Puss in Boots in 3D By Joshua Wong

Over the break, I went to Jonathan’s house for his birthday party. One of the things we did was watch Puss in Boots in 3D.  We used a special 3D TV and special glasses. Puss in Boots is about a cat that had a mischievous past. In the beginning, Puss, the baby kitten, is in a basket, and the wind pushes him across a bridge. The bridge leads to San Ricardo. Magically, the basket keeps moving until it hits the door of the orphanage. After that, the woman who owns the orphanage opens the door and takes Puss in. The orphanage is the place where Puss meets Humpty Dumpty. They both want to find three unique magical beans so they can plant them. They think that the beans will grow into a magical beanstalk with a castle on top. And in that castle, there would be a golden goose that makes golden eggs. Puss and Humpty Dumpty hope to get rich from the golden eggs. They then go on a long journey to try and find the magical beans. To find out what happens, watch the movie. This is what I did over the break. What did you do over the break?

My Fabulous Winter Break-by Tanisha Mandal

           During my Winter Break I had a lot of fun! In the first week I didn’t do much, but the second week was awesome. We went to Legoland and Las Vegas. On Saturday we left early in the morning was a long drive to LA. First in LA we went to a church where we had to pray and then across from the church was a Walt Disney Concert Hall Studio. That is a masterpiece of architecture. It was so cool! On that evening we drove to a hotel. It had a living room with a couch with a bed and a kitchen. The other room had two beds and a TV obviously a bathroom. When we were in the hotel we ate dinner and my brother and I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks (the first one).The next day in the morning it was Christmas but we didn’t get any presents (not Santa but our parents) even though every year we get presents from our parents. Though we went to Legoland it was just 5 minutes away. Legoland was just amazing. We got to ride on lots of rides. Legoland doesn’t have fast rides as much as Great America, Legoland has a new Star Wars ride that goes super-fast and my parents didn’t let me ride on it. The water park was closed because it was winter but we went to a ride called Splash Zone where there is a ride that goes slow then splashes you. My whole body got wet. My favorite part in Legoland was MiniLand USA. Everything was made out of Lego of exact mini replica of San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, and Washington DC etc. There was a boat ride where we saw lots of other great places of the world like the Taj Mahal, Eifel Tower, American presidents on Mount Rushmore and more. Legoland closed at 5:00 pm. 

            We left and drove all the way to Las Vegas; it was a six hour drive. We reached there at 12:00 pm; we stayed at a hotel called Palace Station. It was a three star. All of us were tired. We booked two rooms, one was for my parents, and the other one was for my brother and me. The next day we had at our breakfast at Starbucks. We enjoyed lots of nice hotels. My favorite hotel was called Bellagio. In the lobby everything was decorated with penguins, a huge Christmas tree, polar bears and more. Every 15 minutes in the night a water fountain show happens in the water. It is like fireworks on the water. The next day we went to Circus Circus , I got lots of prizes but I was hoping I would get a guitar which I didn’t .After that we saw more hotels and then went to Planet Hollywood  watched a show called the Ultimate Variety Show. The show was about juggling, dancing, magic, etc. My two favorite performances was a boy and a girl were on a trampoline and roller skating. The boy was spinning the girl in the air that she almost hit my eye. My other favorite performance was a man juggling and hitting the piano and playing Fur Elise. The next day we had to get, back to our home, but I have to say I had a great trip. Soon it was New Year’s Eve, We went to a party. We danced till 12:00 p.m. We came home at 3:00 a.m. Clearly, I had a marvelous Winter Break.

Yo Yo Ma By Vivek

    Do you play the cello? If the answer is yes, then you probably know Yo-Yo Ma. He is Chinese American musician who is known for his mastery of the cello.


     Ma was born in Paris, France on October 7, 1955. Music ran in his family: his mother was a singer, and his  father was a violinist, composer, and music scholar. His father trained musically gifted children, like his own son! Some reasons he is popular is that his smooth tones express so much passion, and his technique is almost perfect. Also, he can play the toughest works for the cello with out batting an eye. He is also versatile, playing music like baroque, bluegrass, and Argentine tangos. He first played the violin, but he found his true calling when he switched to the cello at age four.  He was a natural even then! Three years later, Ma’s family moved to New York. At age seven, he was one of the youngest students at New York’s prestigious Juliard School of Music. In 1964, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall at nine years old. He was well on his way to becoming the next musical star! After graduating from Harvard University in 1976, Ma  began his full time playing  career. However, he had to undergo surgery to fix his scoliosis- a condition that results in an unnaturally curved spine. Ma had suffered from it since childhood, and it had gotten so bad that it was threatening his ability to pay the cello. Luckily, the surgery was a success, ans Ma was able to resume his career. 15 of his albums have won Grammy awards. However, he has 75 albums. He has also won the National Medal of Arts.He also made cello solos in  the Oscar award winning soundtrack of the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Master and Commander: the Far Side of of the World . He is a cultural ambassador and a UN messenger of peace.  He also appears on shows like Sesame Street! He once preformed for president Ronald Reagan! He also met Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple! He also appeared on the Colbert Report, the television show Arthur, and world renowned Italian composer Ennio Morricone!

 I hope you have learned a lot about Yo-Yo Ma. Thanks!

 Do you play a musical instrument ? Do you know a lot about someone famous?

Up and Down Masada- By Jonathan Neduva

         My older brother, Dan, is a soldier in the Isreali Army.  He is twenty-two years old and has lived in Tel-Aviv, Israel for the past four years.  Dan lives on the base sometimes and has another home in the city.  This past December, just before Chanukkah (a Jewish holiday my family celebrates), I visited Israel and I got to see my brother on the base. The army base has a soccer and volleyball court that the soldiers use when they are not training.  There are a lot of army cars and tanks.  There is one car that is all armor and it is designed to throw grenades. Every army vehicle has a code on it made of numbers and letters, like a license plate.  When you want to take pictures on the base, you are not allowed to take pictures of the codes on these vehicles.  They contain private information.

         Dan’s daily training is really tough. A part of his training is to climb to the top of Masada, an old abandoned town at the top of a mountain.  He has to climb up and down the mountain twenty times in one day.  From the top of Massada, you can see the Dead Sea.  The Dead Sea is famous for being covered in salt.  The Dead Sea is actually underground.  It has a depth of 100,000 feet!

         I miss my brother a lot.  If you had a brother or sister who lived away from you and only visited on vacations, would you miss them too?  

                                                                         Masada

A Trip to California Academy of Sciences By: Akash

      Do you like science?  Well if you do, then California Academy of Sciences is the place for you.  In this place you can learn lots of science.  There are many exhibits, such as the Albino Alligator exhibit.  This alligator has white skin but it is blind.  The museum has put fish, two other alligators, and a few turtles along with the albino alligator.  There will be one or two people standing there telling you about this reptile.  

     Another exhibit is the rainforest.  It displays butterflies, birds, plants such as Venus flytrap, fishes, frogs, chameleons, snakes, etc.  The rainforest is in a big dome in the middle of the building.  It has multiple floors that tell you about the different levels in the rainforest.   The bottom floor gives you the feeling that you are on the bottom floor of the rainforest.  In the second floor, you can see a lake filled with fish, and there are descriptions of butterflies.  In the canopy, you can see birds, butterflies, frogs, etc.

            Every time I go there, something new happens.  One time, they had an incubator full of chicken eggs.  We even got to see a chick hatch!  Also, another time there was a man made snake filled with lots and lots of wires.  The snake was huge!  They made it with lots of little scales.  While you are there, don’t forget to visit the planetarium and the aquarium.  I highly recommend visiting the California Academy of Sciences.

 The Newest Video Games

By:Anish Gupta

Did you ever sit and wonder about the newest video games that recently came out in California?  Here is some info about the newest video games.

The most recently made video games are fantastic, in my opinion.  69% of the people in America play video games.  Did you know that?  That's one big number, don't you think?  I am a huge gamer, which means I play a lot of video games.  I would play almost anyone I know and beat them in almost every video game that I like playing.  Some of the newest video games are:  Epic Mickey,  which is about when Mickey(the one from the classic cartoons known as, Mickey Mouse") enters a secret world named Wasteland.  Wasteland is where all the forgotten Disney characters go, including Mickey's long lost brother, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  Wasteland is captured by evil forces called blots, and Mickey is the only one that can save Wasteland.  His weapon is a paintbrush that can shoot thinner, to thin stuff out that have been painted, and paint, that paints stuff that has been thinned out with thinner.  Another game is Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension the Video Game.  This game is based on the hit movie, Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension.  The game is about when Phineas and Ferb travel to an alternate dimension.  In this dimension, the trying-to-rule villain named Dr. Doofenshmirtz(the same one from the series) is the ruler of the Tri-State Area(same place in the series, so pretty much, the movie is almost the same thing as the series)  Phineas and Ferb see the duplicates of themselves and their family and friends in the alternate dimension.  Phineas and Ferb have to try to get home by defeating Dr. Doofenshmirtz.  Another game is Disney Universe.  Suit up, team up, and level up as you battle your way through different based the animated movies and series.  Dress up your avatar in different wardrobes and costumes.  Battle or team up with other players.  Avoid the items that will slow you down. These are some of the newest games that have recently come out in U.S.  Please answer these  two questions.
1.Are you a gamer?
2.What video games do you dream about playing?

How to Make a YouTube Video

By Edison Chen

 

Very informative blog, Edison.  Kids- you must have your parents' permission to both visit Youtube and/or make a Youtube video!-Ms.R

     Have you ever wanted to post a Youtube video didn’t know how? Well, here are some directions to making one. First, you need a webcam or video camera and a Youtube account. You can get it by registering in Youtube’s home page. After registering start filming. It is recommended to be under 10 minutes. Launch Windows Live Movie Maker app from Windows Live website. Click Movie Maker at the top left corner and select New Project. Click Add Videos and Pictures to transfer your video. If your webcam is built in your computer, your video files might be in the public folder. If not, check the video folder. Drag your video to the bottom of the screen, first box. To add transitioning effects click animations. Click to add music for music. Preview it to make sure it is OK. Click on Movie Maker when you are done. Then select Publish Movie. Sign up and sign in your Windows Live account. After that sign in your Youtube account and click on Upload Video. It might five to an hour to upload. Have fun filming.

L.A. Trip By Rahul Krishnan

Hey Classmates,

            On my Thanksgiving break I went to Los Angeles. We had a lot of fun there. Have you ever been to California Adventure at Disneyland? I went to Disneyland and California Adventure. I have been to Disneyland three times! I like California Adventure better though. I like California Adventure more because there are a lot more rides. My favorite ride there was a ride called Grizzly River Run. What happens is that you are in a raft and it goes through caves at a high speed! They call it Grizzly River Run because the mountain you see near the ride is shaped like a bear. The only roller coaster we went on was called How to Fly. It took a lot of sharp turns and sudden drops. The next day we went to Universal Studios. Have you guys seen that place? This one was not as fun as Disneyland for me. The only ride I liked was the Simpsons ride. What it does is it takes you on what feels like a roller coaster ride. But actually, you are still in the same room the whole time. It looks like you’re not in the same room because the movie playing around you makes it more realistic. Also, the ride shakes and sprays water at you to make it seem more realistic too. We also took a studio tour.  In the studio tour they take us in a tram and show us the sets and props from movies and television shows. We left L.A with a lot of good memories. Before we reached home we stopped by our friends house and had more fun. It was the best trip ever! This is all I did on my Thanksgiving break.

                                                           

                                                                                                Your Classmate,

                                                                                                Rahul

            

Movie Making

by Ishika Shah

        You’ve definitely watched a movie before, but have you ever wondered how a movie is made? Wondered how Superman ‘flies’? How light comes out from Harry Potter’s wand? The answer: special effects. Oh, and to find the answer to the first one, keep reading. Movie making is a long process, but it might be interesting to watch. 
          Before the filming for a non-animated movie begins, a few things are needed. The first thing on the scavenger hunt list is a crew of a directors, actors, cameramen, a producer, and many others. Next is the area for filming, and the first few sets. Finally, the actors need a script that tells them what to say and do.
           Lights, camera, action! It’s filming time. Scenes are pretty long, so they are filmed in shorter parts that are only a couple minutes long. Each part is filmed many times. It gets a bit boring for the crew, but it provides choices. The best one is used in the final movie. Everything is filmed with a camera that takes very quick pictures, usually at the rate of about 24 per second! The voice is recorded seperately. The scenes are not performed in order. Everything that happens in one place is filmed, then everything that happens in another place is filmed, and so on.
           Sometimes, actors need to be shown doing things that are impossible in real life. That’s when special effects are used. For example, when a super hero is shown flying, ropes are used to move the actor through the air. Using a computer, the ropes are erased. Another way to do it is to record the actor and the background searately, and then combine the two using a computer. If the actor does not know how to do something or there’s a dangerous stunt the actor must perform, a stunt double performs that bit for the actor. The stunt double looks very similar to the actor. Sometimes, objects are inserted using a computer. That’s called graphics.
           Often, movies are animated. There are two types of animation. Usually, pictures are drawn as in Madagascar. Every picture is a bit different than the one before it. When the pictures are shown quickly, it looks like movement. Sometimes, puppets are used as in Elmo. The puppets are set, a picture is taken, the puppets are moved a bit, a picture is taken, and so on. These pictures are also shown quickly to look like movement.  
             After filming, a few things happen. The different bits are put together to make the movie. The many pictures are printed on a few long rolls of film. The voice track is next to the pictures. Then the film is taken to the theater for everyone to get some popcorn, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!
            Next time you see a movie, think about these things. I challenge you to see if  you can find one place where special effects were used! Also, if you know an interesting fact about movie making and I did not include it, please share it with me.

Math

by Wasi Alam

Mathematics is used in every single thing that we do on earth. I can't name anything that can not be included in math. Even finding the longitude and latitude of the earth, you' re even using math when your drawing, like when you use a ruler to make a straight line. Of where you put the pictures on your drawing and much more. We can not live without math. You can't even draw a straight line without knowing your inches and centimeters. Making a chair also includes math. It's not just like you draw a simple chair and start making it. You need to know how long it will be. Calculate how big it has to be, because otherwise if you just design a chair and sent it to build, your chair might turn out to be 900 feet high. That's why we use math. I hope you use math today, bye!

P.S. Do you know what 10x10 is ?