Coming Up Movies

     It's summer!!! Summer officially started on June 21st, and most schools ended before June 21. I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of summer vacation, I know I am:) You definitely shouldn't be bored this summer because of the loads of movies that are coming out. You won't want to miss these movies! Have fun!

     Summer started out with a great movie, "Monsters University". It came out on June 21. Although I haven't seen it yet, it seems to be an awesome movie. If you've watched "Monsters Inc.", this is a prequel to it. Even if you haven't seen "Monsters Inc.', you should still see this movie! This is a Pixar movie and it's rated G (so we are all okay). In this movie, Mike

Mike and Sulley:"Monsters University"

Wazowski, a green monster with one big eye, wants to go to college to become a professional scarer. A professional scarer is a monster who works to capture "scream energy" by scaring human kids in their beds at night. Mike realizes that college is harder than he thought. Monsters University is pretty much the monster world's Stanford University:) Feel like you would like to attend this university? Check out this website: http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/ .

The Despicable Me family 

     Another one of the movies is   " Despicable Me 2". I cant wait until it comes out! Simply three words can describe this movie: minions, madness, and fun! For those of you who haven't watched the first movie, let me define minions for you: (noun)Minions are the short yellow creatures who are the little helpers for the main character, Gru. "Despicable Me 2" is coming out on July 3, 2013. This movie is rated PG ( I still think we can all watch this). In this movie, Gru is no longer a villain after adopting three daughters in the first film. Life goes on for him when suddenly, something happens and you'll have to watch the movie to find out. If you live in the southern half of the United States, then you might get a chance to see the Despicablimp. The despicablimp is a blimp that has a minion face on it and has been flying around USA to advertise the movie. To view the map of where the blimp will fly to next, go to   http://www.despicablimp.com/.

Despicablimp

The smurfs

     The next movie is "Smurfs 2". This sequel to the "Smurfs" is rated PG and is coming out on July 31. In this movie, Smurfette is kidnapped by the villain, Gargamel, and is taken to Paris. Katy Perry plays the voice for Smurfette. Many new characters will be introduced and we'll have to watch the movie to find out who they are!!!

Percy and his friends

    Next up is " Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters". This is a sequel to "The Lightning Thief". Personally, I thought that the first movie was not so good and was low budget. I hope this movie will be better. No matter what, I'm going to watch it( since I am a Percy Jackson fan). Hopefully I won't be boo-ing it throughout movie! This movie is baseed on the second book of the Percy Jackson series. In this movie, Percy and his friends go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece. This film is coming out on August 7th.

     From the world above the movie,"Cars", "Planes" will be the next animated comedy movie. This movie will be in theaters only on August 9, so we'll have to wait until then to watch it. "Planes" will be in theaters both 3D and normal 2D. I thinkwatching it in 3D would be better so that you can get the real effect of the planes actually "flying" at you. This movie is not yet rated but I'm sure it will either be G or PG. 

Planes

One Direction:This is Us

     The recently famous band has it's movie coming out on August 30; One Direction's "This is Us". For all the 1D fans out there, this movie is for you. I'm not going to watch it in theaters because I'm not a fan of 1D. Check out this website for photos, trailers, and much more! http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/onedirection/ . 

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2

     Next it's "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs". In the first movie, food poured from the skies as Flint, the main character, invented a crazy machine. After getting splat with food ranging from ice cream to hamburgers, the people of the town had to clean their town. Now, it's the attack of the leftovers. Flint and his friends have to save the world from the food storm before it's too late. Watch this movie on September 27th.                                   

       

Catching Fire

    The movie that everyone's been waiting for is coming out on November 22. "Catching Fire" is the second movie of the Hunger Games trio. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) are back for the next amazing movie. In this movie, key events including the "Victor's Tour" and the "Quarter Quell" happen. These events can change Panem forever. Don't miss out on this movie!!!

Hope you all enjoyed my post! I'm sure I'll watch atleast half of these movies:) Thanks for reading and please comment below! Hope you watch and enjoy these movies!!!

    

 

    

      





Extreme Sports

     There's basketball, soccer, and tennis. But, those are just the normal sports. There are some extraordinary sports. Most of these extreme sports are really crazy! These sports might make you think, are these even real sports? Yes, they might be so odd, but these are real sports that people actually do!

     Imagine you're in a giant plastic ball, on the top of a hill. All of a sudden, somebody pushes you down. You don't even think about screaming, with all the turns that your body makes as the ball whooshes down the hill. You are zorbing!!! I'm what? Zorbing is a sport where you stand inside a giant, plastic ball and roll down the hill. Another type of zorbing is in the water. In this type of zorbing, you don't get rolled from the top of the hill but, you try to walk in water. When I first read that zorbing is and actual extreme sport, I was very surprised. Why? Well, I have actually done zorbing in the water before! When I did zorbing in Florida, I tried to walk on water but it was very difficult. I felt like I was a hamster trying to walk on a hamster wheel. Every time I tried to get up, I fell inside the ball. But, the overall experience was fun. A typical zorb ride lasts about 40 seconds. It was invented in 1994. The zorb(ball that is used in zorbing) is 2.7m(106 inches), while a basketball is only 29.5 inches. The zorb is pretty heavy and big, but it moves at a high speed.

      Another crazy sport is volcano surfing. Am I kidding? Not at all. During volcano surfing, brave riders hike up to the volcano and hurtle down, on a board, similar to a snowboard. Instead of doing it on snow, riders take it to the extremes by doing it on an active volcano!!! The sport started in 2005, very recently. Many people do volcano surfing on the slopes of Nicaragua's Cerro Negro, which erupted last in 1999. Is volcano surfing safe? The main danger of volcano surfing is falling down and getting hurt. That's why surfers must wear protective gear while they are surfing.

     The only way to fly with wings is wingsuit flying. In this wacky sport, skydivers jump from a plane and glide through the air. The wingsuit that they wear prevents them from...the worst that could happen. The wingsuit catches air and helps you sail through the air instead of going, "splat"! The wingsuit is commonly compared to a flying squirrel, as you can see in this picture. If you would like to see a video of wingsuit flying, here's a good video: Wingsuit Flying Video


BOSSABALL

      Next up, there's a sport called Bossaball. What's this, you wonder? Basically, Bossaball is a volleyball like sport that's played on an inflatable court. This interesting sport is a combination of soccer, volleyball, and gymnastics. It was created in 2004, and is currently a bit hit on the beaches of Spain and Brazil. This sport is played in two teams of three, four, or five. I think Bossaball will actually be pretty fun to try!!!
      For all those Harry Potter fans out there... including me! There is a real sport called Quidditch. In this amazing sport, players run around with brooms. They try to throw the balls into the three- hooped goal. Quidditch started in 2005 at a college in Vermont. Now, many high schools and colleges enjoy this sport.
     Would you ever like to run a marathon? How about a marathon in the snow? The North Pole Marathon is literally the coolest race around the so-called "Santa's home". This marathon is a run for 26.2 miles in the North Pole. The runners have to bundle up because the temperature there is around -22 degrees Fahrenheit or less!!! Even though there are warm tents for the runners, set up around the course, the North Pole Marathon is still extreme. The entry fee for the North Pole Marathon is $16,000! That's crazy! Personally, I don't think it is worth it because I don't enjoy the thought of running in the snow with big snow boots on! :)
     What's the first thing that comes into your mind when I say hockey? Maybe a hockey stick or a hockey player, or even the San Jose Sharks. I bet you don't think about bathing suits! Well, underwater hockey is a sport where you basically play hockey, underwater! Shooting and swimming is pretty much what you do. The rules of the game is like hockey but, this is played underwater.
     From Quidditch to zorbing, underwater hockey to the North Pole Marathon, these certainly aren't our everyday sports. These extreme sports can be fun and exceptional at the same time. Thanks for reading about the world of extreme sports! I would appreciate it if you can comment on my post! Thanks!!!
 

Good bye STAR testing, Hello Common Core!!!

           It's April, April showers bring May flowers. But, what else does it bring? STAR test prep:(. This year, the STAR test is on its last year. Does that mean no more STAR testing? Yes, it does mean no more STAR testing, but something else is making its way. What is it? Common Core Standards. Common Core Standards will be the new method of teaching, and it will possibly start in the 2013-2014 school year. 
          The STAR, Standardized Testing and Reporting Program is expiring and we will not have the same multiple choice annual tests anymore. Why not? The STAR testing is just level one questions. The STAR tests are just the same content while the Common Core Standards will be level two and three questions with more thinking involved. :( I, personally, am not looking forward to Common Core. The Common Core Standards will include higher standards in both, English and Math. So far, 47 states(including California) have adopted this new method. The only states that haven't are Alaska, Virginia, and Texas. With the Common Core, students will be asked to explain their thinking, not just answer the questions. Also, students will have to support their answer with evidence and reasoning. The STAR tests don't prove that the students actually understand the question. Students might get a question right just out of "multiple guess". On, the other hand, Common Core tests will make sure students understand the concepts.  

          The Common Core standards also pose some challenges for many schools. Why? What does that mean? Common Core Standards will require students all over California to take the annual standardized testing, but this time they want it to be online. Rural area will have difficulties because they lack technology. With the budget cuts, buying more than 1000 computers is out of the question. So, what will happen? Nobody know. They are still trying to figure it out. My fingers are crossed...hoping the problem won't be fixed, and we might not have Common Core. But, I still know that's very unlikely too happen. The tests will be developed by Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium(SBAC) and the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers(PARCC). Another reason why California needs Common Core Standards is because since most of the states now have adopted it, all the states will have the same standards from K-12. If the students change schools or move to a different state, they will still have the same standards to follow. California's education system is taking a big leap forward... changing from STAR testing to Common Core Standards.

My At.oow

       

              

               You probably don't know what an at.oow is, and I don't blame you for that. I didn't know what an at.oow was too until in my English class, we learned about Tlingit Native Americans. The Tlingit Indians are original people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They live in southern Alaska and in British Columbia and the Yukon in Canada. An at.oow is basically a small mat that represents you or your family. In the Tlingit tribe, at.oows also represented their clan. The at.oow is the most prized possession of the entire clan. It is passed from generation to generation. Clan crests and spirit designs are socially and spiritually important to the Tlingit. For example, an at.oow might have an eagle for the clan because the clan might have had really good eyesight. Since our class was reading a novel called, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, which is related to the Tlingit tribe, my teacher decided to assign us with an interesting project. The project was to make our own at.oow, based on the book we were reading. My at.oow here represents me. My at.oow actually turned out to look really nice!                                                                            

My At.oow

               My at.oow is very colorful and the background is a rainbow for a reason. As you might know, I am usually really cheerful. The rainbow background represents how happy I am. You don’t need to impress me too much to make me happy. Some things I get happy for include Fridays, days with no homework, and even little things like it my favorite breakfast! Happiness is the essence of life! If one person is really happy, they pass on their happiness. The two doves on both sides of the crest represent the amount of peace and love I have. Well, what do I mean by peace and love? In many parts of the world, war is raging on and on. It would be great if the entire world had peace among each other… that would be a perfect world. But, we all know nothing is perfect. Still, I do believe in world peace. The crest is also colored red and black because it shows how bold and brave I am….also shows that I am in Gryffindor :)!!! The crest is even on both sides. That signifies the balance I try to keep between work and fun I have in myself. I try to follow the saying “Work while you work, play while you play”. That way I can finish all my work and have some free time too. The lion on the top symbolizes strength and power. On the top left hand corner, there is a book and a pencil writing on a paper. The book represents how much I enjoy reading. The pencil and paper symbolizes schoolwork and my brains ;). On the next corner to the right, a palette is there to show how much I adore art and painting. Art is my hobby and I can do it for days and days in a row. The music notes on the bottom indicate my love towards music and the eight years I’ve been playing the piano. The bottom left corner, has a computer which stands for the use of technology that I have, and how much I love working with technology. The four leaf clover is for the good luck that I have. I usually never get caught (not that I do anything that bad) but, I really do have good luck. When we are supposed to run the mile in P.E, (which I don’t like), and I really do not want to do it that day, sometimes it rains really hard. That leads to skipping the mile! The jar filled with coins is for the hard work I do. I really don’t give up easily on things and for some reason I just have to finish what I started, no matter how boring it is. The wolf paws on the bottom, symbolizes that I never get distracted and I advance towards my goal. On the bottom right corner, the maze-like symbol indicates the unity I have. I can get along with people very easily. Finally, the two hearts combined together shows friendship. My at.oow signifies my characteristics and qualities. The at.oow shows my real personality and how distinctive it is from other personalities. My at.oow is one of a kind and only represents me. The at.oow is like an “all-about-me” poster. At the same time, it’s a traditional Tlingit Native American tradition.