the lucky coin...2010/10/24 · komodo dragons are very dangerous lizards and their bite can be...

The Lucky Issue Doral Academy Elementary April 2012

Volume III, Issue IV

The Dragons’ Tale reporters would like to

wish you all the best during FCAT week!

Congratulations to the students who took

the SATs last week!

How to Be Like

Albert Einstein

By: Marcos Rodriguez

Hello, future scientists!

You may not have heard, but

Albert Einstein would have

turned 133 years old on March 14th

. For this special

event, I came up with some genius tips to show you

how to be a little like Albert Einstein.

1. What’s not working?

It’s amazing that people don’t focus on

what’s not working. Maybe this is the reason why we

tend to move too quickly to find a solution. The first thing

you need to do is ask yourself: “What’s not working?”

2. How can I…?

Once you’ve taken a good look at what’s not working, it’s

easy to find the solution. You have to ask yourself “How

Can I…” and challenge yourself to focus on your goal.

So, grab a paper and pencil and use your brain to

come up with ideas to change the world, inspire

yourself, and remember:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge."

– Albert Einstein

FCAT Tips By: Dolores Vaccaro Biernat

Are you getting ready for the math and

reading FCAT? Here are some tips to help you

get a great score.

• Double check. Do the test two times if possible. So

if you get one wrong the first time you did it, when

you double check you may understand the article

or question better and get the answer correct.

• Underline! Your teacher has probably told you this

before, and they’re correct. Underlining helps you

prove that you found the right answer.

• Connect to the story. Find out what type of story

that is (Fiction, Non-fiction, fantasy, etc.) and make

connections to things you already know.

• Read Carefully! You also need to make sure you

don’t skim read. If a sentence reads ‘Emily really

doesn’t like pasta’, if you skim read, you may read,

‘Emily really does like pasta’. Be sure to reread the

article, especially if you get a poem. Poems are

very hard to comprehend if you don’t read them

well.

• Show your Work in Math! Solve all the problems

carefully and show your work. Also be sure to read

the questions carefully and underline key words.

That’s all you need to know to get a good score on

the FCAT. Remember, DOUBLE CHECK!!! It’s the best

way to pass the test. Good Luck!!!!

By: Melanie Beceiro

• Four-Leaf Clover According to legend, each leaflet represents something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.

• Horseshoe If held upright, this lucky charm keeps all the good luck in and the bad luck out.

• Pennies

If you find a penny on the ground heads up, you can make a wish before you pick it up. If you find one tails up, turn it over so someone else can make a wish.

• Knock on Wood It was believed that good luck lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon this good luck for protection against misfortune.

• Rainbows Everyone knows that at the end of a rainbow there’s a pot of gold. Our pot of gold is an awesome FCAT score!

• Rabbit’s foot

The belief that a rabbit's foot is lucky stretches back as far as 600 B.C.



The Lucky Coin By Patricia Duarte

“Here you go” my mom said as she passed me a present. The tag read ‘to Patty from Mom. Happy Birthday!’. I tore open the present and shrieked with delight. It was the new laptop I had been wanting my entire life! I hugged her and thanked her for my present. “Thank you for coming!” my mom said as our guests began to leave. As soon as the last guest walked out the door, she glanced at her watch. “Nine thirty already! You should go to bed. We have to wake up early tomorrow.”

We stomped up the stairs sleepily. When I entered my room, there was a present wrapped in leprechaun green paper on my bed. The tag read” To: Patricia From: ? Confused, I opened it. Sitting in the box, was a pure gold coin the size of your hands when you cup them. Along with the coin, there was a paper in the box. “Ýou can use this coin for good luck on anything you want” I read aloud. I couldn’t believe it! Carefully, I put the coin and paper back in the box and lay it on my nightstand.

The next morning was the day of the FCAT. My mom told me to relax, but I was still really nervous. When I entered my class, I noticed the seats were rearranged and far apart. Shakily, I slid into my seat as the teacher passed out the packets. The questions were harder than I expected, and I was stressed out. “I really wish I brought my lucky coin” I thought. I slid my hand into my pocket and felt something hard. When I took my hand out, the lucky coin was in my palm. “I wish I understood the questions better” I whispered. All of a sudden, the words flew through my head. Next thing I knew I was already half way done. When I finished, the teacher picked up my packet. It was finally over!

A few months later, the FCAT results were in. I shrieked when I found out I had gotten the highest possible score. When I came home that day, I found something on my bed. It was a little leprechaun toy with a coin in its hand and a note that said ‘Congratulations!’ From that day on, every year on the FCAT, I would always remember the day my lucky coin helped me on my very first FCAT.

Reptiles are the second least populated

species class of animals in the world. The animal

group of reptiles consists of some of the most

dangerous and famous animals in the animal

kingdom. These animals are: crocodilians, tuataras,

lizards, snakes, turtles, and the now extinct

dinosaurs. Reptiles are known as the animal

kingdom’s survivors.

The saltwater crocodile has climbed its way to

the top of the animal kingdom ranking in as the

number ONE most dangerous animal on the planet,

as well as my favorite reptile (and

animal not including dinosaurs). These

extremely large beasts are 30 feet

long and weigh one ton.

Surprisingly these reptiles have

been known to prey on GREAT WHITE SHARKS.

Another dangerous animal is the mighty

anaconda, the world’s heaviest snake. Anacondas

live in the Amazon and they prey on all sorts of

creatures such as jaguars, fish, baby caimans, and

much more. These snakes are constrictors meaning

they squeeze their prey to death.

Komodo dragons are very dangerous lizards

and their bite can be venomous and fatal.

They are the world’s largest lizard being

10 feet long.

Even some of the lazy turtles can be

dangerous! The alligator snapping turtle is an ugly

brute of a turtle that lures in its prey with its

tongue. The tuatara may look like a lizard but

believe me they’re not. They are a group of reptiles

that survived the famous meteor that hit Earth 65

billion years ago.



Here We Go! FCAT Saturday School By: Melanie Simon

Excited about finding out about FCAT Saturday

School, my palms were soaked with sweat yet I was

still able to dial Mrs. Gordillo’s number and gather all

the details. Our faithful leader of the newspaper club,

Mrs. Gordillo, is also the head of the third grade FCAT

Saturday School program. Once I heard her voice, I

began our phone conference immediately.

Melanie: How has FCAT Saturday changed from the

previous years?

Mrs.Gordillo: This year, FCAT Saturday is called “Here

We Go!” Each lesson fun games and activities that

will get the students exited about learning. We are still

practicing for FCAT but it is way more fun this year!

Melanie: Who created the Here We Go FCAT

Saturday lessons?

Mrs.Gordillo: Mrs. Wheeler did the math lessons for 5th

grade, Mrs Hiramine did 4th grade and I did 3rd grade.

Mrs. Menendez also helped us by putting together

the reading lessons.

Melanie: How did you come up with the name “Here

we Go!”?

Mrs.Gordillo: Are you ready for this? It is so cool! “Here”

is for Hiramine, “We” is for Wheeler, and “Go” is for

Gordillo!

Melanie: How were the teachers chosen? Why did

you choose them?

Mrs.Gordillo: I didn’t choose the teachers. Mrs. Cuesta

and Mrs. Simon asked the teachers to sign up if they

were interested in helping with Saturday school.

Melanie: What are the peer tutors?

Mrs.Gordillo: Peer tutors are students from the

advanced classes that were chosen by their teachers

to help the students during the lessons.

Melanie: What is the difference between the 4 session

group and the 7 session group?

Mrs.Gordillo: Both sessions are covering the same

material. However, the students in the 4 session group

are going at a faster pace and completing the

classes in less time.

Melanie: Final question. What is the best part of FCAT

Saturday?

Mrs.Gordillo: For me, the best part is seeing how exited

my students are to come to school on Saturdays and

how much fun we have in class while learning.

Here We Go!!!

Melanie: Thank you Mrs. Gordillo.

The sweat on my palms vanished as I hung up the

phone. I was so relived at that moment. I had

survived my first interview…over the phone.

Laughing about Spring!

by: Sebastian Murguia

When do monkeys fall from the sky?

During Ape-ril showers!

. Can February March? No, but April May!

. Why do birds fly south in the winter?

Because it is too far to walk!!

. Where do you plant kids?

Kinder ”garden”

. What do you call a sunny day?

A Sunday

.

What type of tree can grow fingers?

A palm tree

. What did the flower say to

the flower growing beside him?

Move over, bud

. Why didn’t the tree play checkers?

Because he was a CHESSnut tree.

. Why did the bumble bee put

honey under his pillow?

He wanted to have sweet dreams.

. What is the richest kind of air?

A billionAIRe



. What is Earth Day?What is Earth Day?What is Earth Day?What is Earth Day? by: Ashley Arbelaez

Every year, America and over 100 different

countries join together in the celebration of

Earth Day on April 22nd. Earth Day is the

largest, most celebrated environmental

event worldwide. On Earth Day, we

appreciate nature and learn ways to protect

our environment.

How you can be part of Earth day?How you can be part of Earth day?How you can be part of Earth day?How you can be part of Earth day? 1. You can ride your bike, roller skates, scooter

or walk instead of riding in a car.

.

2. Do your part to reduce waste by choosing

reusable products instead of disposables.

.

3. Recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and

aluminum cans. If there isn't a recycling

program at your school or community, ask

about starting one.

.

4. Save electricity by turning off lights when you

leave a room, and using only as much light as

you need. And remember to turn off your

television, video player, stereo and computer

when you're not using them.

.

5. You should also save water by turning off the

faucet while you brush your teeth, taking

quick showers, shampooing your dog, and

washing your car. You should turn off the

water until you actually need to rinse. .

6. Plant more trees! Trees take carbon dioxide

away from the air and convert it into nice,

clean, and fresh oxygen that we need for our

bodies to function. Without trees we

would not be able to breathe.

.

7. Encourage others! Share information about

recycling and energy conservation with your

friends, neighbors and family members.

.

8. After spending the day at the beach don’t just

pick up your own trash, you can also pick up

trash from other litterbugs too and help clean

the environment!

.

9. Use reusable shopping bags instead of paper

or plastic ones.

.

10. Use solar panels! If not then you can keep the

lights off during the day and open the shades

to use the natural light from the sun!

.

These are 10 ways to help the environment These are 10 ways to help the environment These are 10 ways to help the environment These are 10 ways to help the environment

not only on Earth Day but every day! not only on Earth Day but every day! not only on Earth Day but every day! not only on Earth Day but every day! ☺☺☺☺

.



The Eco Hero!

By: Michelle Do

There was a boy named

Kevin, and he would always

pollute. He threw everything

on the ground, whether it was

his plastic wrappers, plastic bottles, or even his

homework. He was known to be the "POLLUTING

GUY" around his neighborhood. And everybody

thought that he had to change. His parents and his

WHOLE family would always try to think of a way to

stop Kevin from polluting, but he would never EVER

change. One day, everything changed. On one special

and magical day he was went from being the

"POLLUTING GUY" to the "ECO HERO".

That day Kevin threw 3 pieces of paper on the

ground of the parking lot and his mom told him to

pick it up. He refused to. The police officer nearby

that was enjoying his coffee, stood up and said,

"You're the polluting guy, right? Now pick up that

paper." "Why should I? You're not the boss of me!"

replied Kevin. "That's it Kevin, you'll have to learn

the hard way" replies the officer with a big sigh that

somewhat also sounded like a chuckle.

Earlier that morning after Kevin left for school

the police officer and his parents had a talk. They

came up with a plan. This was the plan that changed

Kevin's whole life.

On his way to school Kevin noticed that there

was trash everywhere. This seemed weird, because

his neighborhood was known to be the cleanest

neighborhood in town. In fact, they even changed the

name from "Red Road " to "Green Road". Kevin was

at school and everything seemed peculiar. In math

class, they made a graph showing how Green Road

has been cleaning pollution for the past 4 years. Then

in Reading, they read a book about pollution and it's

bad effects. In Social Studies they learned about the

history of recycling and in Science they had a 3 hour

lesson about global warming. Kevin really didn't care,

but when he stepped out of school he saw a whole

bunch of papers flying everywhere, it made him

think. The next day when he stepped out of school the

neighborhood looked even worse. He saw the same

thing for the rest of the week and every day he that

stepped out of the school door everything looked

WORSE, AND WORSE, AND WORSE!

On Monday, Kevin woke up two hours earlier,

but no one knew why. He ran down the neighborhood

from here to there to there to here. Two hours later,

BABAM! The whole neighborhood was CLEANER

than EVER! Kevin had recycled

the plastics with plastic, the glass

with glass, the papers with paper,

and the aluminum with aluminums.

That’s when everyone at

Green Road saw him and

called him the "Eco Hero".

Kevin went from being a

boy who would always

pollute, to the boy in the

neighborhood that ALWAYS

recycles! Yep, he sure learned a valuable lesson!

What does Earth Day mean to you? Write an

acrostic poem to show others how you feel

about the EARTH!



Go Green Tips By: Andrea Guerrero

• While you’re brushing your teeth turn off the

water until you need to rinse. .

• Ask your parents to carpool. Find neighbors

that go to your school and go to school in one

car. Carpooling will save gas, reduce pollution

and make the ride to school more fun. .

• When not using a light or appliance, turn it

off. Also turn the lights off when you leave

a room. .

• Plant a tree in your backyard. .

• Always throw garbage in a trash

can. If you see something on the

floor, please take time to pick it up. .

• Ease up on the video games because playing

video games all day on your computer or

game systems uses a LOT of energy. .

• REDUCE! REUSE! RECYCLE!

Create your

own t-shirt

design for

Earth Day

2012!

the lucky coin...2010/10/24 · komodo dragons are very dangerous lizards and their bite can be...

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