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Rockvale Ravens' News from Students
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The Rain ForestBy Ashlee Clayburn 10 Rain Forest facts
Ode to SpringBy Isabella Smythe The trees are swaying To the fresh warm breeze Green shoots peek out Beneath yellow winter grass Birds are returning From their long vacation south New nests are appearing Tucked in the branches of trees Animals are waking From long hibernations The sun is yawning Ready to shine Seasoning rains come Pouring down on the earth Young leaves are budding On their branches Everything has risen Everything is alive again Spring has sprung  The Day in A Life of AelaBy Ashlee Clayburn My name is Aela which means strong and beautiful! I'm a small Irish little leprechaun and I love to write, be in solitude, and make everyone around me happy. My hair is short and light brown and I also have deep dark brown eyes. Unlike everyone else I'm quiet and always protecting my baby brothers. Everyone I know has a similar style of hanging around others and happily doing as they please. But for me, I prefer to sit and write stories of my own reading them aloud at night to my little brothers Lucian (means Bringer of Light) and Jonethan (meaning gift from God). My parents have been missing for 5 years now. Once my brothers are asleep at night, I make sure to leave our tree homes and go search. Restless night after night races after me. I run through the woods carrying a bag of small snacks and my teddy bear my grandmother had given to me the day before my parents disappeared. My pace hastens and I begin looking harder into every crevice and creek between this large forest. Ireland couldn’t be more confusing than ever tonight. I began to head back as I'd seen the peak of dawn. My heart raced from exhaustion as I had walked back toward my brother and my home hoping none of them awoke as quietly I walk in. I hear a crying from Jonethan. “Wahhhh...” as walking into the boy's room I see Lucian had moved hitting him and accidentally shaken him up. I pick up the crying three-year old Jonethan. “Shhh...it’s okay my little sweet.” I reassure him, “waking your brother wouldn’t be too kind either. Would you like some breakfast, little one?” He smiled and nodded as I held him walking into the kitchen. I set him into the highchair and give him mushed apples and a sippy-cup of orange juice. I finally hear Lucian waking up as the boy was usually a little more troublesome. I walk in with a quick pace then pick him to do just the same for him. Only, he didn’t want to sit in the highchair, he kept putting his feet on the tray and wouldn’t put them into the actual chair holes. Eventually he’d listened. Few more years would go by of the same routine. Leave at night. Come back before dawn. Care for the boys and house work. Then take a nap before I leave once again. It's been 7 years of searching. I feel today may be the day. I put Lucian and Jonethan to bed wait a few minutes to be sure while I then pack my bag and go. My bag feels heavier than usual, but I ignore it and search through the woods once more. I hear a crunch in the leaves behind me as I stand guard pulling out my pocket knife made of a strong sharp and dangerous iron. I hear evil laughing as I turn to see a girl in all black gown. I clench the knife in my hand while staring into her dead and electric blue eyes. It's as if she has actual electricity coursing through her veins. As I slowly walk toward her. “What are you doing here? It's dangerous for a girl as small as you.” she had said as it looked as if it had seemed to me that she was actually a few feet taller than me. As she attacks me with a sudden blast of thunderbolts. I jolt to a tree dodging the touch as I look around and run farther from home whilst gripping a tight hold on my knife. I run toward this deep cave that gets darker as I run through, I hear her shocks of electricity as I throw back a leaf magic barrier around myself as I begin to see a mysterious light at the end of this rocky tunnel. As I got closer the girl walked past as my rock barrier, which hides me like a gray boulder. I can see through a crack noticing several cages. I begin to move closer as notice two familiar faces among what I estimate is 10-20! I now hear a whimpering in my bag. The whining gets a little louder as I open and find my baby brother who had eaten almost all the snacks I had packed. “Sweetie, what are you doing here?” I whisper as high as I can. Thankfully I had packed a pillow or two as they had been laying on them. The girl seems to be nowhere to be. My next decision shows me I must creep in whilst keeping the bag and boys on my back under my boulder's protection spell. As soon as I’ve reached closer to the cages, the faces become more known. My hands slowly reach for the bars as the shocks of the dark girl's magic seems to be in the distance. I pull the big bag around onto my stomach whilst gripping tightly onto my pocket knife. My hairclip is pulled out of my hair by me as I pick the lock and slowly pull the cage door back. The creek is loud as my parents aren’t seen yet until the end. A long group of people speed walk out thanking me every other person and others seem way to deprived of energy and hunger to even speak. “Disapparate!” I cast a spell to teleport the families and everyone to a safe place far away from dangers. My stare at my parents is determined to understand why they haven't followed them. The shocks from the little girl are stronger in my senses. Fists are clenched as vines grow out replacing my hands. My parent mouths open because I hadn't shown them my new power. Handing them the boys, I run head on to the girl yelling out spells faster than anyone could imagine. I sound inhuman as my voice sound muffled. I begin to float up high and throw a vine cage around her which slowly is held strong with the stone around. She tries to throw out electricity from her hands, but the anti-magic spells stop her. I teleport my family away and finally feel we can all live in peace and harmony. It's been years now and nothing crazy has happened yet as I smile more and make more conversations with new people every day. More so am I now caring for my brothers and parents more so than I use to no matter the cause. 
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Articles This Month: |
 | History of Music |
When music first began in the 1000s, it was first made by Eduard-Leon Scott de Martin Ville. He was a French printer and bookseller who also invented the phonautographed, which was the earliest recording sound device. A large leading figure in composing music was for John Adams. His name was Jacopo Peri! He had written the very first opera in the late 16th Century in Italy! Music has been around for 55,000 years now and has been carried on through Homo sapiens to now. Another fun fact is, the first song written was called “Hurrian hymn NO.6.” This was considered the world's earliest melody but the oldest musical composition to have gone through the first century. The man who had written our simple tune of solfege on was from a man named Guido D’Arezzo. The music you hear today is nothing compared to the old days Beethoven and/or Mozart in the 1760’s. Mozart began his work at age six, while the music artist you hear of today are starting in their teen years!
Choir Concert
by Kelly Bianco
6th Grade Program
7th Grade Program
8th Grade Program
All Choirs were awesome and wonderful!
- “Jubilate Deo” by Michael Preatorious
- “Lullaby Noel” by Mary Donnelly
- “Let There Be Song” by Dave and Jean Perry
- “Winter Magic” by Dave and Jean Perry
7th Grade Program
- “La, Loo, La, Low” by Sandra Howard
- “Kusimama” by Jim Papoulis
- “I Believe” by Mark Miller (a Jewish poem in song)
- “African Noel” by Victor Johnson
8th Grade Program
- “Jinglin' Bells” by Mary Donnelly and George Strid
- “Ticket to the Kingdom” by Donald Moore
- “Carol of the Bells” by M. Leontovich and P. Wilhousky
- “Silent Night” by Greg Gilpin
All Choirs were awesome and wonderful!
Bully
by Kelly Bianco
Bullying is when someone is being harassed by being verbally and/or physically abused.
Three Types of Bullying
What do to if you are being bullied, or if you are seeing someone being bullied
Interview
Question: Why do you think people bully others?
Answers:
Three Types of Bullying
- Cyber Bullying occurs when someone is bullied online.
- Physical Bullying occurs when someone is bullied physically.
- Verbal Bullying occurs when some is bullied verbally.
What do to if you are being bullied, or if you are seeing someone being bullied
- Tell someone that it is happening
- Don't join in on it
- Ignore them
Interview
Question: Why do you think people bully others?
Answers:
- Mrs. Cleghorne: It depends on the person.
- Mr. Adair: There are a lot different reasons on why people bully.
- Ms. Paris: Self-esteem.
- Mrs. Guthrie: Lack of self confidence.
The Origins of Valentine's
by Isabella Smythe
There are many different legends for the true origin story of Valentine's Day. Some say it was named after a man named Valentine, who was executed by the emperor, and others say it was named after a man named St. Valentine who helped wed illegal couples. So, due to the lack of the real origin story behind Valentine's Day, we'll be looking at the most well-known and reasonable legends.
The first legend is about a priest named Valentine who spoke out against Emperor Claudius II, who forbid marriage for young men because he realized unmarried men made better soldiers than the married ones. Valentine knew this wasn't just, and continued to wed young couples secretly. His actions were later revealed, and the emperor had him executed.
There are several stories that tell about Valentine being killed for trying to break Christians out of Roman prisons. The Christians were tortured because of their religion, which was looked down upon at the time. According to a common legend, a prisoner named Valentine sent the first valentine to a young girl which he had fallen in love with, who was most likely the jailer's daughter, and they had fallen in love upon the girl visiting Valentine in the jail. In the letter Valentine sent to the girl before his death, he wrote, "From your Valentine," an expression that people still use in letters and on cards.
Another story is how two men in the 3rd century, both named Valentine, were executed. Both of the men were executed on February 14th, but of different years. The Catholic Church acclaimed their famed martyrdom by celebrating St. Valentine's Day.
You're probably wondering what a bunch of dead men have to do with love and hearts. During the Middle Ages, many French and English people believed birds' mating seasons began on February 14th, which led people to believe Valentine's Day should relate to love and romance.
The reason the holiday is known as St. Valentine's Day is because there are dozens of Valentines throughout history that are related to love or February 14th or marriage, and the Valentine we celebrate had to be distinguished from all the other ones.
The first legend is about a priest named Valentine who spoke out against Emperor Claudius II, who forbid marriage for young men because he realized unmarried men made better soldiers than the married ones. Valentine knew this wasn't just, and continued to wed young couples secretly. His actions were later revealed, and the emperor had him executed.
There are several stories that tell about Valentine being killed for trying to break Christians out of Roman prisons. The Christians were tortured because of their religion, which was looked down upon at the time. According to a common legend, a prisoner named Valentine sent the first valentine to a young girl which he had fallen in love with, who was most likely the jailer's daughter, and they had fallen in love upon the girl visiting Valentine in the jail. In the letter Valentine sent to the girl before his death, he wrote, "From your Valentine," an expression that people still use in letters and on cards.
Another story is how two men in the 3rd century, both named Valentine, were executed. Both of the men were executed on February 14th, but of different years. The Catholic Church acclaimed their famed martyrdom by celebrating St. Valentine's Day.
You're probably wondering what a bunch of dead men have to do with love and hearts. During the Middle Ages, many French and English people believed birds' mating seasons began on February 14th, which led people to believe Valentine's Day should relate to love and romance.
The reason the holiday is known as St. Valentine's Day is because there are dozens of Valentines throughout history that are related to love or February 14th or marriage, and the Valentine we celebrate had to be distinguished from all the other ones.
All About Chinese New Years
Chinese New Year is the biggest and the longest festival of the year in China, celebrating the beginning of a bright New Year. The festivities last 15 days, and the last day is known as Lantern Festival, marking the end of the New Year celebration.
Unlike our New Years in United States, the dates of the New Years change every year, but it always at least occurs in January or February. A whole one-sixth of the world's population celebrates the festival, and the Chinese aren't the only ones who commemorate. People from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and Korea celebrate Chinese New Year, even though they aren't Chinese. It just goes to show that anybody can celebrate a holiday!
The most important part of any Chinese New Year is the meal. Families and friends gather together for a huge dinner with traditional foods like dumplings, spring rolls, rice, fish, niangao, fruit, noodles, turnip cakes, and many others. Families will make offerings to their ancestors and/or gods, hoping good luck and fortune will be brought upon them. After the big feast, families will sit down together and watch the annual New Year's Gala. Households everywhere will set off tons of fireworks and firecrackers, which is the only time of the year you can set off fireworks in some places. After the new year begins, there are colorful parades with actors and dancers and costumed people, festival games, and lion and dragon dances.
When it comes to Chinese New Year, it's all about the luck. There is a day before Chinese New Year begins, dedicated to cleaning and sweeping, so you can clean out all the bad luck and make way for the good luck of the upcoming year. During the New Year Festival, there is no showering, sweeping or throwing away things, just so none of the good luck is cleaned away. Other taboo things during Chinese New Year include cutting hair, using knives and sharp objects, swearing, arguing, saying unlucky words (pain, death, etc.), breaking things, visiting a wife's family, asking for repayment, taking medications, and many others. To make sure they get the most luck, Chinese deck out in red: red clothing, red lanterns, red envelopes, red decorations. Red, in Chinese culture, is the symbol of wealth and prosperity. The Chinese don't want to take their chances with luck!
For kids in China, Chinese New Year is one of the best festivals of the year. Children receive lucky money in special red envelopes from grandparents, uncles, aunts, and other close elders. Even though everybody's birthday isn't on the same day, Chinese New Year is like the national birthday for kids everywhere, because they to do more things on their own, as if they're older. Kids play festive games with friends and siblings, and light firecrackers to celebrate the new year.
Unlike our New Years in United States, the dates of the New Years change every year, but it always at least occurs in January or February. A whole one-sixth of the world's population celebrates the festival, and the Chinese aren't the only ones who commemorate. People from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and Korea celebrate Chinese New Year, even though they aren't Chinese. It just goes to show that anybody can celebrate a holiday!
The most important part of any Chinese New Year is the meal. Families and friends gather together for a huge dinner with traditional foods like dumplings, spring rolls, rice, fish, niangao, fruit, noodles, turnip cakes, and many others. Families will make offerings to their ancestors and/or gods, hoping good luck and fortune will be brought upon them. After the big feast, families will sit down together and watch the annual New Year's Gala. Households everywhere will set off tons of fireworks and firecrackers, which is the only time of the year you can set off fireworks in some places. After the new year begins, there are colorful parades with actors and dancers and costumed people, festival games, and lion and dragon dances.
When it comes to Chinese New Year, it's all about the luck. There is a day before Chinese New Year begins, dedicated to cleaning and sweeping, so you can clean out all the bad luck and make way for the good luck of the upcoming year. During the New Year Festival, there is no showering, sweeping or throwing away things, just so none of the good luck is cleaned away. Other taboo things during Chinese New Year include cutting hair, using knives and sharp objects, swearing, arguing, saying unlucky words (pain, death, etc.), breaking things, visiting a wife's family, asking for repayment, taking medications, and many others. To make sure they get the most luck, Chinese deck out in red: red clothing, red lanterns, red envelopes, red decorations. Red, in Chinese culture, is the symbol of wealth and prosperity. The Chinese don't want to take their chances with luck!
For kids in China, Chinese New Year is one of the best festivals of the year. Children receive lucky money in special red envelopes from grandparents, uncles, aunts, and other close elders. Even though everybody's birthday isn't on the same day, Chinese New Year is like the national birthday for kids everywhere, because they to do more things on their own, as if they're older. Kids play festive games with friends and siblings, and light firecrackers to celebrate the new year.
A Few Sweet Treats to Bake
Author-Kelly Bianco
Easy Oatmeal Cream Pies
Prep: 20 min. + chilling
Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
Makes:1-1/2 dozen
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
Makes
1-1/2 dozen
• •2 large Eggs
•1 package spice cake mix (regular size)
•1 cup quick-cooking oats
•1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
Recipe
• Beat butter and eggs until blended. Beat in cake mix and oats. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until firm enough to roll, though dough will remain fairly soft.
• Preheat oven to 350°. On a well-floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Spread frosting on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Freeze option: Freeze cookies in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, thaw before serving.
Cinnamon Cream Roll-Ups
Total Time;40 min
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.
Makes: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 loaf (1 pound) sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
Steps;
• In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg yolk and 1/4 cup sugar; mix well. Flatten bread slices with a rolling pin. Spread cream cheese mixture over each slice to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up diagonally from point to point.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar. Dip roll-ups in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 16-19 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Chocolate Hazelnut Mug Cake
Ingredients
for 2 servings
• 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, divided
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Steps
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together ¾ cup (225 g) chocolate hazelnut spread and the eggs.
• Fold in the flour.
• Evenly distribute into two mugs.
• Microwave each mug for 2 minutes.
• Cool for 5 minutes.
• Frost with remaining chocolate hazelnut spread and serve warm.
• Enjoy!
How to Bake a Sweet Potato Pie
by Abigail McDowell
Prepare | |
Book Review
By Ashlee Clayburn
 | I have just begun the wonderful series of the Touch novels well over a month ago. It’s from the author Laurie Stolarz and her touch novels are so far been a favorite. Its filled with drama, action, romance, mystery, and even supernatural. Each book has well over 200 pages and each chapter is fun and more unique from the last. The book Deadly Little Games, it’s more about how the characters Camelia and Adam have been put into a sticky situation. This creating an even stronger issue of, what if Adam is faking this game from deathly crossword notes? Camelias boyfriend and she have the power of psychometry and when Ben (Camelia’s boyfriend) tells Camelia to stop helping she begins to wonder “Why would he say this?” The entire series of the Touch novels are in the library and if you interested into checking one out, go right ahead! Each novel gets even better than the last with a new intriguing special page about the book every chapter. |
Image provided by Isabella Smythe
The History of Christmas
By Abigail McDowell
The history of Christmas is not very well known, but you might be thinking “Well I know it was the day Christ was born, what else is there to know?”, and let me tell you, there is a lot to know! Like where in the world did sane, gifts, carols, cookies, reindeer, and trees all come from? We all love putting up the Christmas tree, and decorating with pretty lights, but why do we do it? That is the raging question in my mind.
Santa Claus?
Does anyone know where and the world we got the idea of a big guy with a long beard, going in to peoples houses at night, leaving them presents, and then leaving on a flying sleigh driven by reindeer back to his workshop back at the North Pole? He is not make-believe, Saint Nicholas, whose name had been changed over the years to Santa Claus, was a real person, a bishop in the church in the fourth century. Many stories had been told about his generosity. In Saint Nicholas’ time, a young woman had to have a dowry (money or materialistic items which she would bring to her husband) before she could be married. It’s a custom we men. Saint Nicholas wanted to help a poor nobleman with three daughters, but he wanted to do it secretly. He gave for the joy of giving. So, three bags of gold were thrown at the nobleman’s window. However, the nobleman found out who had given the gold for his daughters’ dowries. After that, anonymous gifts of charity were often given to Saint Nicholas. This good man also spent a lot of time in prison because of his faith. The stories of Saint Nicholas came to America through the Dutch settlers in the state of New York. At first, he was dressed in his traditional Bishop’s robes. It wasn’t until the 20th century that he began dressed in the iconic red and white suit. Dr. Clement C. Moore, a professor of Greek and Biblical Studies at General Theological seminary of New York, wrote “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (more commonly known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas”) in 1822. Only eight reindeer pulled Santa’s sleigh until the song “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was written.
Why the deccorations?
Christmas trees are Evergreens, which have history with Christmas, Basically Evergreens show that the circle of life continues in the depths of the cold harsh winter. In pre-Christian times, many cultures put up evergreen boughs in the winter to encourage the return of the sun gods. According to Ann Koski, former director of the Wisconsin Historical Museum and Christmas customs scholar, some Christians preferred holly with the red berries representing the blood of Christ amid eternally green leaves. Stockings are hung up because legend tells us that Saint Nicholas heard of a once-wealthy father who squandered his money and his three daughters had no dowry, so they couldn’t marry. “Nicholas knew that each night the girls washed their stockings and hung them by the fireplace to dry” Koski explained, so he came in the middle of the dark, cold night and dropped gold coins the chimney, which landed in their stockings. Lights are hung because yet again, according to an unverified legend, after Martin Luther saw stars twinkling in the sky between boughs of the evergreens on Christmas, he is said to have placed the first candles on his tree. But electric lights, Koski explains, came from Thomas Edison’s business partner Edward Johnson who had a similar vision but with electricity.
