Stellar News

Stellar News – 2nd issue!

Phone Bin: Practical or Painful?

By Morgan B.
Student Writer

Every day students put their phones in a clear plastic bin that gets taken to the office. This is done so that students don’t use their phones in class and get distracted from their lesson. However, what if there is some sort of emergency where the school has to be evacuated? Yes, the school will notify parents on where their kids are staying, but wouldn’t parents want to have a direct connection to their kids so they can tell them what is happening and where they are every couple minutes? What if the kids have to move from where they originally were from the time the parents were notified? The phone bin could cause quite a problem if any of these things happened. The first thing a parent would want to do if the school is evacuated is to contact their child and make sure that they are ok. Not being able to contact your child would not only make a parent worry, but a child would want to be able to contact their parents if they are scared.

Another problem is that two eighth graders are in charge of carrying the bin to and from the office. On more than one occasion however, one of the eighth graders carrying a phone bin has dropped it and some of the phones shattered because of it. One other suggestion would be to only allow eighth graders to have their phones in their backpack, and their will be a severe punishment if a student is caught with their phones. Another change could be that the phone bin could be kept in the home room of the seventh and sixth grade rooms. The good side of the current policy for teachers is that they are sure that they will not have to worry about students using their phones and getting distracted in class. Teachers would be able to control an emergency better, and wouldn’t have to worry about social media problems, because the problems didn’t occur at school.

My Experience at SMA

by Manoela  J.
Student writer  

Last year my parents decided that it was time for me and my brother to learn English. To learn a new language we decided to live one year in a place that people speak English. We are from Brazil and we people speak Portuguese. My dad, my brother and I like to surf and my mom enjoys the sun and beaches here.  So, my parents decided that we should live in San Diego. Last year, my parents searched for a school for us to go to and they found Stella Maris Academy . In May 2017, my parents came to search for a house and visit SMA. They loved the school and its location. Mrs.Lowel, the principal of Stella Maris Academy, was very nice to us and it was very important to have her with us this year. In June 2017, we came to live here and visit the school for the first time. My brother and I liked this school very much because it was a very welcoming place. My brother is in 5th grade, he made a lot of new friends here and he is always saying good things about  this school. I am in 8th grade and for me this school is really nice too. I made new friends and my teachers are awesome. I have a lot of fun in here and I learn a lot of new things. My brother’s english is better now and mine is too. In June I am going back to Brazil, but I can say that my experience was the best because the people around me helped me a lot.

Fortnite is getting sued

by Nino B.
Student Writer

Bluehole,  the creators of Unknown Player Battlegrounds (Pubg), is suing Fortnite/Epic games because they believe they have the rights to battle royale.  Pubg is also suing NetEase games, the creators of Rules of Survival and Knives Out. Bluehole’s lawsuit will probably fail because Fortnite is very different from Pubg. For example, it has no cars, it is animated, and you can build on the map.

 

La Muerte de Barbara Bush

by Vivian G.
Student Writer

El 17 de abril, se murió la ex-primera dama de Estados Unidos, Barbara Bush a los 92 años. Su esposo, George H. W. Bush, era el presidente 41 de los Estados Unidos. George y Barbara tenían casados 73 años y tuvieron 6 hijos. Cuando George habló de su muerte, dijo que se le partió el alma y corazón, pero sabe que ya está descansando su esposa. Bárbara murió por edad. "Tengo el privilegiado excepcional de ser el hijo de George Bush y de la mujer graciosa, social, divertida, amorosa, dura, inteligente y elegante que fue la fuerza de la naturaleza conocida como Barbara Bush. Gracias por sus oraciones, y esperamos celebrar y honrar su vida y las contribuciones a nuestra familia y gran nación en los próximos días". Esto lo dijo Jeb Bush, el hijo de Bárbara y George. El presidente de ahorita, Donald Trump, no va a ir a el funeral. Pero la primera dama, Melania Trump, van a atender el funeral en Texas.

(photo credit: Sean Rayford/Getty)

Raising Money Foe Kenya

by Sofia A.
Student Writer

In the refugee camps in Kenya many children are suffering. Each school teacher has a average of 340 students of different ages. There are about 18 kids for every chalkboard and barely any chalk. The children live in small tents and their schools don’t have roofs. On rainy  days the kids have to go to school in the mud. The kids don’t have books to read at home, nor lights. A way to help these children is to raise money and awareness. Fourteen dollars can buy 2 chalks and 40 slates.

At Stella Maris, third and fourth grade went around to collect donations for this cause.

(photo credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kagame)

Volcano Problem

by Owen H.
Student Writer

In Hawaii, two new fissures* have opened up spewing lava and poisonous gases causing many residents to evacuate. Many restrictions have been enforced in light of the recent events. For example, citizens are no longer allowed to fly drones or helicopters over the neighborhood, Lower Puna. On Friday May 13, 2017 President Donald Trump declared Hawaii a state of major disaster. Experts say the estimated cost of evacuating and protecting the citizens will cost 2.9 million
*fissure: Volcanic vent through which lava comes out of.

(Photo credit marketingland.com)

Coachella 2018

by Sabi P.
Student Writer

Coachella, an annual festival held in Palm Springs, California, was wild. Very popular singers performed there and many celebrities were found at the festival. The major performances were Cardi B, Post Malone, Eminem, Kygo,  Odesza, SZA, The Weekend. Some of the celebrities were Justin Bieber, the Hadid sisters, Millie Bobby Brown, many fashion models, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Chance the Rapper, Kendall Jenner, Diplo and many more. This year’s outfits were amazing: flower crowns, a lot of jewelry, funky colorful patterns, and a lot of glitter.

(photo credit: google images)

Poetry: “I’ll Fix It” by Natalia Casillas

 

I’ll Fix it

 

Perfect gowns and shiny heels

Fancy food and nice warm meals

The silky bedding how nice it feels

Who could complain about the life of a princess

You have Fancy dances

And you have a portrait of you on the wall

You have beautiful carriages

You even have a line of princes that want your hand in marriage

But what’s wrong

Is it the dog you want?

Or the diamond you bought ?

Is it this or that ?

Is it that or this?

“Tell me and we’ll fix it for you princess”

It’s not that or this

Or this or that

I just want people to understand

I don’t want to attend a dance every other night

Or have to accept a proposal from someone I don't even like

Don’t worry princess we'll search for the perfect knight

I don’t want to wear a corset

Don’t worry

You can have surgery to have the perfect waist

I don't want to be forced to be perfect

Don’t worry about that princess you already are

I don't want to be forced to be flawless

Don’t worry princess you are as flawless as can be

Butler?

Yes my dear

Can I have a small cottage right by the river?

Why would you want that?

You have a kingdom that's in your hands

I want to have a normal life and own little land

I want to have children a family or even a cat

But what I am most certain of

I don't want to keep living beneath this mask

Will the 4th or 5th graders even be driving their car?

by Scarlett H.
Student Writer

As many of you may know, self- driving cars are an important issue. The number of people dying from this problem has increased, not just the driver, but the passengers and pedestrians. Cadillac has promised a safe self driving car, but many don't want to trust it. Their motto is “Keep your eyes on the road and your hands in your lap," which obviously doesn't apply to the other models of cars
that Cadillac has made over the years. Their self driving cars have a mode where the car will be able to alert the driver when they need to take control. Do you think this sounds trustworthy? Ask your parents, classmates, friends, and teachers their opinion.

Lyft is Now Helping the Environment

by Sofia Ayesta
Student Writer

Lyft has added eco -friendly rides to the available cars. Every year Lyft creates an economic impact report. This year’s report shows that Lyft was causing environmental problems.  With the number of cars that it is using, there would be 7- hour traffic, which releases a lot more of carbon dioxide. Some of Lyft’s solutions to their environmental problems are making ride shares. This means less driving and less carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, which is  saving money to buy electric cars and better fuel. Another thing that they are doing is preparing to buy self-driving cars, which are much better for the environment, since they won’t need the energy to brake or accelerate.

(photo credit: http://www.genfkd.org/lyft-becoming-environmentally-friendly-side-hustle)

Will you be using the same $20 dollar bill in 20 years?

by Scarlett H.
Student Writer

I learned in Current Events, that the new $20 bill plan might have a turnover. In 2016, Obama’s Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had announced that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill and become the first black woman to be on American currency.  However, in interview at the Economic Club in Washington, Steven Mnuchin, the new Treasury Secretary hired by Trump, , said, "We haven't made any decisions on whether we will change the bill or won't change the bill."  The department has still not decided whether to have the African American hero replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 note.

Lew had announced that the design for the Tubman $20 would be revealed in 2020 and that the bills would enter circulation as soon as possible after that. It usually takes more than a decade to update a currency. Mnuchin has said that he's more focused on the counterfeiting features of paper currency problem, a point he made in the interview. To see what the 6th grade had to say about this problem I asked a few:

Scarlett: “What are your thoughts on this issue?”

Morgan: “I think it should be changed because of the impact it takes on women and african americans all around the world.”

Bayleigh: “I think it’s good because all these years it’s always been men, but now we have a women on the paper bill and we’ve never had a woman president and this reaches out to more women about trying to run.”

Sofia: “We should totally do it since it would bring a big cultural change because, finally we would have women and african americans representing our country.”

Madi: “I think it’s better to have a change.”

Owen: “I think it’s cool.”

Nino: “I think that Andrew Jackson deserves to be on the $20 bill.”

 

Desiree Linden wins the Boston Marathon

By Taylor G.
Student Writer

On April 16, 2018, Desiree Linden ran the Boston Marathon and won. She became the first American woman to win the marathon since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985. However, Linden thought about dropping out of the marathon because she wasn’t drinking enough fluids and was afraid  of getting cramps in her legs. The rain, strong winds, and cold temperatures, made the race even more challenging for the runners. Linden is the 16th American woman to win the race ever. For half of the race, Mamitu Daska, from Ethiopia, was in the lead. Linden had taken the lead in the 21st mile, passing Mamitu Daska and Gladys Chesir from Kenya. She won with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 53 seconds. Desiree Linden made history by being the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.

Sources:

Book Review: Land of Stories

by Scarlett H.
Student Writer

The Land of Stories is a popular  middle-grade series that I've read many times.

The author, Chris Colfer, is a singer, actor, and author. The books are described by Colfer as a "Modern day fairytale", following twins Alex and Conner Bailey as they fall from the real world, into a world full of fairy tales they have only ever read about, and discover there is more to this world than meets the eye.

A year has gone by since Alex and Conner Bailey suffered the tragic loss of their father. Their mother, who is trying to balance her job and her family after her husband's death, is unable to celebrate their twelfth birthday. Instead, the twins' Grandma comes to celebrate. She gives the twins a book of fairy tales they recognize from their childhood, titled The Land of Stories. Alex keeps it in her room at night and soon discovers a buzzing noise coming from the book. It doesn't take the twins long to realize that the book of fairy tales is real and acts as a portal between both worlds. They meet numerous classic characters including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood (who's not so little anymore) and new characters including Froggy, Sir Lampton, The Huntress, and Trollbella. However great the twins find the fairy tale world, they realize they need to find a way back to their world. Froggy tells the twins of the Wishing Spell, where magical items are put together to grant one wish. The twins are courageous and creative and soon find their way to Cinderella's castle and meet the Fairy Godmother, who tells them a secret that they would never have guessed.

Find all the Land of Stories books in our library from Tuesday to Thursday!

What’s Going On In Each Class?

by Katiana Y.
Student Writer

Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten:
Addition
Measuring
Graphing
How to read
How to stay in a straight line

1st Grade:
Math: Addition and Subtraction
Language Arts: Punctuation
Science: Life Cycles of Frogs
Social Studies: Mummies

2nd Grade:
Math: Expanding Methods and Grouping Correctly
Language Arts: How to Write Biographies and Reading Higher Levels
Science: What Plants Need to Live and Survive
Social Studies: Understanding Importance of Heroes

3rd Grade:
Math: Fractions and Shapes
Language Arts: Writing an Animal Report; Just finished reading Poppy
Science: Studying Life Cycles and Adaptations, Genes and Growing Plants
Social Studies: Studying Government and Laws

4th Grade:
Math: Decimals and Shapes
Language Arts: Reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimb
Science: Animal Adaptations
Social Studies: Studying the Gold Rush

5th Grade:
Math: Coordinate Graphs and Fractions
Language Arts: Working on a 5 paragraph essay about the Titanic; Just finished reading The Lemonade War.
Science: Studying Matter
Social Studies: Studying the American Revolution

6th Grade:
Math
Ms. Strocco: How to Graph Points
Mrs. Stevens: Surface Area of Prisms and Nets
Mrs. Moreau: Functions
Language Arts: Vocabulary Workbook
Literature: Annotating Samurai’s Tale
Science: Studying Greenhouse Gases
Social Studies: Walk Through World History

7th Grade:
Math:
Mrs. Stevens: Slopes and Graphs
Mrs. Moreau: Pythagorean Theorem and Hypotenuse
Language Arts: Vocab; Grammar; Reading Macbeth.
Science: Studying Cells
Social Studies: Studying Past West Africa

8th Grade:
Math:
Ms. Strocco: Slopes
Mrs. Stevens: Radical Equations
Mrs. Moreau:  Tangent Lines
Language Arts: Reading the Graphic Novel, Maus and Writing Essays about the Holocaust.
Science: Studying Friction and Motion
Social Studies: Studying Andrew Jackson and Cherokee Tribe Removal

DIY at home face masks, scrubs, and recipes!

by Paloma M. & Chloe N.
Student Writers

The Calming Honey Mask 

  • 2 tablespoons of pure honey
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 wedge of fresh lemon

Warm the honey in the microwave for a few seconds, then combine it with the cinnamon and the juice of a lemon wedge into a small bowl. Cinnamon is known to reduce inflammation and redness—plus, it sops up excess oil when applied topically. Lemon acid not only helps exfoliate your skin, but can minimize the appearance of dark spots, too. Gently massage the mixture onto your face and leave on for about 15-20 minutes, then rinse off.

DIY Strawberry Sugar Scrub Recipe 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
  • ¾ cup organic virgin coconut oil (room temperature)
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1.Place freeze-dried strawberries in a sealed ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, crush strawberries until very fine.

2. Combine cane sugar and crushed freeze-dried strawberries in a small mixing bowl.

3. Add coconut oil and vanilla extract to dry mixture. Stir well.

4. Garnish scrub with freeze-dried strawberries.

Giant Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
2 cups butter, melted
4 eggs
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
5 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
Mini chocolate chips

PREPARATION
-Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
-In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, white sugar, and melted butter.
-Add in the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
-Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix together until just combined. Add in the -chocolate chips and mix again.
-Spay two round pans with nonstick cooking spray and separate the cookie dough into each pan.
-Pat down the dough with a spatula until the surface is even, and bake for 35 minutes or until -golden brown.
-While the cookies are baking, place plastic wrap in a springform pan.
-Pour softened vanilla ice cream into the springform pan and spread evenly.
-Freeze until solid, about 1 hour.
-Once the cookies have baked and cooled, turn them over onto a tray.
-Place the ice cream disk on top of one half and cover with the other half.
-With your hand press the mini chocolate chips to the outside of the cookie.
-Freeze again until solid.

 

Bibliography

  • Lee, Christa Joanna. “7 Easy, DIY Face Masks.” SELF, SELF, 19 Sept. 2016, www.self.com/gallery/7-easy-diy-face-masks.
  • Nelson, Jennifer. “5 Homemade Lip Scrub Recipes.” MNN - Mother Nature Network, Mother Nature Network, 29 Jan. 2018, www.mnn.com/lifestyle/natural-beauty-fashion/stories/5-homemade-lip-scrub-recipes.

 

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