!

5th Issue

May 2013 YAC Class Trip to Boston and New York City
by Danielle Green, Staff Writer

Haiti Visit An Interview with Mrs. Matheny

by Camille Blake, Staff Writer How was your visit to Haiti during spring break? It was really fun and awesome. I had a great time. Did you visit any of the kids in the orphanage? Yes we did. It was the same orphanage where our pen pals live and it is the second time I have been there. What was interesting was that the kids remembered Abiqua School and me. What was your favorite part of your trip/vacation? I really liked seeing the kids again. It was fun playing with them and having them remember me. Other than that, I really liked swimming in the Caribbean. We went to a beach called Obama Beach. When you were in the orphanage, did you see any of Abiqua's artwork we made? No, it wasn't hanging up when I was there. My best guess is that they probably took it down and put it in a special place in their room or maybe a box with special belongings inside. Where in Haiti did you visit? We visited a place called Titanyen. Haiti is shaped like an "L". Titanyen is in the corner of the "L". The earthquake hit Port-au-Prince and the original orphanage was destroyed. There was a toy drive last year for the kids in Haiti. Did they still have the toys that were donated? They had some toys out that were possibly from the toy drive. Many of the orphans share their toys, so some may have been with the kids that we weren't seeing at that time. If we didn't see the toys, I actually think that it would be a good thing because that means that they are being used. See HAITI, 1 page 6

!!!!!The YACs just returned home from a great trip to Boston and New York City! The trip started out with everyone meeting at PDX airport at 9:15pm to catch a red-eye flight that departed at 11:20pm. We had a layover in Chicago and then we were on our flight to Boston. We met our tour director named Jon and our bus driver, Wendell, and headed out right away on a tour of Boston. We saw many of the most famous landmarks of Boston including the USS Constitution, Bunker Hill (and 294 steps to the top of the monument), and Faneiul Hall. We also has some somber moments as we visited the marathon bombing memorial site. The next day we walked around Boston more, including by Paul Reveres house, Harvard University, Old North Church, and to Lexington and Concord. Former Abiqua student Joanna Caynon was able to meet us for dinner and after dinner we all walked through the Boston Commons to current Abiqua See YAC TRIP, page 10

(More) Dogs of Abiqua

by Camille Blake, Staff Writer

Just so you know, I am Daisy and I am a Black Lab. What is your favorite toy or game? I love my tennis ball. I love it so much that sometimes I forget that I'm supposed to let go of the ball when I retrieve it in my favorite game: FETCH! Mr. Gordon had to get a new ball for me because I chewed my old one to bits. What do you do when Mr. Gordon is teaching? Usually I sit by Mr. Gordon's desk then get up and walk around. The kids in his class love me! When I walk by the kids they give me a good scratch on the back. What is your proudest moment? When I caught a ball in mid-air! This might not seem like much to you humans, but it rocks for me. It might even get me a scholarship in doggy obedience school or doggy college! What, this still isn't cool? Well here's more: After I caught the ball, I didn't chew it!!! What is your favorite food? I absolutely L-O-V-E, love crackers! Ritz, Cheez-Its, you name it. If it's a cracker, I love it. What is your best trick? You know what I can do that many other dogs can't do? I can count! What I do is Mr. Gordon tells me to wait until he counts to three. He has a cracker in his hand too! I wait until he says the magic word and then... wait for it, wait for it...and....ALAKAZAM! I eat the cracker on three! Awesome, right? Hey, where's the paparazzi? Or should I say "pawparazzi"? Any final words? Just like to say that I am a great dog and I love my awesome life.

My name is Jazz and I am a Black Cocker Spaniel. What is your favorite toy? My favorite toy (right now) is a stuffed monkey called Jocko. My grandma named him after a stuffed monkey she had when she was a little girl. What is your favorite snack or food? My favorite snack is peanut butter - my mom evens lets me lick the jar when she is done with it! What is your favorite thing to do when you are bored? My favorite outdoor pastime is chasing the black birds and squirrels in my backyard. What do you like about Abiqua? I really like the school because I can run fast down the hallway, but mom doesn't let me come very often because I keep eating the crayons the kids drop on the floor! Which words make you feel excited when you hear them? I get very excited when I hear the words "treat, bone, walk and go bye-bye!" Anything else you would like to mention? I hope you like the pictures I am sending too, I am enjoying a fresh bone.
DAISY and JAZZ want you to check out our Star News webpage www.abiquastarnews.weebly.com password: Stars

Brain Teasers
by Lindsey Williams, Staff Writer

1. A man is hit on the head by someone on a Sunday. There were five people in the house at the time. The police interrogated each of them. The cook said she was making lunch. The butler said he was cleaning the coats. The maid said she was getting the mail. The wife said she was reading a book. The footman said he was polishing the silver. Who did it, and why? 2. The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What am I? 3. Decrypt this message: MOONCEON 4. Paul's height is 6 feet, he's an assistant at a butcher shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh? 5. Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?

6. Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? 7. There are a few trees in a garden. On one of them, a pear tree, there are pears (quite logical). But after a strong wind blew, there were neither pears on the tree nor on the ground. How come? 8. Some months have 30 days, some months have 31 days, how many have 28? 9. The blue man lives in the blue house and the red man lives in the red house. Who lives in the white house?

10. In Oklahoma, you cannot take a picture of a man with a sign. Why not? 11. I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never seen out of darkness. 12. While walking across a bridge I saw a boat full of people. Yet on the boat there wasn't a single person. Why? 13. Two mothers and two daughters go to a pet store and buy three cats. Each female gets her own cat. How is this possible?

A Saturday Afternoon in Downtown Salem

by Sophia Wilson-Pelton, Staff Writer On a recent Saturday, I decided to head to downtown Salem and just explore around a bit. So I enlisted my best friend to come with me and we hopped on our bikes. First stop on any Saturday afternoon: food. I decided to check out The Thai Restaurant (even though Thai food is a personal favorite of mine, I had never been to this particular restaurant). I was pleasantly surprised. After we had paid, my friend and I walked over to the antique mall right next door. If youve never been, I would highly suggest it. Englebergs Antique Mall is one of my favorite parts of downtown Salem; I love sifting through their stuff and I always leave with a new knick-knack or two. From Englebergs we headed over to the Salem Center Mall for a bit of shopping and from there we walked to Sugar Sugar to pick up some cupcakes. Our last stop was the Riverfront Park which is always a nice place to sit and relax. I hope your Saturday was as nice as mine!

Hot Chocolate with Miss Jo Ann

(for April 2013)

Hap Freres Brady Foster Lui Williams Williams

Jade Haddad Kirsten Cole Lauren Colin Nick Kaden

Quinn Clarke Angela Kakaruk Nicola Stratton Matthew Tiffani Blake!

Nicholas Morrow Sophia Carr Ezra Alexander

lah B , h a l B riter Blah, , Staff W n e e r G ielle

by Dan

w, never e n d n a r In this b issue of Blah een before-s you will read h Blah Bla e outrageous m about so May and you for holidays something new arn might le hing. Hope you g about lau njoy! e

ay y Ride D 26th Sall ay screen D ay 27th Sun Flower D th Water A g 30 r Hearin st Save You c 1 c o 3 No Toba d l r o W Day, Day

Abiqua Adventures: Summer Camp

by Hayden Cole, Staff Writer

e some Here ar s: fun fact g Laughin 400 a gh bout gh u a : l s n y e a r d Child lts lau ny Holi yAdu a d a May fun Day, Save The s e es a tim of 15 tim ose o e g G a r r e e h v t an a ter is 1st Mo ay Laugh st TV y Rhino D a d d n a s er Mo y, Broth tagiouslaugh track, n o nd Baby Da c 2 ay ave a Sisters D , itcoms h ecorded or fake y s a D a b u sr ational T which ha itLaughter y 3rd Intern a n D ug laughs o bout jokes and Lumpy R Wars Day a isnt just ories - One , Star th Bird Day 4 funny st avesdropped iet Day y 6th No D a er e research tions in malls, achers D e T l a n o ay 7th Nati conversa d how often D n s o k c o S an 8th No ng why d. Less than al Day i i t r o o n m e ughe Sock M om Day people la the laughter o 9th Lost R r u o n Up Y 20% of a joke or ant Day W 10th Clea u o Y t followed ory. Most Wha y a D 11th Eat n s st u a rech humorou ok place as ay D n 13th Lep e k c i to ike A Ch aughter greeting one l , y a D th Dance L y ke ere 14 Sea Mon Day people w r or saying th National e 16 anothe Laughter For Peac e l , p y r a u D P Wear o Work goodbye ame across T e k i B l he s iona 17th Nat sounds t ading some t Day a R k c t i a le P Day, Vis cultures, to believe that s e h s i D ers Dirty research elped bond our 18th No s Day e v i t a l e h Your R ay, Pick laughter s togetherIn D e r i a n Millio ancestor d of laughter ay D 20th Be A s e i r soun r e Strawb fact, the And s r mon and e t m i o a c W o l s a s n i o an be 21st Nati sses Day iliar, it c yed m a f e r t i a t Wa strumen zed if pl pe. i n n I g l a o c c i e s r A Mu d ds on ta 22n Buy backwar Day y argot Da c s E l a n io 24th Nat ce Day th Tap Dan 25

This year, Abiqua School is starting a summer camp program called Abiqua Summer Adventures. Different summer camps are available and you can pick and choose which one to do, but you are not limited to just one! They will occur from July 8th to August 2nd, in one-week periods. Week 1: July 8-12 Week 2: July 15-19 Week 3: July 22-26 Week 4: July 29th-Aug. 2 Various classes are available including: PC Doctor taught by Jesse Newman; Volleyball taught by Mrs. Drane and Brittany Fobi (Oregon State University volleyball alumnus); Drama taught by Ms. B and Nick; Art by Ms. Matheny; Plugged In by Mrs. Drane; Primary Fitness to Fun Learning by Ms. Runkle; Ride the Waves taught by Ms. Phelan; and Rocketry and Weird Science by Moses Navarro! Grab a packet from the front office and check out the camp descriptions. Payments are due May 15th, so hurry and get signed up now!

Some Cool Apps for your iPhone or iPad

by Hayden Cole, Staff Writer Battery Life: FREE. This is an excellent app I came across while browsing on the app store, and I am not regretting the download. The app icon flatters your iPhone or iPads home screen, and it just looks cool. When you open the app, you are greeted with a sound like that of a motorcycle. The apps loading screen slides away to reveal a futuristic battery capacity gauge. Battery Life offers a multitude of information about your phone, including battery capacity, available memory, how much time you will have left on your phone when doing certain activities, controls, what is eating up your memory, tips for saving battery life, along with a variety of different gauges to please the aesthetic-oriented mind. All in all, a great app. 5 out of 5 stars. Dragon Dictation: FREE. This extremely handy app allows you to dictate to your iPhone or iPad (or both), meaning you talk to it and it writes what you say with surprising accuracy. It does not require Wi-Fi to operate, unlike Siri, which is now standard for iOS devices. Typing on an iPad/iPhone can be rather tedious, and this app fixes it. If you have a long email to write and you are out on the road, you can talk it through with the device. You can send the message through SMS, e-Mail it or create a new reminder. This app was definitely a great choice. 4.5 out of 5 stars for some occasional speech recognition issues. Compass: Included with iOS devices, you may not know you have this app. Compass relies on Wi-Fi and 3G/4G services to pinpoint your location and then points toward either true North or magnetic North, depending on the setting you choose. This app is a lifesaver and will definitely come in handy when you are in a bind in the Great Outdoors. 5 out of 5 stars. Find my iPhone/Find my iPad: FREE. Provided by Apple, this app will also be a lifesaver. As its title suggests, Find my iPhone/iPad allows you to pinpoint the location of any Apple device (with the exception of iPods, however iPod touches will function with this app) that is connected to your iTunes account. You can view devices that are online, check their battery level, make them emit a rather annoying pinging sound, lock them remotely, or even erase their memory if theyve fallen into the wrong hands, whether they be those of a hacker or your own best friend. This app does not come pre-installed on your iOS device, so I recommend getting it the next time you use the device. 5 out of 5 stars. The Weather Channel: $3.99. This is in all, a great app for those of us who are extreme planners (myself included) who want to know what the weather will be like on Thursday for your birthday to help decide on an activity. Another handy app, the paid version of The Weather Channel does not show ads (because you paid $4 for it), but it does beg for reviews a lot. You might as well appease the developers and put in a review. Customizable radar systems, 15-minute, daily, weekly, 10-day, and hourly forecasts are available and you can configure the app to send you a message when the weather becomes severe or to tell you it will be really nice that day. A cool app, but a bit overpriced. 3.5 out of 5 stars for overuse of begging for reviews and the price.

5th and 6th Grade Drama Review: Into The Woods

by Amanda Rosborough, Staff Writer Lights! Camera! Action! On April 19th, the MAC drama had a performance called Into the Woods; they did a fantastic job. The story line is a mixture of fairytales - Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. The musical is tied together by the original story involving a baker and his wife and their journey to begin a family and their interaction with the witch and the curse she puts on them. There was a special appearance by 1st grader Kaden Blake and Abby Knight as two little cows. HAITI continued from page 1 What else did you do in Haiti? The first thing we did was visit the school where Jackson helps and works. Jackson was the exchange student that came here last year, in case you don't remember him. In Haiti, this school can only fit 100 kids. There is only one school in the village with only one room! And there are about 2,000 kids in the village. But when we were at the school, kids started flooding into the school, because we were there. We hadnt told anyone that we were coming, but the word got around that we were there. We played fun games with them too. Some of the games we taught them were Duck-DuckGoose, Freeze Tag, and Red Light, Green Light. 6

What it Means to be on Leadership

by Hayden Cole, Staff Writer You may have heard of Leadership. But what is it? Leadership is a committee of kids selected by students and teachers to create and plan events and make decisions. Two students are selected from 5th grade through 8th grade. The current members are as follows: 5th grade: Camille Blake, Chlo Blake, Abby Fedor 6th grade: Lindsey Williams, Lucy Knight 7th grade: Katie Hirasaki, Colton Bonnett 8th grade: Sebastian Ward, Gracie Larson Leadership meets every Tuesday during lunch in Mrs. Dranes room and has planned several successful events, such as the Halloween Dance and the Winter Dance for the middle school students.

When we weren't visiting the school, we sometimes went to the market. Their market is very different compared to ours. It is open air and it has no rooms. Also, when someone sells something, they only sell that one particular thing. So someone might be selling just rice while someone else is selling just plantains. The thing is that every day the people have to bring their wares from their home to the market to sell, and it is a lot of stuff. Did you buy anything in Haiti? Yes we did. At the market, we bought a branch of plantains. Plantains look like bananas. One branch of plantains usually has about 40 separate plantains on it. We also bought a sewing machine for the older girls and

boys at the orphanage so they could learn how to sew. Because when they turn 18 years old, they have to leave the orphanage by government rules. So we wanted to equip the girls and boys with useful tools for life so they can leave with a skill and earn a job. We also bought lots of fabric so they can make clothes. If you could say anything to the kids in the orphanage in Haiti, what would you say? I would tell them that they are loved and that they can do great things with their life, as long as they never give up. If you had a chance, would you go somewhere else during spring break other than Haiti? No, I wouldn't have done anything different!

Music Review:
The Classics
by Danielle Green, Staff Writer

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band by The Beatles It has been 50 years since The Beatles debuted their first album and still today they are considered one of the most memorable and influential musicians of all time. Every one of their songs make you feel so many different emotions and their brilliant blend of lyrics, melodies, rhythms, hooks, and riffs are the gold standard of pop music. In selecting just one album to focus on when reviewing The Beatles does not do the band justice as each should be in your collection (of course I might be a bit biased as The Beatles are one of my favorite bands of alltime). However, one of my favorite albums is Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band which is considered by many music critics as the best rock and/or pop album of all time. A unique quality of this album is that songs float right into the next and often bring very different musical styles and arrangements from song to song and in many cases right within the same song. The album starts out with one the most famous songs Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band as The Beatles pretend to be a new band with this happy, uplifting and catchy tune that will be hard to keep your foot still. A Little Help From My Friends sung by The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is about how important friendship is and how friends should always stand by you no matter what even if they happen to sing out of key. A Day In The Life reminds me about how sad the news can be and the echo-like vocals makes you focus on each small story of tragedy, then as the song progresses it sounds like a completely different song when it becomes uplifting and focuses on the daily routines of life. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is a dreamlike song that reminds me of when you are dozing off to sleep but you are still slightly awake and you can almost grab your dreams. The simple

melody accompanied by lyrics that bring sharp images to your mind such as floating in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies it becomes hard not to visualize these images in your own dream state. Buy this album and listen to the whole thing and you will see why The Beatles are a favorite around the world. Mothership (Remastered) by Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin is a very inspirational band for all ages. This album is a collection of their most famous songs and also their most popular songs. Led Zeppelin is a hard rock band from the 60s and 70s with a strong rhythmic beat blended with blues. The difference is that you combine one of the greatest guitarist Jimmy Page along with perhaps one of greatest rock drummers John Bonham a steady bassist John Paul Jones and an iconic lead singer of Robert Plant and you get what rock and roll is all about. One of my favorite songs on the album is Stairway To Heaven because it has many different tempos in the song. The song was very popular despite its how long it is: over eight minutes! Another one of my favorite songs is Communication Breakdown because the song keeps moving right along and there is never a slow or boring part in it. Led Zeppelin is an amazing band and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I know you will find it hard not to bang along with these classic songs. The Platinum Collection by Queen Queen is a very theatrical band that is very well known and has stood the test of time with so many but See MUSIC, page 9 7

Family Time in April

by Amanda Rosborough, Staff Writer On April 8, we started off fresh from a relaxing we sang and celebrated by having heart-shaped spring break with the MACs (*Drane) and their first cookies that had green and purple sprinkles. grade buddies. Together they made a book about the On April 22, we had a charming performance by HEART Skills and what they mean. Each group the first grade Spanish class. They sang about the contributed in one of the HEART Skills and they seasons and the weather and objects that occur with also drew pictures that corresponded with the each season. Everybody enjoyed the adorable song HEART Skills. Together they showed and read the and it was a great start to our Monday. pages of the book to the audience. On April 15, we started the week with an enthusiastic performance by the Primary Choir. They sang a few songs; one was about what if we saw eye to eye? and everyones favorite was called Ten Little Robots. Some of the kids from the choir were chosen to guide and help out with each of the songs. Since the 15th was Abiqua Schools birthday, On April 29, we had an extraordinary presentation by the YACs, they talked about how important speaking Spanish is and preparing for middle school Spanish. They talked about how it improves job applications and visiting places where people speak Spanish. The YACs also talked about preparing for the National Spanish Exams that you take in middle school. May 15th: Track and Field Meet @ Colton, 3:15pm May 17th: YAC drama performance Once Upon a Mattress @ CCC, 6:30pm May 18th: Intermediate Volleyball at Monmouth, 2:45pm; Kdg., (@ 2pm) 1st (@ 3:15pm) and 2nd (@ 12:45pm) grades Soccer @ CFC Field; YAC drama performance Once Upon a Mattress @ CCC, 6:30pm May 19th: MACs leave for Canada class trip May 20th: Family Time by Intermediates May 21st: Terrific Twos - Newport Excursion (Hatfield Marine Science Center and Discovery Boat Tour) May 22nd: Terrific Twos Pet Club (Ms. Terri from Humane Society); Kdg. field trip to Freres pond; Invitational meet @ Regis, 3pm May 24th: MACs return from Canada class trip May 27th: No school - Memorial Day May 29th: 1st grade Willamette Jet Boat Ride

May Calendar of Events

by Amanda Rosborough, Staff Writer

May 1st: Track and Field Meet @ Gervais, 3pm May 3rd: K-2 to Elsinore Theatre May 5th: YACs return from Boston/NYC class trip May 6th: Family Time MAC Dittman May 8th: Track and Field Meet @ Colton, 3:15pm May 9th: Intermediates - Fort Clatsop (Astoria) overnight field trip; MAC trip to OCT production of Gathering Blue May 11th: YAC drama Once Upon a Mattress rehearsal @ Chemeketa Community College (CCC); Intermediate Volleyball at Salem YMCA; 1st and 2nd grades Soccer @ CFC Field, 9am May 13th: Family Time by the YACs; Mothers Day Tea, 1:30pm

Book Review: Divergent

by Josephine Carstensen, Staff writer While reading Divergent I had a hard time slowing down and savoring the book. Personally I thought it had a very exciting plot. Exciting plots are what I value in books. If you read and liked Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Glitch, or Harry Potter, then you are the kind of person who would probably like this book. Divergent is a fiction novel but is written in the future, not like when there are flying cars but when the world or community changes. It all starts when people decide to be separated, into five different groups. These are called factions. There is Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, Candor, and Erudite. If you live in this time you would decide which faction to join at the age of 16, depending on your personality. If you were smart you would go to Erudite, brave to Dauntless, Honest to Candor and so on. This book follows a 16-year-old girl named Beatrice (her name is later changed to Tris) who lives with her mom, dad and brother. The book starts with her and her brother about to choose which faction to spend the rest of their lives in. Beatrice chooses Dauntless because she believes she is brave, and changes her name to Tris. We follow her and her new dauntless friends as the fight through the life threading challenges to become a true dauntless. First she must rank high in the hand, on hand combat. Then she must fight her biggest fears while in a simulation. To be transferred into a simulation Tris is given a shot in her neck that puts her in a world of her own deepest fears. To escape Tris must slow her heart rate down. But during the simulation Tris must be very careful, for she has a secret that she must keep hidden at all costs. She is Divergent. But what makes it hard to hide is that she has no idea what divergent means. The book ends with a surprise attack on one of the factions. Which one? Maybe Candor, Amity or Abnegation? Read Divergent to find out!

Movie Review: Wont Back Down

by Allison Hmura, Staff Writer I had the pleasure of watching this movie a few weeks ago. The movie is based on a real-life story and centers on two mothers who want a better education for their children who attend a MUSIC continued from page 7

school where all the children are failing. Jamie Fitzpatrick, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a single mom who wants a better education for her dyslexic daughter who is being ignored and punished in her current classroom. A teacher and fellow mother in the school, played by Viola Davis, is also seeking a better school situation for her son. They fight the government system,

fellow parents apathy, and the teachers union to take over their elementary school and provide a better education. There are many set-backs and twists to the story, but the two mothers and their small band of supporters wont give up. Please go and watch this movie to see who wins in the end! It also made me happy to be in a school like Abiqua.

perhaps didnt know it was Queen from the 1970s. The Platinum Collection is an assortment of their most famous songs. One of my all-time favorites is Bohemian Rhapsody because it very opera-like and is very different throughout each part of the song. Another excellent song is Under Pressure which features David Bowie singing along with lead singer Freddie Mercury about stress and feeling pressure. For you sports fans you will also find the entire song of We Will Rock You a classic that you have heard at some game or event at least once in your lifetime. Queen is an excellent band and is very entertaining and has something for everyone including killer guitar solos by Brian May beyond Mercurys unique singing voice. 9

MAC & YAC Track

by Leah Borden, Staff Writer Mac and Yac Track by Leah Borden, Staff Writer This track season has started with LOTS of practices. The team is meeting every Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30pm. Mr. Dittman and Mrs. Drane have been doing great at coaching and some parents and experienced students have also been helping out. The available track and field events for team members include dashes
YAC TRIP continued from page 1

(sprints), relays, shot-put, discuss, long jump, hurtles, and javelin. The eighth graders have their own teams in most every event. The teams first meet was on April 16th at Gervais High School and the second was on April 24th at Regis High School. Lots of the Abiqua team members have placed in events including first place! Seventh grader Josie Carstensen says, Its so much fun! I thought it would be tiring and only for really fast and good runners. I

am not the best runner, Ill admit, but I have lots of fun doing other activities like hurdles, javelin, and long jump. If you see any of the track team members wish them luck!

spending some time at the Memorial reflecting, we went to the American Museum of Finance and learned some things about the stock exchange. Our next venture was riding the subway! After that we went to Times Square and had a little bit of free time there. We had dinner before heading to the Broadway play Annie! On the 6th day we went on a cruise along the Hudson River and by the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. That afternoon we went on a behindthe-scenes-tour of Macys Department Store and learned about marketing and advertisement. We then visited High Line Park which was formerly the elevated central railroad. After dinner we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art an amazing place! On the last day we went on a studio tour of NBC and saw where they record shows like Dr. Oz, Jimmy Fallon talk show and Saturday Night Live. After lunch we had a chance to walk through Central Park and saw Strawberry Fields (John Lennons Memorial) and so many other wonderful parts of the park. It was then time to head to the airport and say goodbye to NYC and our amazing tour director and bus driver. It was an amazing trip with so many wonderful memories, but it was great to get home and see our families who were waiting for us! 10

student Sophia Wilson-Peltons dads house who was nice enough to host us all for dessert. The next day we went to EF Smithsonian where they have a piece of the Berlin Wall. Then we went to the Boston Museum of Science where they have lots of hands-on learning activities. We then drove for four hours to New York City. Once there we walked around and stopped for dinner before heading to the Empire State Building. While were at the top of the Empire State Building the sun was setting and it was beautiful and once it was completely dark the building was all lit up in blue. The next day we walked around NYC and we went to the 9/11 Memorial which was really special. After
10

Dear 5-Star Advice Column

by Lindsey Williams, Staff Writer

Dear 5-Star Advice, I'm really excited for the YAC Boston/New York trip. But I'm claustrophobic and afraid of heights. How am I going to handle the plane ride?

Ema il an y qu estio 5-St n s to a abiq r Ad uast vice arne at ws@ plac e yo gma i u l.com r qu A d vi estio or ce C n in olum t h e n ca news n by pape t h e r sta nd

- From Fears Dear Fears, Your phobias are shared by a huge number of people worldwide. Claustrophobia - or fear of tight spaces - is a very common thing. A way to stifle it is by closing your eyes and listening to music. This tricks your eyes and ears into thinking that you are no longer either moving in a flying plane or in a space as small as the airplane cabin. Also, chewing gum can help with this too, for chewing pops your jaw muscles and also clears that annoying pressure that builds up in the ears. If chewing gum doesn't appeal to you, swallowing has the same effect. Moreover, drinking water relaxes your mind and your mind focuses on drinking the water, not being afraid. All of these exercises are reflexes that will help your mind forget that you are on a plane. Having personally been on more planes than I remember, I see flying as an experience that gets much easier the more you do it. Even if you are afraid of heights, there is no need to worry, because all you need to do is close the window shade and pretend that you are safely on the ground. Sitting with your friends is perfect for this. And if your trip is at night, it should be easy to fall asleep and ignore the heights. If all else fails, you just have to not think about it. Remember that it is all in your head and that you are safe on that plane. And think about all the fun you will have once you're to your destination! (You lucky ducks.) Take pictures for me! 1. The maid. There is not post on Sunday. 2. A coffin. 3. Once in a Blue Moon. 4. Meat. 5. Incorrectly. 6. Neither. They both weigh a pound. 7. There were two pears on the tree. One fell on the ground. Neither one has pearS on it. 8. All months have at least 28 days. 9. The President. 10. You can't take a picture with a sign. That is illogical. 11. The letter S. 12. All the people on the boat were married. 13. There was a daughter, a mother and a grandmother. The mother is also the grandmother's daughter. There are three girls. Two mothers, two daughters, three cats. Answers to Brain Teasers from page 3 11 1
11

- 5-Star Advice

HOT TOPICS Dances - MACs & YACs Sound Off

by Lindsey Williams - MAC, Staff Writer

OPENING STATEMENTS Hayden Cole (HC) - YAC: This is the annual MAC/YAC debate on the matter of MACS at YAC dances. Lindsey Williams (LW) - MAC: Let us begin. ARGUMENTS: LW: Our argument - the MAC's argument - is that MACS should be allowed at dances. We are almost as old as they are and just as mature HC: cough cough LW: Some MACS are mature enough to be at YAC dances! We are a part if the middle school. We have a right to be everywhere that the other middle schoolers are. HC: You guys are immature. I'm just going to throw that out there. You guys just cannot handle it. LW: Fair enough, fair enough. HC: See, I think you agree with me. Now you're becoming Mr. Dittman. LW: Thank you, teachers have maturity! Teachers have maturity. ......to continue reading the rest of HOT TOPICS: Dances MACs & YACs Sound Off, please see our website: www.abiquastarnews.weebly.com password: Stars

Staff Writers for May 2013 Issue

Allison Hmura, Amanda Rosborough, Camille Blake, Danielle Green, Hayden Cole, Josie Carstensen, Leah Borden, Lindsey Williams, Sophia Wilson-Pelton

Star News Advisors:

Karen & Mark Green Teacher Advisor: Ms. Drane

Do you have a question Thank you for your continued support (Advice Column or other), comment or suggestion for the Star News Staff Writers for future issues?
West Salem

Write to them at: abiquastarnews@gmail.com

12