T h e S p i r e C r i e r S t . T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l P a r i s h S c h o o l

Fifth graders present annual school play

Vo l u me 2 7 I s s ue 5

M ay 2 0 1 5

I ns i de t h i s i s s ue :

By Laura Furniss-Roe and Nina Chehab This year, the 5th grade class of 2015 will put on a terrific

show—Beauty and the Beast, Jr. Isabela Tao plays Belle, and Jack Silva plays the Beast.

To start off, every member of the fifth grade class went to audi-tions. (It was mandatory.) We had to sing any song of our choice resembling the kind of part that you wanted to re-ceive in the play. We also had to speak a piece of dialogue from the playbook. Soon, the cast was released and every-body started adjusting to their parts.

We choreographed the three main dances as a class. In some after-school sessions, our acting coach, Miss Lynch, would rehearse some scenes with mainly dialogue in them.

Once the whole play was put together, we have practiced several run-throughs before we can show the play to our excited audience. We are all very excited for opening night! We know that we are pretty nervous, but we just have to get out there and shine. We know if we do our best, then the show will look great.

We were able to snag an interview with Jack Silva who is playing the Beast.

“I’m very excited for the show,” he said. “It was a very nice feel-ing to know that I was going to play a main character in the play.”

He states that it wasn’t very hard to memorize his lines. He had a lot of time to memorize since he has had play practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Mystery Teacher and Mystery Reporter

2

Student Poll 3

Ask Kiki 4

Riddles and Mazes 6

Tech Avenue 7

Travel to Switzerland 9

Student Notebook 9

Cool Shoes 10

Student Fiction 11

Thank you for everything, Mrs. Charlton! We’ll miss you!

This mystery teacher has a Yorkie named Peanut

By Laura Furniss-Roe Hi Guys! Happy “end of the year”! See if you can guess this issue’s

mystery teacher. Good luck! This Mystery Teacher’s favorite food is Stone Crabs. Her two favorite

colors are purple and green and her favorite book is The Very Hungry Cater-pillar. Her favorite movie is Grease.

She owns one Yorkie called Peanut and her favorite quote is “Go con-fidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined,” by Henry David Thoreau. She has worked at St. Thomas for three years and her favorite pizza topping is cheese. Who is this?

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 2

The mystery reporter

likes the color lavender

and getting together

with friends.

The mystery reporter likes “Half Upon a Time”

By Laura Furniss-Roe Hey, guys! Can you guess who this mystery reporter is? She helps

write the Spire Crier. (See the list of the names of reporters on the back.) This reporter likes apple pie. Her favorite animal is a bunny and her

favorite color is lavender. Her birthday is October 18th and her favorite book is “Half Upon a

Time.” She loves to get together with her friends. WHO IS SHE?

What would you name a leopard gecko?

By Rosie Infante I might get a leopard gecko! In case you’re wondering, a leopard

gecko is a yellow gecko with black spots. They live in deserts or a person’s house. Their favorite food is live crickets, but they also like mealworms, su-per worms, and wax worms.

The geckos can get as old as 20 years and they usually grow up to 10 inches. Leopard geckos are originally from Asia, Pakistan, and India. You can find them at any pet store in the Reptile section. They cost from $20 to $2,000.

These are some of the names that I’ve been thinking about: Lu-na,Willow, Dumbledorita, George, Fred, Dumbledore, Weasley, Snape, Gilly-weed, Water Lily, French Fry, Pickles, Slurpee, Lemon Drop, Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Mercury, Neptune, Sunny, Sunshine, Venus, Star, Cheetah, Starfish, Dewdon, Fluffy, Google, Magma, Clueless, Cooper, Hakuna-Matata, Kelpie, Sweet Tooth, Ambush, Spotted Miracle, Freedom, Dragon Heart, Microsoft, and Musical Lizard (M.L).

By Jack Silva Memorial Day is a holiday that is not as appreciated as it should be.

Memorial Day is a day to remember the courageous men and woman who have died in service in the United States military. These amazing people risked and gave their lives so that the citizens of the United States can walk the streets safely.

This day became a holiday during the time of the Civil War. It is ob-served on the last Monday in May. It used to be the day when families and friends would visit cemeteries to pay respects to fallen soldiers, but it has be-come over the years a day to rest or have fun with family. This day should be more appreciated because it is a day of honor. Me-morial Day used to be called Decoration Day. Even today many volunteers visit cemeteries to put small American flags on the graves of soldiers. We should always remember the people who risk their lives for us every day.

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Memorial Day is when we remember our soldiers

By Madison Munroe All the 5th graders are going to different schools next year. It is very

fun and exciting to know what school you and your friends are going to. So, the Spire Crier has decided to make a poll to show the results.

We have received 30 responses from students. The percentage listed is based on the 30 responses.

Hope you enjoyed this information. Have fun next year! Here is what we got:

Palmer Trinity 14 50% Ransom Everglades 9 32.1% Belen 2 7.1% Carrollton 0 0% Riviera Country Glade 0 0% Westminster Christian 2 7.1% Palmetto Middle 0 0% Southwood Middle 0 0% Gulliver 1 3.6% South Miami Middle 0 0% Magnet Schools 0 0% Other 0 0%

30 fifth graders respond to “New School” poll

It’s exciting to know

what new school your

friends are going to.

Who is Kiki? Read this to find out

By Kiki Hey, guys! A lot of you have been wondering, “Who is Kiki?” “What grade is she in?” “What are some things she likes?” Well, you’re about to find out everything.

Here goes…. Kiki is Nina Chehab. Yep, I’m Kiki. A lot of you sus-pected me as Kiki, but I denied it all. You all wanted to know more about Kiki, so here are some facts: Kiki’s favorite color is green. Her favorite place to travel is…. Paris and San Francisco. She loves to give advice to people who really need it.

Kiki has always been one person. Some people helped with questions on the Spire Crier staff. Some of the letters I’ve been receiving, say that the students have trouble standing up for themselves, others, and even have to deal with bullying.

Before I leave for a new school in May, I’d like to give you all one piece of advice: ALWAYS BE YOURSELF. Don’t let someone else choose for you. Make your own decisions. Every one of you is strong. That is a fact. Be proud of yourself. Don’t look on the dark side. There’s always a bright side that you can turn to. Have confidence. You alone have enough courage to fill up the earth. If you just believe, then you can achieve whatever you put your heart and mind into.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole stair-case,” said Martin Luther King Jr.

“Have faith in yourself. You’ll see how far you’ll go in life if you just believe,” says Nina Chehab/Kiki.

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 4

Congratulations on

being a wonderful Kiki,

Nina Chehab!

Maui is a cool place to go during the summer

By Max Sanchez Maui is an island in the Hawaiian island chain. It is the most beautiful

place to go not just in my opinion, but also in all the reviews I’ve read and that’s a lot.

From the beaches to the resorts it’s the whole nine yards. The resort I suggest is called Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. It’s beautiful and it’s on the beach. If you do not know how to surf they have surf lessons. You can

also go hiking and biking, learn how to windsurf, and go snorkeling. The large Haleakala National Park has the island’s highest peak, Mt. Haleakala.

Another interesting thing to do is to have your family drive the scenic Hana Highway around to the other side of the island. The famous aviator Charles Lindbergh is buried on the grounds of a very remote and old church called Palapala Ho'omau Church. It is very difficult to get there, but Ms. Mayo went and she said it is one of the most beautiful places she has ever vis-ited. As you can see Maui is the best place to go.

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Here are fun things to do on a summer’s day

By Laura Furniss-Roe Summer’s coming! So, if you’re on vacation, enjoy it.

But if you’re stuck at home, no summer camps, no vacations, what’s there to do? Sit around and just be lazy? No way!

No school! New class next year! Make the most of re-laxation, and make time to do whatever you want.

Here are a few suggestions on fun activities to do on a hot summer’s day. Have fun and have a happy summer! Build a secret fort. Drape old sheets over lower tree limbs and clotheslines. Eat dinner there. Stay up chasing fireflies and lis-tening to "night sounds."

Create a tropical drink. Look around the house for ideas and recipes. If you want to, look on the Internet. You can may-be make a simple banana and strawberry smoothie, with ice cubes, or fruity ice cubes. Add a little plastic craft umbrella.

Invent a game in the pool. Go swimming. Gather ideas from other water games and create your own. It may involve a certain shaped inflatable or specifically four medium-sized beach balls. Or the garden hose! Have fun! Be creative!

Just got back from vacation? Create a summer scrapbook! It may be online or written by hand. Person-alize it and make it say “you.”

Write and film a movie or stop motion animation. Make it something that will keep you busy. Make a movie trailer for it on iMovie. Send it to friends and family. Then Hold a “Movie Premiere.” Hang a big sheet or thin white blanket over a long tree branch or clothesline and project your movie onto the “screen.” Provide snacks and drinks like soda and popcorn. Maybe even include a little summer dance party. Enjoy yourselves!

Hold a lemonade stand, car wash, bake sale or garage sale and raise money for a certain charity or cause. Present it to them in a kind, giving way and watch their smiling faces as they receive their amazing do-nation!

Draw an art mural. Print pages from online and stick them together or draw your own. Make it a one-to-one project with a sibling or parent. Again, be creative as you wish!

Keep a Summer Diary! The most famous authors say that you need to write every day. Hold a summer sleepover with your closest friends that aren’t on vacation. Pick a specific theme like

Spa Party or Sports day and have fun. Organize a family picnic. Pick somewhere nice to go like Matheson Park or Miami Beach and pack

some yummy snacks. Whip up some appetizers, a big main course and a scrummy dessert. Enjoy your parent and sibling time!

Give your friend an awesome new makeover. What does she wish that she’d look like? Try a new hairstyle. Read girly magazines and pick the best one! Hold a movie night. Grab a bunch of friends and go and check out the newest summer movies like

Minions, Pan or Inside Out. If you’re a boy, you might want to check out a movie like Pixels or Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary. Decide whether you want to go at noon in the daytime, or late into the night. Check with your parents first before you start inviting your friends.

Learn some cool new dance moves and put together a fun dance routine. Make it into a music video for extra limelight!

Write letters to your relatives (if they’re not spending some vacation time with you) and tell them about your summer. Details, please! After doing every activity that you can think of, look over everything that you’ve done. Had a fun summer? Good! NOW GET READY FOR SCHOOL!!! No, just kidding.

Summer riddles to ask your friends

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 6

By Yara Haddad Here are some animal riddles and some silly riddles for you to enjoy.

What does a cat have that no other animal has? Kittens What has two heads, four eyes, six legs, and a tail? A cowboy riding

his horse What is as big as an elephant, but weighs nothing at all? The shadow

of an elephant What two keys can't open any doors? A Donkey and a Monkey Who is the fastest runner in the whole world? Adam, because he was

the first in the human race. Why is an island like the letter T? - Because it's in the middle of water. If everyone bought a white car, what would we have? A white carna-

tion. What is the best cure for dandruff? Baldness What do you call a man who doesn't have all his fingers on one hand?

Normal. You have fingers on both hands! What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? A towel How many letters are there in the alphabet? Eleven--

T..h..e...A..l..p..h..a..b..e..t Where does Friday come before Thursday? In the dictionary What invention lets you look right through a wall? A window A boy fell off a 100 foot ladder. But he did not get hurt. Why not? He

fell off the bottom step. What bank never has any money? The riverbank What has a bark, but no bite? A tree Why isn't your nose 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot. What is easy to get into, but hard to get out of? Trouble What's black when it's clean and white when it's dirty? A blackboard What kind of dress can never be worn? An address What kind of coat can you put on only when it's wet? A coat of paint What has only two words, but thousands of letters? Post Office What can you serve, but never eat? A tennis ball

What has a bark,

but no bite?

A tree

Maze Land

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Tech Avenue: Funny and fun websites to explore

By Matthew De La Riva Have you heard of Marvel Phase 3? It is the next lineup of movies that Marvel Studios is making. Some of

these movies include The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and The Avengers 3 Part 1 and Part 2.

The studio will also make some other spin-off films such as Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Inhumans.

There are also some other movies coming out such as Fantastic Four and a sequel! Some recently announced movies are World War Hulk and the Ultimate Spider-Man.

The Avengers came out May 1 and it is about the Avengers vs. the Ultimate Villain Ultron. Captain America: Civil War is going to be about The Marvel universe being spilt into two and feature characters in both universes fighting. The release date will be May 6, 2016.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is scheduled to come out May 5, 2017, and the director says it might show a darker side to some of our favorite charac-ters.

The Avengers 3 Part 1 and Part 2 are so far very mysterious. Part 1 will be out in May 2018 and Part 2 will come out in 2019.

Remember to put 15 o’s

on this one fun

website’s address.

Ant-Man, Doctor Strange are future Marvel movies

By Lulu Infante Have you ever been bored on your computer at home? Well, I have

some websites that may keep you occupied. Here are my top funny and fun websites:

1. nicestplaceontheinter.net If you’re ever feeling down just go on this website and you’ll feel so much better! On the nicestplaceontheinter.net, you will be greeted with short videos of people hugging their screens, blowing you a kiss, and you may see a person just with a sign saying “I love you!”

2. nooooooooooooooo.com On noooooooooooooo.com you can press a button and hear the sound of Darth Vader screaming, ‘NooOOoOOOoO!’ Don’t worry though; you can always adjust the volume. (Remember to put 15 o’s or the website won’t work!)

3. koalastothemax.com This website is like a puzzle...well, sort of like one! On koalastothemax.com, you put your mouse over a giant dot on your screen, and then it turns into four. You continue to do this until a picture is revealed. This picture is not the same one every time, so you might want to go on this website a lot!

This is for you, Minecraft and Harry Potter fans

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 8

By Maddie Wagshul Are you a Minecraft lover and a Harry Potter lover? Well, you would

love this server for its IP address: http://www.potterworldmc.com/ This site takes you through the journey of Hogwarts! When you

spawn, you have some money, a Wand Ticket, bread (for food), and a starting-off book. You then have to find the Knight Bus and sleep in a bed, leading you to the Leaky Cauldron. Then, you have to open the brick wall to Diagon Alley.

When you get there, go to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions and get some plain white robes. Also, get your wand, which is obtained by trading your Wand Ticket with Ollivander. Then, check your mail. You should have a King’s Cross Ticket. This ticket will teleport you to King’s Cross.

Go inside King’s Cross and find Platform 9 ¾. Going through the Plat-form will teleport you to the Hogwarts Express. Go inside the Express and step on a pressure plate, teleporting you to the walk to Hogwarts.

When you walk to Hogwarts, go to the Great Hall. Then, right-click on the Sorting Hat, where you will be teleported to a room, and it will give you decorations. (After Sorting, do NOT click on the hat again. That will re-sort you, but re-sorting costs $2 in actual money).

When you are Sorted, do /warp <house name>, to go to your house. Then, trade with your Head of House to get robes of your house color and a Marauder’s Map. After, discover Hogwarts!

Take some classes to get AC’s (not air conditioners--Academic Cred-its)! Getting more AC’s get you more spells, leveling up your house.

Ask staff questions! Staff includes Prefects, Heads of Houses, Professors, Builders, Cod-

ers, Head Boys/Girls, Junior Professors, and Heads. To get more items, they cost real money. These items include: Order

of the Phoenix Pack for $50, Cat Animagus for $12, Pet Owls for $10, Nick-names for $2 or $3, A Wizard’s Hat for $8, a Re-Sort for $2, and so much more!

You can find class schedules, news, items to buy, and answers to your questions on the site. Have fun!

You’ll be able to

try on the Sorting Hat

in the Minecraft

Harry Potter game.

Maddie and Laura help a baby Mourning Dove find its way back to the nest. Read what to do on the next page.

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Travel Log: In Switzerland you can see the Alps and eat chocolate

By Yara Haddad Switzerland is a beautiful country to visit in Europe. Its capitol is Bern and the largest city is Zurich.

Most residents in Switzerland speak German followed by French, Italian, and Romansh, which is the national language of the country. The population is 8.081 million (2013) people. The currency is the Swiss franc. Some points of interests in Switzerland are the Swiss Alps, Lake Geneva, Lake Zurich, Mount Pilatus, Rhine Falls, the Swiss National Museum, and Jungfrau.

In Switzerland, every child must attend at least the elementary school. After that students can continue on to secondary school or go right into an apprenticeship. Switzerland is known for its very different education system. After the apprenticeship a student can choose to go to secondary school, or technical school. The government runs the schools and every child is taught many languages. There are many universities in Switzerland.

There are also many religions. The Swiss are 41.8% Roman Catholics, 35.3% Protestants, 4.3% Muslim, 1.8% Orthodox, 0.4% other Christians, 1% other religion, 4.3%, unspecified, and 11.1% none. In Switzerland, breakfast typically includes bread, butter or margarine, marmalade or honey, maybe some cheese or cereals, plus milk, cold or hot chocolate, tea or coffee. Lunch may be as simple as a sandwich or bircher muesli, a kind of cereal with grains, or it could be a complete meal. Depending on what people had for lunch, dinner can be a full main course or just some bread, cheese, maybe some dried meat or any other light meal.

Drinks range from plain water and soft drinks including most internationally well-known brands plus some local products, to a great variety of beers and wines. Hot drinks include many different flavors of tea and coffee. A visit to Switzerland is one you will not forget. The natural beauty is famous in Switzerland as are chocolates, cheeses, watches, the music festivals and the Alps.

Student Notebook: What to do if you find a baby bird By Laura Furniss-Roe and Maddie Wagshul

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, something amazing happened. We saved a baby Mourning Dove! At the time, we thought it was a Mockingbird. We named the baby bird Ron. Ron looked just like a newborn. When we found Ron, he was very scared, frightened and afraid. (Oh my goodness, those are all synonyms!) He fell out of the gutter onto Maddie’s Dad’s head. We held him, and stroked him so he would feel safe. Then, we said goodbye to him and Mr. Wagshul put him back in his nest.

It was a very unique experience. In the last couple of days, Maddie’s Dad managed to grab some pic-tures of Ron, and his Mom too! He has grown a lot more since we found him! Which we think proves that he was almost definitely a newborn the first time that we found him. What to do if you find a baby bird: Step 1: Get a parent or trusted adult. Step 2: Make sure the bird is OK. Step 3: Try to locate the nest that he came from. Step 4: Try to put the bird back in their nest (but do NOT put too much of your scent on him/her or else the baby bird’s mother may kick them out because of the scent of humans. (Wear gloves when doing this!) Step 5: Make sure the bird is snug in the nest, so that he/she doesn't fall out! Step 6: Don’t disturb the birds too much. Even if they’re cute, you wouldn’t like giant humans constantly watching you!

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Planning a stay-cation? Here are some must-see’s

By Laura Orban If you have time over the summer or are doing a stay-cation in Mi-

ami, here are some great places you can visit during your time off from school.

From seeing alligators in the Everglades to seeing the half-moon carved in coral for a lost love at Coral Castle, these places are cool, interest-ing, and fun.

Everglades: airboat rides, canoeing/kayaking

Zoo Miami: animals from Asia to Australia, feed giraffes

Seaquarium: swim with dolphins, look at, and even touch animals

Miami Museum of Science: wildlife center, Miami planetarium

Miami Children’s Museum: interactive exhibits

Jungle Island: variety of birds and animals, animal shows

Monkey Island: wild monkey swimming pool, Amazonian rainforest

Coral Castle: mystery of levitation, cool gift shop

Check out these cool shoes for summer

By Felipe de Cardenas, Rafa Urbina, and Victor Quirch There are a lot of great new shoes out there for sports and for school. We did some research online and here are some our favorites:

Nike CR7 Mercurial Superfly Messi 10.3 FG Cleats Nike Free 5.0 ID Adidas Running Ultra Boost shoes (not shown below) Nike Free 4.0 Flykit Vans Off the Wall Authentic

You can find pictures and reviews on the manufacturer’s websites. Check them out!

You can learn the

mystery of levitation at

Coral Castle.

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Student Fiction: Amber’s New School

By Nina Chehab “C’mon Ruby and Evelyn! My Dad said he’d drive us to the new theme park around the corner later!” Amber

Baldwin said to her best friends Ruby Munoz and Evelyn Delgado. The girls rushed outside where Mr. Baldwin was pulling into the driveway. “Hey, kiddos! You guys ready to go

to Dragon Tale, the most exciting-and new-theme park ever!?!?!?” He yelled, grabbing them all in a hug. “YES!” They screamed in unison. They all piled into the silver van that they all called “The Pirate’s Eye” in secret.

“Which ride should we go on first?” Ruby asked excitedly. “I think we should go on the scariest ride there: ‘Dragon Tale: High Warning!’” Amber said, squinting her eyes to make it look like she was a villain. “I think that should be the last ride we go on. Maybe we should mount ‘Old Man Bobby’s: Monster Horror!’” Evelyn suggested. The girls laughed the entire ride there, with the occasional comment from Mr. Baldwin. FINALLY, they arrived at Dragon Tale. Amber, Ruby, and Evelyn struggled to open the car doors. “Wait, wait everyone! We all got to promise to stick together. No one separating, okay?” Mr. Baldwin said with his eyebrows raised. The girls nodded and ran into the theme park.

There were realistic dragons, slimy monsters, and long snakes everywhere. They could hear the faint screams of the people on rides, the loud rush of the roller coasters zooming by, hissing snakes, roaring monsters, and this cheesy dramatic music in the background. They walked to the ticket booth and picked up their tickets. The girls decided to go to ‘Old Man Bobby’s’ ride first.

After a while of fun, it was time to go drop off Evelyn and Ruby. “Awww man.” They all said when Mr. Bald-win reached Evelyn’s house. “Thanks for having me! I had tons of fun! See you at school on Monday!” Evelyn hugged her friends, waved goodbye to Mr. Baldwin, and left.

When Ruby had been dropped off and they were home, her Mom approached Amber. Mrs. Baldwin had dark blonde hair and the kindest green eyes. “Did you have fun with Ruby and Evelyn?” She asked, leaning on the kitchen table. “Yeah, I did.” “That’s great! But listen sweetie. Friday’s the last day of school. After that you’re headed to South-wood. Your dad and I want to make sure you’re…. okay.” Mrs. Baldwin put her hand on Amber’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m totally fine! Ruby and Evelyn applied, so I’m excited that I’m going to be with them for 7 years!!!!” Amber danced. “Why did you ask?” Amber’s mother looked uneasy all of a sudden. “I just got a call from Mrs. Munoz. She said that Ruby…. has decided that she wants to go to Soto Middle School. And that Evelyn…. is going too….” Mrs. Baldwin grabbed a box of tissues. Amber felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Ruby and Evelyn were her best friends! And her only friends.

The thought of starting a new school without them…. was terrifying. Amber grabbed a tissue and ran upstairs. Sobbing, she texted her friends: Hi guys…. “My mom just told me that you two are going to Soto Middle and High School. I’m so happy for you. I’ll miss you. –Amber L”

By the time Friday rolled around, Amber was miserable. She had tried all week to make a friend that was going to Southwood with her. But it was hopeless. Everyone ignored her and thought she was crazy. “Sweetie, I know you’re sad, but I know that you’re going to make tons of friends in Southwood,” Mrs. Baldwin said, kissing Amber’s head be-fore she dropped her off at school. “Meh, I know. It still hurts. Well, they’ll be back in summer, mom.”

The end of the day was a painful one. Amber cried harder than anyone that day. She hugged and played with Ruby and Evelyn all day. When they parted, they each said some words. Ruby said: “Well, friends. We’ve come a long way. I just want you guys to know that you’ll always be my best friends. No matter where we are.” A group hug fol-lowed.

Next, Evelyn said, “‘Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness. –Euripides.’ You guys have been there for me. Now I’m here for you.” Group hug. Last, Amber: “I DON’T WANT YOU GUYS TO LEAVE…but I’ll keep all our memories, like Dragon Tale memories, in my heart forever.” After their last hug, they all parted.

One word that would describe Amber’s summer would be this: painful. Every day gave Amber heartache. She already missed her friends greeting her at the door when they all walked to school together. She missed the visits to parks and zoos. She missed having them around.

(continued on the next page)

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(continued from the previous page) Before Amber knew it, summer was over. She spent most of it at the Bahamas, but it was unenjoyable since she

was still sad about leaving Ruby and Evelyn. She was also sad about leaving Majorca Elementary School. She had been there since Sr. Preschool, seven years.

August 18th was the day she started Southwood Middle and High school. Amber was shaking as she packed some glitter pens into her zebra print pencil case. Mrs. Baldwin walked inside Amber’s room. “Hey, sweetie….” She said, sitting down on Amber’s bed. Amber suddenly burst into tears. “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry. I know they’re your best friends. I know it’s hard….” Mrs. Baldwin hugged her daughter. “I-I don’t know h-how I’m going to make it through the year without them!!” Amber cried into her mother’s arm. “Well, I know that you’re going to make new friends at South-wood. You’re going to be okay.” Mrs. Baldwin stood up. “C’mon. Time to go.”

The car ride seemed very short. Amber felt very lightheaded. Finally, she saw the cerulean blue sign that read “Southwood Middle and High School.” Mrs. Baldwin parked,

and opened the trunk to take out Amber’s bag. Amber quivered and hugged her stuffed lion that she insisted on bringing. “Amber, you can’t stay in there and cuddle with Leila forever!” Reluctantly, Amber walked into the school. It was a peach-colored building with green lockers up and down the halls. Amber looked up and saw a dark blue chandelier made of colored glass with facts about each student on them.

They walked up to a counter where a lady with red lips and white-blonde hair stood. “Hello. Amber Baldwin?” Mrs. Baldwin nodded. The lady ripped a nametag off of the paper she had on the desk. “Okay, sweetie. I think you’re prepared. I’m going to go, now. Good luck!” She kissed Amber’s head and disappeared into the halls.

Amber’s first day didn’t go too smoothly. All of the boys threw spitballs at her, and she spent 20 minutes pick-ing them out of her hair and clothes. The girls kept cupping their mouths and whispering to each other about how awk-ward Amber was, she was pretty sure. She was giving up hope when she realized a girl sitting in the back corner desk of the classroom. Boys were already shooting moist paper balls at her. She was ducking and sobbing quietly. Amber walked over to her.

“Hi there. My name is Amber Baldwin.” The girl looked sadly up at her, with a bit of fright in her blue eyes. “H-Hi… Are you going to whisper about me to the other girls too?” She sniffed and looked down at her books. Amber shook her head. “I would never. What’s your name?” “Stella Robinson.” Stella opened a black case and pulled out her glasses. Amber smiled. “Where did you used to go to school?” “Oh! Umm… Majorca Elementary.” Stella looked at Am-ber again. Amber was stunned.

“I-I used to go there too! I tried making friends with someone who would be going here too. But I never saw you.” “Well, I usually like to stay in the shadows. Be early to class so no one sees me. I don’t have any confidence. And I’m pretty much alone.” Stella twirled her black hair around her finger. Amber shook her head. “Not anymore you’re not. Stella, I’ll be your friend!”

Amber jumped down from the desk she was sitting on. “It’s been a hard day for me too. I could use a friend.” Suddenly, Amber got an idea. “Hey! Are you free Saturday?”

The first week at Southwood was fun! Stella was a nice and charming girl once you got to know her. She was very comforting, and was there when Amber needed her. On Saturday, Amber invited Evelyn, Ruby, and Stella over for a sleepover. Ruby and Evelyn shared stories and Stella and Amber shared some too. Middle school wasn’t so scary any-more. Now that she knew Evelyn and Ruby were close by, and Stella was always there for her. All in all, Amber Bald-win was ready to face the world.

Have a Safe and Happy Summer!

P a g e 1 3 V o l u m e 2 7 I s s u e 5

Student Fiction: The “nicest” girl in the grade

By Maddie Wagshul Allison Stephen was the nicest girl in the grade. Every Friday, there was a little lottery. How it worked was that

if you wanted to enter, you could enter a ticket, a reward for being good, into a hat, and if your ticket got picked, you would get a prize. There were always two winners. Anyways, Allison always entered this contest but she never seemed to win. Allison hoped this Friday she would win. Unfortunately, this would be her third to last day to enter, because school was ending.

FRIDAY, MAY 16TH, ON THE BUS Allison stepped up on the bus and sat down. She looked out the window

with her blue eyes. “WAAAAIT! DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT MEEE!” a voice said. Allison saw Abbey, a girl in her grade, running to catch the bus. “Um, sir?” Allison asked the bus driver. “Yes?” asked the bus driver. “May you please slow down? A girl is trying to get on.” Allison said. “And it’s a busy...ish...street so...you really don’t want her to walk to school,” Allison continued. The bus driver slowed down and Abbey got on, sitting next to Allison. “Thanks to this nice lady, you got on,” the bus driver told Abbey. “Thank you, Allison! You’re so nice!!” Abbey said, smiling and out of breath.

FRIDAY, MAY 16TH, 2ND PERIOD SCIENCE “You may start your science experiments with your partners,” said Ms.

Mac, the science teacher. “What job do you want to do?” Allison asked her partner, Urvi Grace. “I don’t know. I’d prefer to maybe take notes instead of smell the com-post,” Urvi Grace said, making a teeny-tiny braid in her black hair as she looked at the clock with her hazel eyes. “Then you take notes,” Allison said. “Wait, what? I’m not smelling the compost…?” Urvi Grace said. “I will,” Allison said, smiling. “Well, thanks then, Allison!” Urvi Grace matched Allison’s smile, “You’re so nice, Allison!”

FRIDAY, MAY 16TH, 4TH PERIOD MATH “Please, class, get out your homework,” Mr. Lesley, the math teacher, instructed. Everybody took out their

homework. “We will go in turn, calling out the answers. Please speak only when it is your turn,” Mr. Lesley said sternly. “Ben, you’re up first!” “24?” “Hazel, you’re next,” Mr. Lesley said. Hazel Copper was sitting next to Allison, not paying attention. “Uh, what? Wha--what are we doing?” Hazel asked. The class laughed. “THE ANSWER IS 14! 24 DIVIDED BY TWO IS 14!” Allison shouted out, wanting to shout the wrong answer to get the attention off of Hazel. Mr. Lesley’s eyes widened. “Miss Stephen! That’s worth two strikes! Remember, Stephen, three strikes and you’re out of my class for the day! And please, practice your division, Stephen, because that was incorrect! And for you, Miss Copper, pay atten-tion in any of your classes, you hear?” Hazel mouthed thank you to Allison, and Allison mouthed back, “No problem!”

FRIDAY, MAY 16TH, LUNCH Allison was chatting away with her friends, Willow, Jemma, Urvi Grace (as in her science partner), Ashleigh,

and Tabitha. “So, Urvi, you going to gymnastics after school?” Willow asked Urvi Grace. “No. unfortunately not. I have an orthodontist’s…” Urvi replied until she was cut off. “Can I sit here?” a voice interrupted. “Oh, sorry, it’s full,” the voice which was Penny Meyers’ said. “Oh, Penny, please, sit in my seat,” Allison said to Penny. “Really? Thank you, Allison! You’re so...nice!” Penny smiled.

FRIDAY, MAY 16TH, FINALLY THE TICKET-PICKING TIME!! “Please put your tickets in the hat!” said Mrs. Lloyd, Allison’s homeroom teacher, as everybody did so.

“Okay...the first winner is...Urvi Grace!” Mrs. Lloyd said as Allison was thinking, “Please, please, please, let me win, please, I’m begging!” as her friend Urvi Grace went up and picked up a little toy duck. “And the second winner is...Allison!” Allison went up and picked up a pack of rainbow-colored pencils. “WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO! LOSERS! YEA, YEA, WINNER RIGHT HERE! OOOOOHHHHH YEAH! UGH HUH! ALL RIGHT! CAN YOU FEEL IT?! OH NO YOU CAN’T, BECAUSE YOU LOST! OH, RIGHT! UGH! OH, OH, YEA! GO ALLISON, YEAH, YEAH, GO ALLISON! WOOH!

Quite an ending, indeed.

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 1 4

By Laura Furniss-Roe Emerald Robinson stood before the Sunset Orange Cruise. Her best friend and close cousin Louise Roberts was

standing next to her, squeezing her hand tight. “Here we go, Emmy,” she whispered into Emerald’s ear. Emerald and Louise, followed closely by their parents, boarded the colossal ship.

Emerald was a pretty, shy girl with long, dark blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Her mother had died in a car accident a couple of years ago, so she had a step-mom. She was an only child who lived with her parents, who worked like 24/7, her nanny, Cynthia, and a trusty old greyhound with scratched ears named Yappi.

Cynthia was not on vacation with the Robinsons though, because she was taking care of Yappi. Emerald’s friend Louise talked LOTS and was very confident. She had short, bouncy brown hair that curled up at the ends. Louise loved to accessorize, so for her birthday, Louise’s parents had let Louise dye a few strands of her hair as pink as a strawberry. Emerald loved that feature about Louise.

Louise lived with her parents and a hamster named Ralph. Louise had dropped Ralph off at Emerald’s house so that Cynthia could take care of him over their vacation too. Emerald’s dad and Louise’s mom were siblings, so that made Emerald and Louise close cousins and yet, best friends.

Inside the Sunset Orange, the girls’ world turned into a dream. There were hula dancers in every corner, handing out the pretty lily flower necklaces to all the passengers. Louise and Emerald ran from corner to corner, greeting every-one in their merry way and figuring everything out. Eventually, Maggie, Emerald’s step-mom said, “Now girls, don’t you think we should just settle down for a little bit?” The girls agreed with Ms. Robinson, and they went to check out their cabin.

“Look!” Louise said to Emerald. “I can see California Harbor!” Emerald ran to the window and smiled at Louise. Louise was very curious about MANY things. This Emerald did know, but even so, she respected Louise and loved her no matter what—friend or cousin. Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Roberts laughed at dinner together. Louise brought her mini Etch-A-Sketch Board and Emerald brought a pack of cards. Louise sketched while Emerald played a couple tricks on her aunt, Mrs. Roberts, with the card deck. Later, both families discussed what the girls should do the next day while the parents were visiting the spa. “Dance club!” Emerald and Louise practically screamed. A couple of guests at nearby tables gave the girls some dirty looks. See, Emerald and Louise LOVED to dance. Dancing was their life and they were extremely good at it. “I guess that’s settled then!” exclaimed Mr. Roberts. The next day, the girls got up bright and early. They had mini boxes of cereal for breakfast and arrived at the dance club at 9:45 am. The instructor told the girls what the morning would be like, as they had signed up for the contin-uous club, which ended at 5 p.m. Each spare day that they were not on one of the islands of Hawaii, the girls would be at dance club. Emerald and Louise’s parents left the girls and headed for the Cruise’s Pebble Blue Day Spa. “I’m so excit-ed!” Louise said. “Me too!” replied Emerald. “I bet by the end of the sessions, we’ll be just like Becki Lark the world famous hip hop dancer!” Louise told Emerald.

(continued on the next page)

Student Fiction: Emerald’s Summer

People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.

—Anton Chekhov

P a g e 1 5 V o l u m e 2 7 I s s u e 5

Sunset Orange Girls Original and Continuous Dance Club Schedules: Original Schedule: June 28th- May 3rd

Continuous Schedule: (Continued from Original Schedule)

The girls LOVED the schedule. They loved it so much that they decided to do the club at any time their parents let them, or if they weren’t stopping at an island. They spent the first four days having a blast and making new friends. Louise introduced herself and Emerald to what seemed like EVERYONE. When they went to the Hawaiian Islands, they bought many souvenirs for their friends back home. On their fifth day, the girls were having their continuous lesson with Becki Lark, hip-hop professional. They had been moved to a different part of the ship for the day, because someone had to hold a business meeting in the club’s

(continued on the next page)

Date: 10:00-10:30 10:30-12:00 12:00-12:30 12:30-1:45 1:45-2:30

June 28th- Depart in morning

Warm-ups Introduction to Hip-hop

Lunch

(Pasta and melted cheese)

Rehearsal

(Create a routine)

Board games, computers and

pick-up for origi-

June 29th Warm-ups Rehearsal

(Work on rou-tine)

Lunch

(Hot dog and fries)

Board games and computers

Dance games and pick-up for origi-

nal club

June 30th - Ha-waii Island

Warm-ups Rehearsal

(Work on rou-

Lunch

(Steak and salad)

Board games and Wii U

Dance games and pickup for origi-

nal club

May 1st -

Kauai Island

Warm-ups Rehearsal

(Work on rou-tine)

Lunch

Sausage, Mashed potato and peas)

Board games and Wii U

Rehearsal

(Work on rou-tine) and pick-up

May 2nd Warm-ups Rehearsal

(Work on rou-tine)

Lunch

(Ham and turkey sandwich)

Rehearsal

(Work on rou-tine)

Lesson with Becki Lark, pro-fessional hip-hop dancer, and pick–

up for original club

May 3rd- Arrive at night

Warm-ups Rehearsal

(“Finishing touches” of rou-

tine and run-through

Lunch

(Pizza Party!)

Dance show for parents (12:45- 1:00) and Wii U

Karaoke Party,

Board games,

computers and

pick-up for origi-

Date: 2:30-3:30 3:30-4:00 4:00-4:30 4:30-5:00

June 28th Lesson with Becki Lark

Wii U and Xbox Dancing and welcome snack

Free play and pick up

June 29th Lesson with Becki Lark

Wii U and Board games

Dancing Free play and pick-up

June 30th Lesson with Becki Lark

Board games Dancing Hip hop competition and pick-up for con-

tinuous

July 1st Lesson with Becki Lark

Wii U and Xbox Dancing Dance skit show and pick-up

July 2nd Continued lesson with Becki Lark

Wii U and Board games

Dancing and special snack

Dancing and pick-up

July 3rd Lesson with Becki Lark and Becki

goody-bag give away

Wii U and Xbox Dancing and goodbye snack

Goodbye dancing and

pick-up. You will be

given a special treat

as you leave!

The Spire Crier is published by the fifth grade

journalism class for the students of

St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School.

Reporters: Nina Chehab, Felipe de Cardenas,

Matthew De La Riva, Laura Furniss-Roe,

Yara Haddad, Rosie Infante, Lulu Infante,

Ava-Riley Miles, Madison Munroe, Laura Orban,

Victor Quirch, Max Sanchez, Jack Silva,

Rafael Urbina, Madeleine Wagshul

Journalism Class Adviser: Ms. Christina Mayo

Journalism Class Assistant: Emily Wong

W E ’R E ON TH E WE B

A T S TEP SM I A . ORG

G O TO S CH OOL L I FE

AND CLI CK ON

P UBLI CATI ONS

5692 North Kendall Drive Coral Gables, FL 33156 305-665-4851

T h e S p i r e C r i e r

S t . T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l P a r i s h S c h o o l

Mystery Teacher: Mrs. Acosta Mystery Reporter: Lulu Infante

(continued from the previous page) original meeting room. The part of the ship that Emerald and Louise had been moved to, they didn’t know so well. So when Becki and the club members were heading back to their original room after the meeting was finished, Em-erald suddenly found that she was alone! She had been daydreaming about the club’s upcoming “Recital” and had lost the group! Even Louise!

Emerald started to panic. She didn’t want to ask any stranger for help. She felt too shy. Emerald felt a tear fall from her face.

Who would find her? She walked slowly over to the juice bar nearby and sat down, hoping that no one would spot her alone. She needed to think. “What can I do? Think, Emmy think.” Emerald hopped down from the chair and started to wonder around. She couldn’t think straight so she decided that she would move around the ship to try and catch a glimpse of her group. She looked EVERYWHERE that she knew, but no one was in sight. So she sat herself down again. All hopes were dashed. Emerald was so confused, and worried. Half an hour passed and Emerald became REALLY worried. “Has anyone noticed that I’m gone? Surely Louise has. I bet she’s looking,” Emerald thought to herself. She sighed, and sniffed. Until around the corner of the juice bar, Becki Lark appeared with Louise hot on her heels. For a moment Emerald thought she was hallucinating, but then she saw that it really was Becki and Louise!

“Emerald!” shouted Louise. “Oh there you are, mate,” said Becki. Emerald bounded out of her chair like a rolling cantaloupe, ran as fast as a cheetah, and threw her arms around Louise’s neck. Becki patted her shoulder. “I’m so glad you found me!” said Emerald. “What, you think this was hide-and-seek?” questioned Becki sarcastically. Em-erald snickered. On the way back to the club, Emerald told Becki and Louise how she had felt. “I was scared, frightened, and afraid.” “Oh my goodness,” replied Louise. “Those are all synonyms!” Both girls cracked up. Becki smiled. Back at the club, Emerald nervously told everyone what had happened. They were all so glad to have their good old Emmy back. When the Sunset Orange Cruise ship arrived back in California Harbor, the girls and their parents clambered off. While checking out, they spotted Becki. Louise shouted, “BYE BECKIIIIII!!!” Across the room, but in the middle of Louise’s words, Becki made a light jog over to the girls and handed them her autograph. “You guys live out in San Fran?” “Yes, we do,” Emerald spoke up politely. “Gimme a call sometime ‘kay? You two are some radical girls.” She pointed to her cell phone number on the paper. Emerald and Louise squealed. With parents’ approval (which they did manage to get in the end) their upcoming summer was going to be the biggest ball of sunshine the girls had ever seen in their lives. --Never be afraid to shine through and do your best.