albert went to see what his father had brought home, and he saw a horse! The next day he started to train Joey to farm their land. Before he started training Joey he gave him his name.

They were friends for life until he left Albert. Albert’s father needed money so they sold Joey to Captain Nickolas to be in World War I. Albert knew that he had to give his horse away so he told Captain Nickolas that that was his horse and to take care of him. Nickolas told him if the war ended he would give him back his horse. About a few weeks later Joey is taken into war and he meets Topthorn, which is a big black stallion. They were best friends and went into the battlefield together. One day Joey and Topthorn were running their first attack, and Joey lost Captain Nickolas.

They run away and meet Emily, along with her grandfather, who takes care of them for about three weeks. The Army found them and took most of Emily’s food and also took the horses. After a while Joey loses Topthorn, who dies because he has a big sore on his knee and can’t go any further. Now Albert is now old enough and is in the war his mission is to find Joey. At Albert’s camp a strange horse appears and they take him in and Albert thinks that it’s Joey. So while Albert gives them his description of Joey two men wash him off and they have great news! It’s Joey! Now it’s been four years since the war began and it’s coming to an end. They returned like they never left home. I highly recommend this book!

By Lia Paolucci, Grade 5

One of the biggest games of the year is coming up: The Super Bowl! The two teams are the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. The last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl was in 2007. The New York Giants won the game 17-14. The Patriots were going for an undefeated season, but the Giants stopped them. With about 2:30 left in the game, the Giants got the ball at their own 29-yard line. On the first play, Eli Manning was about to get sacked, but he broke the tackle. Then he lobbed the ball down the field and David Tyree made an amazing one-handed diving catch. Then a few plays later, Plaxico Burress caught a TOUCHDOWN pass to win the game. That game was one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Hopefully this game is just as great as 2007. The Patriots want revenge, but the Giants want the upset. I hope you can watch the amazing game!

Who do you want to win? CLICK HERE to take a survey!

By Ben Gorecki and Jacob Kijanski, Grade 4

Our school recently got a cool new weather tool. We interviewed the junior high teachers to find out more about what it does.

1. How does the WeatherBug work?
On the top of the building there is a white pole with something on top of it that measures wind speed, temperature, and rain gauge.
2. Whose idea was it to get the WeatherBug?
The idea was Mrs. Bopp’s, and the science teachers agreed.
3. Who came up with the slogan “Now look outside your window,” which they read on the announcements every morning?
Mr. Kozub was teaching them how to be weather people and told them to have a slogan.
4. How do you use the Bug in the classroom?
There is a link on the computer, and you have to log in to find out more about the weather.
5. If you could name the WeatherBug, what would you name it?
Mr. D = Saul; Mr. Kozub = Beef Jerky; Mrs. Hamsik = Copernicus; Class = Zeus

P.S. Mr. Kozub says, “Every good weatherman needs a mustache.”

By John Ham and Grant Bell, Grade 4

Here at St. Ambrose, the teachers teach our students about the future. What’s going to happen if this happens or that happens? The truth is, sometimes, we don’t listen and say, “Oh, it’s not my business about what the president is doing. I’m only a kid; why should I care?” Really, think, we might be only kids, but we will get older. We will change. We will make the future what it is, and what it is, is us. We are the generation who will change our economic problems. We are the generation who will create jobs. We are the generation who will create a pathway for the future generations, and they will leave off where we left today. And forever this world will live with problems we just can’t fix, but there are things that can change, and that is what our primary goal should be. We are the future; we are the world. We are the children who choose.

By Emma McGiveran, Grade 6

Look out cavities! February is Children’s Dental Health Month, which means people will be brushing their teeth more often. Nobody likes cavities, or tooth decay, so why delay? Brush YOUR teeth today! Brushing your teeth is very important. You should brush two times a day: morning and night. Better yet, brush them three times a day, which would mean after school too. Let me give you some tips of how to have a healthy smile:
• Brush your teeth for at least 30 seconds. Sing Happy Birthday or your ABC’s.
• Brush your teeth in the morning when you get up, and at night before you go to bed.
• Flossing is important too. Floss before you brush your teeth because the toothbrush can’t always reach the stuff in between your teeth.

Happy Brushing!

By Alexandra Balassy, Grade 5

Here are some riddles for you to answer that are rather confusing.

1. A boy and his father were driving in a car, and it crashed. The father died, but the boy was injured badly. They took him to the hospital and wheeled him into the emergency room. The doctor said, “I cannot operate on this boy; he’s my son.” Who is the doctor?
2. You are in a room with no windows or doors. The walls, ceiling, and floor are made of cement. Only a dresser and a mirror are in there. How do you get out?
3. What can sometimes be big and has a trunk? It’s not an elephant. What is it?
4. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
5. I have spots, and I’m swift. I cannot growl or roar. I love to climb trees galore. I am a type of big cat. What am I?
6. What are full in the day and empty at night?

By Gianna Maihofer, Grade 5

Answers: 1. The mom 2. You look in the mirror and see what you saw, take the saw and cut the dresser in half, two halves make a whole, climb through the hole and you’re free! 3. A tree 4. A woodchuck would chuck lots of wood if a woodchuck could chuck wood 5. A leopard 6. Shoes

Fluff and Stuff Sandwich

VIDEO: See How To Make Fluff and Stuff!

2 pieces of bread
Marshmallow fluff
Peanut butter
Nutella
Slices of bananas (optional)

Spread the Nutella on the bread and then add fluff. Next, add the bananas. After that, add peanut butter. Finally, add the other piece of bread and enjoy!

By Katie Turundzilovic and Ashley Scheutzow, Grade 6

Are you a fan of wizards, witches and/or magic? If so, then Wizard 101 is just for you. Wizard 101 is a free-to-play computer game.The goal of the game is to defeat the evil wizard Malistaire and protect the Spiral. There are many fun things to do like decorating your house, traveling to different worlds and defeating monsters. When you first start the game, you choose the colors of your robes, boots and hat. After that you take a test about yourself to determine what school of magic you are. The schools of magic are Fire, Ice, Storm, Life, Death, Myth and Balance. After that you pass through levels, get new gear, explore new places and get tons of friends! You could also purchase a pet to accompany you in your quests. Some pets come with a spell card to give you a new spell. You also get spells by getting training points. You get training points every 4 levels, until level 20: every 5 levels. When you get to level 9 you’ll have to buy crowns to continue. Crowns help you buy cool things and unlock new worlds. You could get gift cards that give you crowns and a pet. When you get to level 12 you get to go to the desert world: Krockotopia! In there you’ll complete new quests, get new gear and buy new pets. Soon, when you reach level 20 you get to go to the world of Grizzleheim where you meet the Viking bears, great traders of the spiral. After that you move to the world of Wysteria where you take part in a magic tournament. Later on you go to worlds like Marleybone, Mooshu, Dragonspyre, Celestia and Wintertusk. Then you move on to the final world of Zafaria. I highly recommend this game!

By Matthew Stracensky, Grade 4

Have you been looking for a book that you will LOVE? Well, if you like science fiction, adventure, and thriller type books, you should read… THE HUNGER GAMES! It is a book that has adventure, science fiction, and thriller. It is about a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen. She has a younger sister named Prim who is 12 years old. The story is set about 1,000 years in the future. North America is no longer North America anymore. It is now Panem, a shining capital surrounded by 12 districts. A couple years ago, there were 13 districts, but in the war the started the Hunger Games, it was bombed. In that war, the districts lost against the capital. To remind the districts not to ever go to war with the capital again, the capital forces each district to send one boy and one girl from each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a deadly battle in which there is only one survivor. They are televised on live TV and everyone is required to watch it. Every year, Katniss has never worried about being picked for the Hunger Games. But this year, her sister is eligible to participate in the Games. When her sister is picked, she must take her place. Will Katniss survive the Hunger Games? Will she chose to help her friend Peeta instead of focusing more on surviving? This book is a perfect mix of romance and adventure. This book is so awesome that they have decided to make a movie based on the book! The movie will come out in theaters on March 23. Below this story is a Powerpoint we made for a project. In that Powerpoint is the link to the trailer. We hope you read this book because it is the best book ever!

CLICK HERE to view a cool Powerpoint about The Hunger Games!

By Ashley Scheutzow and Alaina Ricciardi, Grade 6

After many long years, a brand-new Muppets movie has come out to theaters! Jim Henson first created the Muppets in 1950. Did you know that Henson came up with the word muppet by combining the words puppet and marionette? He died of pneumonia in 1990. Even after his death, the Jim Henson Company and the Jim Henson Foundation continued his work and created more series and specials. The most famous Muppet is Kermit the Frog. Some other well-known Muppets are: Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Rizzo the Rat, etc. These are NOT ordinary, old-fashioned puppets because you can change the expressions of their faces. Anyway, Mrs. Bopp and Father Bob agreed to let the ENTIRE school go to see it before Christmas break as a treat. Isn’t that so nice? I thought the movie was really interesting. Some people thought not so much. I think it was funny and was impressed with how they made the explosions look so real. There was a lot of singing, dancing and whistling. All of the Muppets fans out there or the people who’ve seen the new movie should maybe see the other movies. I hope you’ve enjoyed this review.

By Gabriella Maihofer, Grade 5

When Martine’s parents die in a house fire, she is told that she has to move in with her grandmother in South Africa. Her mom never mentioned her grandmother, and all she knows about her is that she works at a game reserve. She met a man named Tendai, who told her about Africa and about the legend of the White Giraffe. When Martine got to her grandmother’s house, everything started to go wrong for her. Her grandmother is very strict and unkind to Martine. One night she thought she saw the white giraffe, but then figured it must have been just a beam of light. Is it the giraffe or not? Martine faces danger and adventure in her new life. I recommend this book because it is very suspenseful! It’s the perfect choice for readers who like mystery and adventure novels.

By Maria Antonius, Grade 5