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Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Boda Borg


By: Christina Ilie

On Wednesday, November 22, 2017, students from Wood Hill went to Boda Borg in Malden, MA. Mr. DeFusco and Mrs. Sullivan were the chaperones for the trip. We went to Boda Borg and back with a bus. We left Wood Hill at 11 am and came back at 2:45 pm. Boda Borg is an arcade with quests. The quests are series of rooms with different challenges. There are three different levels, green, red, and black. The green level is the least physical, the red is in the middle, and black is very physical. The door leading to the quest will be the color of the level.


Inside of the quests, you have a time limit, you won’t be told the time limit. You also won’t be told what you have to do in the quests, or how many rooms are in the quest. If you fail, you will fail a lot, you can either restart or try another quest. When you restart, even if you were on the last room, you have to start from the first room. To visit the website, go to http://www.bodaborg.com/usa/boston/.

Joke of the week

Why couldn’t the pony sing?

She was a little hoarse.
Turkey Bowl
By Lisa Shin and Madeline Shin
This month, we had the annual and awesome Turkey Bowl!  For those who don’t have a clue about the Turkey Bowl, it is a football game between the eighth graders and the staff at Wood Hill.  The game goes like this. The staff plays football against four groups of eighth graders. This year, there were two mixed girls and boys group, a girls only group, and a boys only group. It’s very exhilarating and jubilant to see your teacher score a touchdown!  Interestingly, the staff have been on a winning streak-they’ve never lost a single match of Turkey Bowl for 16 years!  
The day we had the Turkey Bowl was an extremely rainy day.  Outside, it was raining persistently and it was freezing.  Although it was pouring during the entire duration of the Turkey Bowl, the eighth graders and the staff participating relentlessly competed for a touchdown.  However, as much as valiantly the staff and eighth graders fought against the rain, it was slowly proving to be an extreme disadvantage for both sides.  The rain made the football slippery, and some eighth graders tripped while sprinting for the ball.  (Trust me-dirt and water make a terrible combination of mud.) The teachers, as usual, were victorious in the rain. They managed to score more than one touchdown! The eighth graders struggled to catch up and in the end, the teachers emerged as the champions.

All in all, the eighth graders ultimately threw down the gauntlet to the staff.  The staff made amazing passes and throws, compared to the eighth graders reckless tackling.  Anyways, congratulations to the eighth graders and the staff for participating in the Turkey Bowl!

7 West Field Trip to Hindu Temple

By Pritha Yalakkishettar

On Dec. 4, 7 West is going on a field trip to the Sri Chinmaya Maruti temple (check out pics below) in Andover to learn more about Hinduism. This field trip is going along with the Social Studies curriculum of the 5 major religions, with Hinduism as one of them.  

This is going to be interesting for me because as a Hindu I go to this temple every Sunday for my Sunday school. It’s kind of like going to church for me. When we go on Sundays, we learn many, many things about Hinduism and Buddhism. We learn lessons and hear lots of stories. I’m kind of excited to see how my classmates are going to like it.

Chinmaya Mission was founded by Swami Chinmayananda in 1953. There are approximately 400 centers all across the world. I’m so happy that a huge piece of my culture is right here in Andover!


The Penny Wars

By Christina Ilie


Penny Wars was a fundraiser organized by PAC. During Penny Wars, all of Wood Hill w put pennies in their jar. All of the money in the jars went to PAC who in turn gives it back to the school by supporting various teacher initiatives,


How does Penny Wars work? Every grade has their own jar. You put pennies in your jar to get more points. That sounds easy right? Well, there’s a catch, the other grades can put money in your jar (not pennies) to decrease your points. For example, if someone from a different grade than you put a nickel in your jar, you’d lose 5 points. The good thing, you can always get them back by putting even more money in their jar. The grade that gets the most points at the end wins a prize.

The total money we gathered was (about) $147.05. Fortunately for them, 8th grade won the penny wars! They worked really hard to win the prize, and it all paid off! Congrats to 8th grade and everyone who participated!

Professor Fi-It:Undecided

Dear Professor Fix-It,
My friends can't commit to a plan!I don't know what to do. They also sometimes act like babies. What should I tell them? How should I solve this?
Thanks,
Undecided
Dear Undecided,
If your friends can’t commit to a plan help them decide what to do, and once they decide on a plan make sure they stay on task and follow through with the plan until you've completed your task. One way to do this is to make sure that everyone has a job, likes their job, and knows what to do. Make sure that everyone (including you) is having fun. I hope this helps!
Good Luck,

Professor Fix-It

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Joke of the week

What kind of dinosaur loves to sleep?
A stega-snore-us.

The Emojis: Student Tech Help Desk

By Pritha Yalakkishettar

Are you a tech genius? Or maybe you like coding? Do you enjoy putting together websites and helping others with technology? Well, a group of students called the Emojis meet with Mrs. Downs every Wednesday last period. We talk about how we can help and improve Wood Hill technology wise. For example last week The Emojis helped the sixth graders set up their google drive and classroom.

If any teachers are having technical difficulties with their computers the Emojis Student Tech Help Desk are the people to call. Interested in joining the Emojis? Come see the fabulous Mrs. Downs in the Hub. :)



😀😋😎😒😆😐😛😝😞😠😡😢😘😍😌😖😳😼😱😰

Tweet About It!

By: Emily Flanagan

Have you seen someone do something awesome or kind? Then give them a shout out on the WHM Positive Vibes Twitter Wall. Tweets can be serious, friendly, or even funny. If you’ve seen someone do something, or someone does something nice for you, then write down a quick little tweet and put in the box inside The Hub. You'll be giving them some Wood Hill Positive Vibes.


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Wolf Hollow Field Trip

By Pritha Yalakkishettar


On November 8 the seventh graders took a trip to Wolf Hollow in Ipswich, MA. This place was started by Mr. Zee, our very own art teacher’s father. After Mr. Zee’s dad passed away Mr. Zee took on the wolves. Currently they have “6 and a half” wolves in the sanctuary, one of them is half wolf half dog, that’s why it's “6 and a half.”  Their names are Arrow, Grendel, Neveah, Bear, Argus, Linnea and Osa. Bear is the hybrid between the wolf and a dog, he was to be euthanized because it is illegal to keep a crossbreed between a dog and a wolf but thanks to Wolf Hollow he was saved.


We all know that Mr. Zee’s passion is all about art, he is brilliant at it and he loves it. But his other passion is working with the wolves at Wolf Hollow.


The wolves were not trained obviously, because as Mr. Zee told us, that if they tried to train them and tell them what to do they would try and start to challenge the humans that they worked with. Mr. Zee is very proud of what Wolf Hollow has become and it’s all about LET’S SAVE THE WOLVES! There was a point in time when people in America were completely wiping out the wolves killing them on purpose and setting traps. I at least thought that was absolutely horrific that’s why Wolf Hollow is trying to bring back these majestic creatures.

We had a great time at Wolf Hollow, we learned a lot about wolves and their lives. The link to Wolf Hollow’s website is down below, anyone who is interested should totally check it out! Also down below is a picture of Argus.




Fall Gala-A Night to Remember

By: Madison Dutily

Wow, Mrs. Pratt and Mrs. Bobson never fail to impress us! On November 6, 2017, Andover High School, and all three Middle Schools had a Fall Gala. Mrs. Pratt and Mrs. Bobson were in charge of directing all the Middle Schools. All the Middle Schools, performed “ The Raven”, and “ And the Night shall Be filled with Music.” We also did a song with choreography, with the high schoolers called “ Brand New You” from the Broadway musical “13”. During the 15 minute breaks in between the concerts, there was a concession stand selling water, chips, candy, raffle tickets, and pins to support the High School’s performing arts.

Professor Fix It: I Need Someone

Dear Professor Fix It,
I can't seem to tell who is my real friend because everything is getting hard for me and I need someone to be there.
Sincerely,
I Need Someone
Dear I Need Someone,
We've all been there. Go to the wall at the top of the sixth grade stairs. Do you see all the footprints? Those are people who have something going on that no one knows about. Your real friends are the ones who are always there for you. There the ones who don't tease you, be mean to you, or make you feel bad about yourself. If they are doing that then they aren't your real friends. Good friends should be there for you good, or bad news.
Hope that helps,

Professor Fix-It

Creature Feature: Gerbils

By: Pritha Yalakkishettar


Squeak, squeak, squeak….hear that? That’s the sound of a certain small rodent called a gerbil running tirelessly on its exercise wheel! The expected lifespan of a gerbil is 2-3 years but up to 8 years has been recorded. A gerbil’s body is normally 4 inches and it's tail is also about 4 inches. For house pets they are as good as hamsters, they are very social animals and when living in the wild they live in colonies so if you’re ever thinking of getting a gerbil as a pet I would recommend getting two of the same gender and around the same age. So a sibling pair would work best for them to feel comfortable and safe.


For housing a gerbil you need to be especially careful because they are strong jumpers. Aquarium tanks are ideal for them as long as you keep it closed with a secure mesh lid. Make sure your gerbils are supplied with plenty of toys that are safe for them to chew on. You can also give them empty toilet paper rolls, it is perfect for their non-stop growing teeth.


A lot of people mix up gerbils with mice, they do look similar but they are pretty different. Mice have naked, or hairless tails while a gerbil’s tail is covered in fur like the rest of it's body. Gerbils are also much bigger than mice, are commonly found in the desert and are a lot more clean than mice. Mice are smaller and are much more globally widespread, meaning they can be commonly found everywhere.


I used to have two gerbils, their names were Asa and Coro, which is Japanese for day and night. Sadly they passed away, but they lived their 3 year lifespan and they were wonderful pets to have. I hope you enjoyed this creature feature of the amazing GERBIL!


Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Tyrone the First and Tyrone the Second


By Lisa and Madeline
It was a sad day when Tyrone the First died the first day he was introduced to Mrs. Fargeorge’s class. Tyrone was a Siamese Fighting Fish, and he was incredibly sick one. There were a lot of warning signs that Tyrone was going to die quick. He wobbled strangely as he attempted to swim, and some alleged that there was a problem with his bladder. He flipped onto one side more than four times. Whatever the cause, his scales were deadly pale, the color of crisp snow.  He seemed awfully ill. Some of the 7th graders predicted that Tyrone was going to have a short lifespan. And he did.  


He died the next day, lifeless in the water. Well, let’s just say we were unhappy that Tyrone the First died in a flash. Mrs. Fargeorge used his death as an advantage to buy another fish at PETCO, for free. She vowed that she would buy a new one. A few days later, a new fish had taken Tyrone’s place. It was named Tyrone the Second.


He was blue with a mix of vibrant red. He glittered the moment a ray light hit his scales. His impressive long fins gave a motion of power to his every move. His beady black eyes shone with pride. He swam with amazing grace in the water. Tyrone the Second was healthy and had no ill symptoms. He is the new and current fish of the 7West science classroom. He adapted quickly to his environment, taking in the premises of the aquarium to himself.  


Being a Siamese Fighting Fish, he guarded his territory with fierceness and pride. Feeding him, however, was a challenge. He ate his food pellets one by one, slowly grasping them in his mouth. Sometimes, he would avoid some of the food given to him! Fortunately, he ate most of the pellets.


Nowadays, Tyrone’s attention has been overshadowed by Panda, our new guinea pig. However, Tyrone still puts people in awe by his spectacular beauty. Don’t mess with Tyrone the Second.  Being a Siamese Fighting Fish, his stunning beauty hides a sheath of evil. Never, ever, underestimate this tough fish.    

Professor Fix-It: Hamster Expert

Dear Professor Fix-It,
What’s a European Hamster? One of my classmates keeps talking about them!
Sincerely,
Hamster Questioner


Dear Hamster Questioner,
If your classmate continually talks about these hamsters, I would ask them about European Hamsters. Typically when people talk about things a lot is when they know a lot about the subject. Your classmate probably wants to talk about it with other kids. Hope that helps!
Sincerely,
Professor Fix-It