Monthly Mustang

Latest evidence -- video shot by a couple hiking in the remote Canadian mountains."

If   you   have   not   heard,   there   is   a   new  creature   on   the   loose.   Scientists   call   it  “Specimen   21.”   Its   location   is   yet   to   be  d iscovered ,   for   i t   escaped   the   SCP  containment  facility.  SCP  stands  for  Secure,  Contain,  Protect.   It   is  

a   highly   classiAied   government   organization  that   keeps   unidentiAied   life   forms   from  hurting   people.   You   kids   at   West   U   are   very  lucky   to   Aind   out   about   this   creature.   It  escaped  about  a  week  ago  on  a  Tuesday.  The  enormous  creature  startled   local   residents.   It  took  the  shape  of  a  human,  but  looked  to  be  7  feet   tall.   Myths   call   it   “Bigfoot”   for   its  enormous   footprints.   So   far,   it   has   signs   of  reproducing,  for  numerous  photos  and  videos  have   been   put   on   the   Internet   from  different  places.  Even  a  TV   show  has  ben  dedicated   to  Ainding   this   mythical   beast.   It   has   been  spotted   around   the   wilderness   area   of  Kentucky,  Alabama,  and  one  sighting,  Houston  Texas.   SCP   is   trying   to   keep   people   from  panicking.  Until   the  creature  or  creatures  are  caught,   the   information   of   its   capabilities   is  still  a  secret.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED BY SCIENTISTS

BY SHEPHARD CALHOUN"

THE NEW ALIEN SCIENCE TEACHER AT REDSTONE ELEMENTARY

BY CAROLINE BUCKNER & NAINA PAI

Q.When   did   you   know   about  life  on  Earth?  

A.   My   great   grandmother’s  husband   brother’s   child’s  niece  married  a  human.  

Q.  Why  did  you  want   to  be  a  teacher?  

A.  Everyone  in  my  family   isn’t  educated.  

Q.  How  did  kids   react   to  you  as  their  teacher?  

A.   They   screamed   and   now  are   asking   for   a   new  teacher.  

Q.  What   planet   do   you   come  from?  

A.  Horshiana  Q.  Do  humans  treat  you  like  a  

human?  A.   No,   most   people   take   one  

look   and   run   but   I’m  used  to  it.  

Q.  What  did  you  go  to  college?  

A.   I   started   college   at   the  University   of   Horshiana  but   then   I   traveled   to  Earth,   went   to   University  of   Texas,   and   became   a  teacher.  

Q.   What   do   you   love   most  about  earth?  

A.   I   love   that   there   are   so  many   different   humans  and   animals   to  meet   even  if  they  run  away.  

Q.Was   there   science   on   your  planet?  

A.  No.  Q.   What   is   your   favorite  

human  food?  A.  Chicken  salad.  Q.   What   was   your   favorite  

hobby  on  your  old  planet?  A.   A   game   we   called   shubwa  

on  Horshiana.

! WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XV ISSUE VII! APRIL 2015

Houston Independent School District" " http://WestUElementary.org" " " " page �1

Q.  Is  Mr.Threet  nice  to  you?  

A.  Well,  he  could  be  a  lot  nicer.  He  sometimes  types  kind  of  hard  on  my  keyboard.  

Q.  If  you  could  quit  would  you  and  why?  

A.  Honestly,  I  do  kind  of  wish  I  could  quit.  I  always  wanted  to  be  a  race  car,  maybe  a  Ferrari  or  Lamborghini.  

Q.  How  is  it  like  hanging  out  in  the  ofAice  24/7?  

A.  Horrible.  First  of  all,  there’s  nobody  I  can  hang  out  with  at  night.  All  the  computers  in  the  

computer  lab  are  partying  and  I  am  all  by  myself.  Q.  Does  working  for  Mr.  Threet  make  you  feel  respected?  

A.  Not  really,  it’s  just  work,  work,  work.  He  never  talks  to  me  anymore,  I  think  he  doesn’t  enjoy  me  anymore.  

Q.  Do  you  wish  you  were  somewhere  else?  

A.  I  actually  kind  of  do.  I’d  like  to  be  in  the  library  around  all  the  books.  They  are  always  good  company  and  tell  great  stories.  Or  I  totally  want  to  move  to  the  computer  lab  with  all  the  nice  children.  

Q.  What  does  Mr.  Threet  use  you  for?  

A.Nothing  much  fun:  emails,  reports.  He  never  plays  games  on  me.    

Q.  How  do  you  feel  working  hard  for  whatever  Mr.Threet  wants  you  to  do?  

A.  I  feel  like  my  work  doesn’t  pay  off.  I  always  have  more  and  I  never  Ainish.  

Q.  If  you  could  make  a  wish  what  would  it  be?  

A.  I  could  be  able  to  Aly  away  to  an  owner  that’s  never  grim  in  any  way.  

Q.  Do  you  feel  lonely  on  the  weekends?  What's  your  wish  for  the  weekends?  

A.Yes,  on  the  weekends  I  am  so  very  lonely.  I  wish  on  the  weekends  I  could  sleepover  with  other  computers.  

INTERVIEW WITH MR.THREET’S COMPUTER BY AMY HE!

Easter  is  the  most  sacred  of  all  Christian  holidays.  It  celebrates  the  resurrection  or  coming  back  to  life  of  Jesus  Christ.    The  rebirth  of  Jesus  Christ  is  celebrated  during  Easter  in  many  different  ways.  Lights,  candles  and  bonAires  mark  celebrations  in  many  countries.  Easter  is  represented  by  many  symbols  such  as  the  cross,  eggs,  rabbits,  baskets,  nests  and  springtime.    The  Jewish  festival  of  Passover  and  Hindu  festival  of  Holi  are  all  celebrated  at  the  same  time  of  Easter  celebrations.  It  is  a  happy  time  of  the  year  to  enjoy  the  beginning  of  spring.  The  word  Easter  is  believed  by  

some  to  be  derived  from  the  Pagan  tradition  which  is  based  on  worshipping  nature.    Easter  is  related  to  the  Pagan  holiday  honoring  “Eostre”  the  Pagan  goddess  of  spring  which  symbolized  rebirth.      Others  believe  that  the  word  comes  from  the  German  word  “Eostarun”  meaning  dawn  and  white.    

Easter  is  also  referred  to  as  Pasch  and  is  celebrated  on  the  last  day  of  the  Holy  week.  The  Holy  week  includes  Good  Thursday,  the  day  of  last  supper  of  Jesus  Christ,  Good  Friday,  the  day  of    the  cruciAixion  of  Jesus  Christ  and  Sunday,  the  day  Jesus  Christ  was  resurrected  from  death.  The  date  of  Easter  Sunday  celebration  varies  each  year,  based  on  the  position  of  the  moon.  It  is  celebrated  on  the  Airst  Sunday  after  the  full  moon  on  the  spring  equinox  between  March  22nd  and  April  25th.  Easter  eggs  are  a  popular  cultural  

symbol  of  Easter.  Eggs  represent  new  life,  new  beginnings  and  renewed  

faith.    The  tradition  of  exchanging  gifts  of  eggs  during  Easter  is  very  popular.    Easter  eggs  are  painted  in  brilliant  colors  to  represent  the  warmth  and  

sunlight  of  spring.  Many  Americans  follow  the  tradition  of  coloring  hard  boiled  eggs.  The  Easter  bunny  is  a  popular  legendary  Easter  gift-­‐giving  character  analogous  to  Santa  Claus.    Easter  bunnies  symbolize  new  life  and  rebirth.  The  idea  of  the  Easter  bunny  originated  in  Germany  and  was  brought  to  our  country  by  German  immigrants.    Easter  bunny  is  described  as  a  white  hare  that  would  leave  colorful  eggs  for  kids  on  Easter  morning.    The  tradition  of  Easter  egg  hunting  originated  in  the  practice  of  kids  building  nests  so  that  the  Easter  bunny  could  leave  the  eggs  in  the  nests.  Now  children  receive  colorful  baskets  Ailled  with  chocolate  eggs  and  candies  from  Easter  bunny.    Easter  is  the  second  largest  candy  consuming  holiday.  Pretzels  were  also  originally  associated  with  Easter.    Do  you  see  an  Easter  bunny  with  a  

basket  full  of  chocolate  eggs  coming  your  way?  Enjoy  Easter  and  the  gifts  the  Easter  bunny  brings  you.  

WHERE DID EASTER COME FROM? BY SARA IYER"

WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XV ISSUE VII! APRIL 2015

Houston Independent School District" " http://WestUElementary.org" " " " page �2

April  Fools’  Day,  also  known  as  All  Fools’  Day,  is  celebrated  on  the  Airst  of  April  and  is  a  day  for  cheerfulness  and  jokes.  April  Fools’  Day  is  celebrated  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  especially  in  Europe,  where  several  countries  have  their  own  April  Fools’  Day  traditions.    

No  one  knows  for  sure  how  April  Fools’  Day  came  to  be,  but  many  people  have  theories.  Some  say  that  in  the  old  days,  the  New  Year  was  celebrated  on  April  1st.  Later,  Pope  Gregory  XIII  chose  a  new  calendar,  one  that  moved  the  New  Year  to  January  1st.  However,  some  people  still  chose  to  celebrate  the  New  Year  on  April  1st,  and  because  of  that,  others  would  play  pranks  and  make  jokes  about  them.  Others  said  that  April  Fools’  Day  started  one  day,  

long  ago,  when  court  jesters  told  Emperor  Constantine  of  Rome  that  they  could  be  better  rulers  than  he.  The  emperor  allowed  a  jester  named  Kugel  to  rule  for  one  day.  During  that  time,  the  jester  passed  a  law  for  the  people  to  be  very  foolish  and  silly.  This  day  became  an  annual  event.  Later  people  discovered  that  the  story  of  Constantine  and  Kugel  turned  out  to  be  a  prank  itself.  

Every  country  has  their  own  way  of  celebrating  April  Fools’  Day.  The  French  call  it  Poisson  d’Avril,  or  “April  Fish.”  School  children  tape  paper  Aish  onto  their  classmates’  backs  to  joke  and  wait  for  it  

to  be  discovered.  In  Scotland,  the  fun  is  spread  over  two  days,  the  Airst  being  Hunt  the  Gowk  day,  a  day  to  send  others  on  fool  errands.  The  second  day  is  known  as  Taily  Day.  It  is  believed  that  the  “Kick  Me”  sign  originated  from  Taily  Day.  The  Portuguese  celebrate  April  Fools’  Day  by  throwing  Alour  on  someone,  and  in  India  they  throw  colored  dust  on  each  other  and  wear  face  and  body  paint  to  recognize  the  start  of  spring.    

April  Fools  jokes  are  supposed  to  be  fun  and  not  harmful.    Here  are  some  examples.    Go  with  friends  to  a  park  stare  up  at  the  sky  and  point.    Then,  watch  the  reactions  of  the  other  people  nearby.    Send  a  friend  on  a  fool’s  errand  by  telling  them  to  get  something  that  is  not  there.  An  old  favorite  is  to  put  food  coloring  in  milk.

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY BY ANIKA TSAI AND SARAH JANE WISE!

The  word  equinox  signiAies  the  day  when  daytime  and  night  are  approximately  the  same  duration.  This  word  comes  from  the  Latin  words  “aeques”  meaning  equal  and  “nox”  meaning  night.  An  equinox  occurs  when  the  plane  of  earth’s  equator  passes  the  center  of  the  sun.  This  happens  twice  a  year  around  March  20  and  September  22.  The  equinox  is  the  only  time  when  the  plane  of  the  sun  is  directly  over  the  equator.  The  March  equinox  is  also  referred  to  as  the  spring  equinox  or  vernal  equinox  and  the  September  equinox  is  known  

as  the  autumnal  equinox.  Equinoxes  indicate  the  onset  of  opposite  seasons  in  different  parts  of  the  earth.  While  March  equinox  in  northern  hemisphere  of  the  world  designates  the  onset  of  spring,  it  indicates  the  

onset  of  autumn  in  the  Southern  hemisphere.    This  day  indicates  the  beginning  of  nature’s  renewal  in  the  northern  hemisphere.    People  have  recognized  spring  equinox  from  ancient  times.  There  are  rituals  and  traditions  surrounding  the  coming  of  spring.  People  celebrated  spring  because  their  food  supply  would  be  restored.  

  According  to  folklore,  you  can              stand  an  egg  on  its  end  on  the  equinox  day.  This  year  the  spring  equinox  fell  on  March  20  at  10:45  pm.  Spring  began  ofAicially  on  this  day.  Enjoy  the  spring  !    

SPRING EQUINOX BY

Q:  Bananas  or  Fruit  Loops?  

Ms.  Ross:  Bananas.  Q:  What  type  of  milk  

do  you  drink?  Ms.  Webb:  Soy  milk.  Q:  When  the  chicken  

crossed  the  road,  where  did  he  go?    

Mrs.  O’Dell:  He  went  to  the  rodeo.  

Q:  Do  you  love  French  fries?  Ms.  Jones  Yes.  Q:  What  do  you  say  when  you  see  a  kid  eating  glue?  Mrs.  Vistein:  Stop!  Q:  What  is  your  favorite  pasta  shape?  Mrs.  McClintock:  Bow-­‐tie.  Q:  Do  you  think  the  chicken  or  the  egg  came  Airst?  

Mrs.  Bailey:  The  egg.  It  fell  from  the  sky.  

Q:  When  you  Airst  heard  a  Justin  Bieber  song,  did  you  think  he  was  a  girl?  

Ms.  Wood:  No.  Q:  When  you  taught  kindergarten,  

were  the  kids  better  behaved?  Mr.  Higgs:  Relatively  speaking,  yes.  Q:  Do  you  prefer  beef  or  chicken?  A:  Ms.  lnman  :  Chicken.

INTERVIEW OUTTAKES BY MAISIE HUTCHINSON AND CAROLINE PAULOSKI

WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XV ISSUE VII! ! APRIL 2015

Houston Independent School District" " http://WestUElementary.org" " " " page �3

Word Search: Study Tips, Study Skills, and Test Taking Tips by Maria Cheng

Can you find these study tips in the Word Puzzle?!!BUDGETYOURTIME!

CHEWGUM!

DOUBLECHECK!

EASYQUESTIONSFIRST!

EXERCISE!

FLASHCARDS!

FOCUS!

NOTETAKING!

PACEYOURSELF!

SKIMTHROUGH!

SLEEPEARLY!

STUDYBUDDIES!

TAKESHORTBREAKS!

TESTYOURSELF!

WRITEIMPORTANTWORDS!

WRITELEGIBLY!

W W T S O Y R T R I N Y M N F Z F D P E !O O R M K R L A L O B U I L F T L O T A !B D S I O I S R T W G P E X A A E U F S !E U Q P T G M E A W Y S H K R L S B P Y !F O C U S E T T E E R C E L V M R L M Q !G W K D N A I H H U P S M L I E U E B U !P E K N K S C M O R H E N L K S O C C E !D X K I K V E Y P O O L E K T I Y H W S !C D N Q G D E I R O R U I L L C T E H T !O G X K M C X T D L R H G M S R S C B I !M V F I A R B H U D Z T W H R E E K I O !N A A P R R E B F O U R A H O X T V J N !J G Z G E S P G T Q S B J N H E K I C S !S D R A C H S A L F M W Y B T T F W S F !A G K R W Z A O Z P O X H D D W X G H I !B S L Y M C W P C O Y I I Y U Z O S Q R !T J J P O E O N J F I U C L M T E R P S !E M I T R U O Y T E G D U B G F S M D T !W R I T E L E G I B L Y N N T J T I F S !R Z K Z R N P A Q K S R Y R I P C A I V !

Ahh! It wasn’t a

dream. I was dancing with my mom!

Ewww!.

! WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XV ISSUE VII! APRIL 2015

Houston Independent School District" " http://WestUElementary.org" " " " page �4