Finally, The End

By Spencer and Micah

THE END OF THE YEAR IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The students are excited. The finals have arrived, which makes everyone nervous, but finals also mark the end of the year.

This being the last post of the year, we are ending with a note about students' and staff members' summer plans. The Heitmann brothers say they are going to Cape Cod, Florida and New Hampshire. Tim in eighth grade says he plans to go to Vermont over the summer. Other places that might be visited are Montana, North Carolina, Montauk, Virginia and West Virginia.

We personally are going to go to Maine and Cape Cod (Spencer) and Japan (Micah). Micah's mom spent a year living in Japan and the whole family is now returning to experience the culture. Both of our vacations are (hopefully) going to be very exciting.

The end is finally here; school is over in about two weeks and there won't be any more posts, so this is goodbye from Micah and Spencer till next fall....

February Fury

A birdfeeder made out of recycled materials during an environmental studies workshop hangs on the porch of second-grader Anna during the winter storm of February '10.

Cat Rock, Garrison, New York, on the eve of the February storm.

Photos by Mrs. Rowe

Resolved

By Emily

Many students and teachers have New Year's resolutions. Some include getting better grades, others to be a better person. One person would like to get on a high honor roll throughout the whole year. Two people would like to do better in school. One girl would like to donate money to a charity that is close to her. At the same time, one girl would like to earn more money. Some people would like to improve their character. One teacher would like to remember more often what it was like to be a teenager.

Good luck! I hope you fulfill your New Year's resolutions.

Dragon's of Deltora Adventure

By Emily

This new computer game is called Dragon's of Deltora Adventure. It is about a man trying to find jewels. You must find six jewels before you fall or hit a spark of fire. You can't hit a spark of fire or fall off the course. If you do, you go back to the beginning of the course. There are four levels of the game. You can choose the level you would like to play. The game is on the Scholastic website. It's easy to play and fun.

You can link to it below:

http://www.scholastic.com/deltora/games/dragonsgame.htm

Holiday Dance

By Lana
The holidays are just around the corner, and so is the Holiday Dance. It will be held on Friday, December 19. It is a formal dance, so make sure to wear something nice. The eighth-grade officers recently sent out a poll on whether the dance should be held in the gymnasium or the cafeteria. The results should be in by the end of this week. But either way, it should be a great dance!

Backyard Escapes: Summer Reading List

By Noah

Keep in mind that this list comes from a huge fan of young adult fantasy. You might like mystery, or sci-fi, but if you like fantasy or are interested in giving it a try, this is the booklist for you.

1: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, by Rick Riordan

2: My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George

3: The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkein

4: The Chronicles of Narnia series, by C.S. Lewis

5: The Inkheart series, by Cornelia Funke

6: The Eragon Cycle, by Christopher Paolini

7: Redwall, by Brian Jacques

8: The Ranger's Apprentice, by John Flanagan

9: The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin

10: Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer

Where are some popular summer vacation spots?

By Chloe

Jackson, 7th- Spain

Connor,7th- Lake Placid

Tim S, 7th- England

David, 7th- Washington D.C

Margaret, 6th- Summer Sleep away camp in Virginia

Samantha, 6th- Vermont

Peter, 6th- New Jersey

John, 6th- Niagra Falls

Cameron, 6th- home

Ramsery, 6th- Sanibel Island

Tucker, 6th- Rhode Island

Lindy, 8th- Art Camp

Catherine, 6th- Washington D.C.

Richard, 8th- Alaska

Russell, 7th- Maine

Collin, 7th- Ohio

Manny, 8th- Florida

Nicolette, 3rd- California

Emily, 3rd- Lake George

Briget, 3rd- Montawk

Olivia, 8th- West Point

Hannah, 8th- Sleepaway camp in Massachusetts and summer house in Maine

Kady, 8th- Portugal, North Carolina, and New York City

Ali, 8th-Florida and New Hampshire

Emmanuelle, 6th- Fort Lauderdale

Spencer, 6th- Maine

Serena, 6th- Germany

Megan, 6th- Niagra Falls

Back From Boston

By Lianna

This spring the eighth grade class of '09 went on its annual trip to Boston. We have all been looking forward to this trip since our kindergarten days. Finally being able to go to Boston with our class was a very exciting experience for all of us.

On Thursday we had to be at the school at 5:30 in the morning. I had to wake up at 4:45 to straighten my hair, brush my teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast and walk to the school from my friend's house. As anyone who knows me well knows, I am unable to function without a full 10 hours of sleep. So it was a very unpleasant morning.

When we arrived in Boston, we did the historical parts first. We took a walk along the Freedom Trail and then we went to a cemetery where we saw the graves of Samuel Adams, Mother Goose and John Hancock. We also went to the Old North Church and heard the story of Paul Revere. After seeing a few more historically significant sites, we went to eat lunch at Quincy Market. The chaperons handed out a meal voucher to everyone and we were free to go wherever we wanted to eat, as long as it was within a reasonable distance. I went with several friends to get pizza.

Next we went to the New England Aquarium, which is one of the most prominent aquariums in the country. This really was an incredible experience. There was a 200,000-gallon tank going through the aquarium that simulated a coral reef. In the tank were all different fish species, a sting ray, a giant sea turtle and several sharks. We spent about two hours there and then we headed off to our hotel in Brockton, which was an hour away from Boston.

We each spent about an hour in our rooms and then we went to the boat dance. The dance took place on the boat The Spirit of Boston. There were tons of people there from different schools. We ate dinner and danced around. It was pretty uneventful, but very fun, with the exception of heavy winds, bad music being blasted in our ears and creepy fedora-wearing boys.

The dance lasted for three and a half hours. We went back to our hotels at 10:30. Everyone had to go in their rooms and we were not permitted to leave them until the morning. They had duct tape put on our doors so they would know if anyone left their rooms. I was in a room with my friends Kady and Hannah. We were so exhausted from waking up early that morning that we went to sleep at a very reasonable time. Before that, we just watched television and ate candy.

In order to get to our first stop on time, we had to wake up in the morning at 6:00. At this point, we were practically dead from the sleep deprivation. I had to drink three cups of coffee to be able to function. We ate breakfast at the hotel's buffet. In order to get to our first stop of the day on time, we needed to leave by 8:00, which we did.

Our first stop happened to be a Boston Duck Tour. On this tour, we drove around Boston in a bus. The bus doubled as a boat, so we were also able to drive the bus through Boston Harbor. We had a very funny bus driver. He called us all "little quackers". The tour was very informative.

Then we went to a tower. I don't know the exact name of this tower, but I think we had a lot of fun there. We took an elevator up to the top and looked out through the many windows. They also offered little electronic, hand-held tours.

We had lunch in the mall. Again, we were given meal vouchers and were set free to get whatever we wanted. I got a turkey wrap and an iced tea. Since we had some spare time, all of the girls went into Sephora, a cosmetics store, and used their free samples. We all left the mall looking very glamorous.

The most memorable part of the mall, I think was the anime convention. People were dressed up as their favorite anime characters and gathered together to discuss anime. There were hundreds of people there. Some of the characters I recognized were Pikachu from Pokemon and Chihiro and No-Face from the Miyazaki film Spirited Away. It was a little scary, but very entertaining.

Next, we headed off to Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox play baseball. I know absolutely nothing about baseball, but I still enjoyed the tour. However, it was embarrassing when the tour guide randomly called on me to answer a question about the Red Sox and I didn't know what the answer was. Everyone laughed at me.

That was our last stop. We began the drive home after that. To keep us entertained on the 4-hour bus ride, we watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and The Dark Knight--two of my favorite movies. We also stopped at McDonald's on the way back for dinner--not one of my favorite restaurants.

Finally, we arrived back in Garrison at about 8 pm. Each person was given a little plastic bag containing things from our trip. My favorite thing from the bag was a photograph of us at the Duck Tour. I looked miserable, since I was so tired, but I really like the picture aside from that.

Although going on this trip meant a lot of planning and fundraising, it was definitely worth it in the end. It was a very fun and exciting two days, and a great way to end our last year at Garrison.

Boston Trip: Great Expectations

Boston Duck Tour

By Lianna & Nicklas

Libby: Fun with my besties.

Ander: The vivid history and the hotel's pool (if it has one).

Drew: Fenway Park, to mock the Red Sox fans.

Nick: The duck tours.

Ali: The aquarium.

Connor: Absolutely nothing.

Sarah: The dinner-dance cruise.

Simon: The city of Boston.

Jake: The duck tour.

Richard: The bus ride.

Justin: The bus ride.

Phil: Playing video games.

Elizabeth: The dinner-dance cruise.

Eryn: Fenway Park.

Lindy: The duck tour.

The Bookworm Confessions

By Chloe & Lianna

Chloe...

I always look forward to the moment when I can come home from my hectic day and relax. This is usually around 10:30. p.m. I've spent the last few hours after school at dance.

My house is full of lights from the porch, the windows and the automatic light sensors from the neighbors' home. I like to look up at the sky to see if there are any stars out.

Once into the house, I put on my pajamas and begin working on my homework. When I finish, I pick up a book and read until I begin to see double. Then I close my eyes and go to sleep.

Sometimes I stay up until very early in the morning absorbed in a book. When you read a book, you get a break from the normal everyday routine. I enjoy escaping my mind, and going into the mind of someone else. When I read a book that has problems that are far from normal, I get to use my imagination.

When I'm ready for a new book, I take a trip to Barnes & Noble. There I cruise down to the young adult section. I look for a book that would be appealing to me. I look for mystery books usually.

My top-10 favorite books to read are:

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Ana's Story by Jenna Bush

Buchanan-Renard-Mackenna series by Julie Garwood

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Wake by Lisa McMann

Need by Carrie Jones

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

Lianna...

MIS LIBROS FAVORITOS:

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Emma by Jane Austen

Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

I like to read because reading allows you to escape from your own life and get involed in someone else's life whose life is probably much more interesting than your own.

When I look for books to read, I look at the cover and author's style of writing. If a cover is ugly and uninteresting, I probably will not give that book another look. If I see an interesting cover, I pick up the book and read the summary. I also look at the author's writing style because I cannot stand poorly written books. There are so many authors out there that are horrible in my opinion.

Spring Break Plans?

By Chloe

See you back in class on April 6 for the Make-up Snow Day! Then have a great spring break till we're back on April 13.

Here's where some of you will be spending the break.....

Sarah, 8th grade: Vermont

Montsy, 8th grade: Home

Collin, 7th grade: Maine

Sarah, 4th grade: Florida

Jake, 4th grade: Home

Brandon, 4th grade: Home

Aidan, 4th grade: Home

What's your New Year's resolution?

Compiled by Chloe and Lianna

"Get better grades and improve study habits." -Kady, 8

"Recycle more." -Jake, 8

"Build gardens." -Nick, 8

"Get taller. A lot taller." -Simon, 8

"Less cursing and talking in general." -Libby, 8

"Be more environment-conscious." -Eryn, 8

"Be less crabby and agressive when I wake up." -Richard, 8

"Wear less makeup." -Tucker, 6

"Eat more chocolate." -Graydon, 8

"Read lots of poetry." -Jaswant, 7

"My New Year's resolution is not to have a New Year's Resolution." -Gus, 3

"Give up candy." -Sophia, 3

"Whiten my teeth." -Chloe, 8

"Make my hair less poofy." -Phillip, 8

"Get a girlfriend." -Matthew, 4

"Snag a babe." -Brianna, 7

Photo by Mrs. Rowe

Horses Help Kids

By Julie

Last year for guidance class, I volunteered for a program called SPARC.

In the SPARC program, children with disabilities can ride horses and get a 30-60 minute lesson where they are lead around by helpers and have side walkers for support. The program is often used for physical therapy because when you ride a horse you strengthen your balance.

SPARC runs year-round at different barns all around the country but is most popular in the spring and fall when the weather is most favorable. The program relies on volunteers to donate their time and expertise with horses. Volunteers teach the lesson, tack the horses, feed the horses, groom the horses, help the children attending the program mount the horse, watch the children who aren't riding at that time, lead the horse around, clear the riding area of anything that could scare the horses, clear the waiting area of hazards to the children, and more.

The instructor of the group has the children do other activities that will also help them make progress in their therapy, such as holding onto cups and having a walking race on the horse to see who can cross the finish line first while holding the cup. The children are challenged while riding but being on the horse makes their therapy more fun.

What's on your holiday wishlist?

Compiled by Chloe and Lianna

"A hammock for my room." -Graydon, grade 8

"A remote-controlled, red firetruck with a hose that squirts water." -Casey, grade 8

"Clothes, books and facial cleansers." -Kady, grade 8

"A new dog." -Sarah, grade 8

"A giant microbe." -Russell, grade 7

"An art set." -Isabella, grade 3

"A new digital camera." -Sophia, grade 3

"A Nintendo DS!" -Hudson, grade 3

"A Nintendo DS and a new Obi Wan Kenobi costume." -William, grade 1

"A Nintendo DS and a Wii." -Anna, grade 1

"A new iPod." -Kailyn, grade 1"A Gameboy, a scooter-horse, and a computer screen with a dog and a horse. -Athena, grade 1

"A Polly Pocket." -Ruby, grade 1

"A Nerf longshot blaster." -Hayden, grade 1

"My own Barbie house." -Madison, grade 1

"A baby doll." -Solana, grade 1

"A remote-controlled car." -Benjamin, kindergarten

"A cat that has a holly dress and holly in its ears." -Emma, kindergarten

"A dog that rolls and over and is named Tumbles." -Fallon, kindergarten

"My own new sunglasses." -Luke, kindergarten

"Sunglasses too." -Autumn, kindergarten

Music Review: Perfect Symmetry

By Simon

The British rock band, Keane, has finally come out with its third CD, Perfect Symmetry. Now, I've always been a fan of Keane, and I still am, but I'm sorry to say that I was not completely satisfied with its new sound. The band, in the beginning of its career, sounded beautiful and straight-forward, relying on the piano instead of guitars as its lead instrument. But it has now started experimenting with its sound to come across as more modern. If you ask me, it's only worth listening to the first three songs. It seems that Perfect Symmetry is not so perfect after all.

If you're interested in rock/pop music, I recommend listening to this band, but first listen to the other two albums, Under the Iron Sea and Hopes and Fears.

I give it a 7 out of ten.

Book Review: The Lightning Thief

By Lindy

Our featured book for this issue is "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan.

Mr. Berger, the Middle School English teacher, has recently taught the sixth graders their unit on Greek mythology. They have also performed plays with many of the characters from their studies. The plays went by the names of “Demeter and Persephone” and “Speed, a Story of Atalanta.” The plays and their unit tie in with their studies with the Mighty Theater program. One student, a sixth grader in the Middle School, commented that she thought the unit of Greek mythology was interesting and fun. She especially enjoyed the story of the Trojan Horse.

"The Lightning Thief" combines all of the gods from Mount Olympus as well as a captivating story with a most unusual main character. In this epic tale, you will find that looks can be deceiving and even those you trust can turn on you. Join Percy Jackson in his quest to fit in and solve the mystery of the strange beasts he seems to always be attracting. Along the way, experience how things can go wrong and something as simple as riding a bus can be lethal.

If you enjoy Greek mythology or just a good story, then "The Lightning Thief" is definitely the book for you. "The Lightning Thief" can be bought at stores such as Barnes and Noble or from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211905262&sr=8-1.

If you have any questions about the Greek mythology in the book, all of the characters and tales related to Greek mythology can easily be found on Greek mythology websites such as:

http://www.greekmythology.com/
http://www.mythweb.com/
http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology
http://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/greek_myth.html

What Are Your Summer Plans?

Edited By Lianna

Drew, 7th-grader:
"This summer I am going to camp and going to Florida."

Ms. Akhondzadeh, Middle School Math Teacher:
"This summer I am going to Virginia Beach for a week to relax, bike and run."

Lianna, 7th-grader:
"I am going to camp and Canada."

Mrs. Waters, 5th-grade Teacher:
"I’ll be riding my horses and spending time with my kids."

Ander, 7th-grader:

"I'm going to camp, Montreal and Florida."

Nicklas, 7th-grader:

"Driving my Corvette to Hollywood."

Ms. Palumbo, Librarian:

"Going on vacation."

Mrs. MacEnroe, Teacher:

"Teaching summer school, moving my mother from Florida, reading books and relaxing by the pool."

Elizabeth, 7th-grader:

"I'm going away to camp for a month, going to Puffin Island and going to Mishaum in Cape Cod with my family."

Building Our Town

By Mrs. Rowe

Seventh-graders visited Mrs. Greene's kindergarten class to make an "Our Town: Garrison" puppet theater. Each kindergartner made a local building or house and placed it along a roadway or the river drawn on posterboard. Puppets created out of straws and paper gave them a chance to pretend taking trips to the Desmond-Fish Library, the Garrison Art Center and other favorite local spots. A special thanks to the Middle School volunteers who made it all come together!

Something Fishy

By Olivia and Robby

Ever wondered why Mrs. Clune has a big fish tank in her office? She has had the tank for almost a year. She has it because Mr. Keegan gave it to her. In the tank, there is one Yellow tang named Sunny, two blue dorsils, two sea urchins and Hermie the Hermit crab.

Fashion Passion: Students Bundle Up in Style

By Lindy

Winter is here at Garrison, and students and teachers are bundling up, preparing for the cold weather. Even boys who prefer shorts year-round are sporting jeans and khakis. The girls are putting on layers as well. When I say layers, however, I literally mean, layers.

Layers seem to always be in style no matter what time of year. You’ll see a vest over a t-shirt covering a long-sleeved shirt. Camisoles are also being worn, showing through under trendy long-sleeved button-ups or even a t-shirt. Camisoles are great for any time of the year and the great thing is, you can get them at almost any clothing store. Some of these stores include Hollister, Abercrombie, Aeropostale and many others. Olivia sports a maroon camisole while she's working in the school store in the breezeway. Even boys have the layered look down, though mostly the t-shirt is over under armor instead of a well-fitting long-sleeved shirt.

For the most part, jeans are almost always present in the winter because there aren’t that many fashionable pants that would keep you warm in the frigid weather. Though of course, there is your choice of light wash or dark wash. In the winter, the best wash to be worn would be the dark wash. This gives the jeans a more wintery feeling, and they stand out more against the snow. Please, don’t even ask where jeans are sold. Anywhere from American Eagle to a sporty store like Modell’s could carry jeans. If you really want some specifics, however, I suggest American Eagle (AE), Wet Seal, Old Navy and Banana Republic. Honestly though, jeans can be found even in the clothing section of Walmart.

As far as jackets go, to look good and be warm at the same time isn’t exactly easy. Vests are always good as long as they don’t look like life preservers, though even a vest like that can be saved by what you are wearing underneath. It seems the coats that are really in style for the girls are long, wool coats with two rows of buttons on the front. These give the wearer a more sophisticated look, even if they wear the coat with jeans.

The other jacket that's made its mark on the Garrison girls is the jacket with fur lining on the rim of the hood. These jackets, I predict, will be around for a long time. Their classic look never goes out of style.

For the boys, they go for the thinner, loose-fitting type. This includes fleeces and raincoats with some sort of interior lining. Some of them simply wear sweatshirts outside.

Another fashion statement shown by the Garrison Middle School is that of prints. Liz with Elle wears a blue and white button-up shirt with vertical stripes running up and down the shirt. Another girl sporting stripes this winter is Maddie, wearing a three-color striped t-shirt and a striped sweater over that, along with jeans.

That's a secret if you want to wear prints. Do not wear prints on your pants if you have prints on your shirt. Otherwise, the look is too busy and the outfits tend not to match. Always make sure that if you have lots of prints and designs on one article of clothing, prints and designs aren’t displayed anywhere else. This tip does not apply to jewelry or shoes as long as the jewelry and shoes complete the look.

You can find jewelry almost anywhere, but if you are really looking for a specific piece, try Claire's, or even the jewelry section of Kohl's or Macy's. Some great shoe stores are Payless and Modell's. Zumiez and Zappos have wide selections.

Here’s a resource list:

. Aeropostale
. Abercrombie
. Hollister
. American Eagle
. Banana Republic
. H & M
. Wet Seal
. Charlotte Ruse
. Old Navy
. Pac Sun
. Zumiez
. Gap (for teens)
. Delia's
. DSW
. Nike
. Forever 21
. Zappos
. Claire's