The Lockdown by Paul and Walker

Beep-beep, “The Fenn School is now in lockdown mode.” Mr. Ward will announce over the loudspeaker. Then all the students will go to their assigned jobs. Some will close the curtains; some will shut the lights off. Nobody will panic. The teacher will lock the door, and all the students will hide in the classroom away from the door(s) and window(s), where they cannot be seen. All the classes have been preparing for the lockdown, but it could happen at any time. Here are a few tips from Ms. Byron about what you should do if you are in a lockdown.

Q. What if I am in a different classroom than my homeroom? A. Stay in the class you are in. If there is no teacher, go to the nearest class that has a teacher.

Q. What happens if I am in the bathroom?A. Finish going to the bathroom, then go to the nearest classroom with a teacher.

Q. What is the purpose of the lockdown?A. To practice what we need to know in case of an emergency.

Q. What if I am in transition? (Going from classroom to classroom)A. Find the nearest classroom with a teacher in it.

Even though it has been hyped up, the lockdown is not scary, and your teacher will guide you in the procedures. Use your good judgment if you encounter one of the situations we have not covered in this article.

5th Grade to Museum of Fine Artsby Finn

The 5th grade went to the MFA two weeks ago. Everyone had a blast. All the groups had a tour guide who knew the museum by heart. In my group we went to the mummy section first. In it there was a huge glass container with a real mummy from the first dynasty. They also had two other Egyptian mummies there. On the other side there were two Roman mummies. Instead of having painted masks, they had portraits of themselves on their faces. There were also lots of artifacts found in the tomb there as well.

After the mummy section we went to a room with a giant statue in the middle of it. It was of a pharaoh found in the tomb. Then we went to a corridor where a statue of a man, his wife, his son, and his daughter were. After that we went to a room with artifacts from the most decorated tomb in the world. In that room there was a real unwrapped mummy head. The room was filled with boats from the tomb and on the walls there were plates from his coffin. They are said to be the most decorated sides of a coffin in Egypt. In the very middle of the room there was his inner coffin.

After that we had lunch. Then we went to the Greek section to have a scavenger hunt. There were 51 questions and the sheet we used was kind of out of date so it was hard to find things. We eventually got through and it was really fun. On the way back I tried to go to sleep while Cole tried to solve Piseth’s puzzle pen, but he couldn’t figure it out so he woke me up. Overall the field trip was one of the best I’ve gone on and if I ever go there again I will always be looking forward to it.

The Fenn SchoolConcord, MA

March 7, 2011

The Blue and Gold Lower School

Times

Books Coming Out This Yearby Jacob

There are some very good books coming out this year, like the new Rangers Apprentice, the next Heroes of Olympus which is called The Son of Neptune, and finally the new Kane Chronicles is coming out and it is called The Throne of Fire. These last two books are new Rick Riordan books, and the first one is by John Flanagan and is called the Emperor of Nihon-Ja. The Son of Neptune is coming out in October, The Throne of Fire is coming out in May, and The Emperor Nihon-Ja is coming out in April. All these books are parts of series, and I suggest you read them.

Spring Term by Colin

The Spring Term started February twenty-eighth. What this means is all things have been put behind of what we did last term and we’re starting off on a new page. So we can all try to get better grades this term since it is the last term until fifth grade. Since the spring term has started this means we can all try to do more things in class to get better grades. For example we could work on not talking in class, and start raising our hands more. Out at sports we can try to be friendlier and stuff. I asked Charlie B. what he’s going to try to do better in the spring term, and he answered not running in the halls. I asked Alexander what he is going to try to do better in the spring term, he answered, “I’ll try to be neater.” That was two classmates things that they are going to try to do.

The Big Trade by Dylan and Blayne

The Celtics made a trade that personally we think was not a good one. The trade was the Celtics giving the Oklahoma City Thunder Nate Robinson and Kendrick Perkins while the Thunder gave the Celtics Jeff Green and Nene Kristic. We don’t think this was a good trade because now the Celtics do not have a hard hitting good defensive center. The Celtics do have centers Shaq O’Neil and Jermaine O’Neil, but they are currently injured. In the meantime

the Celtics starting center will be the not very good Nene Kristic. We believe the Celtics are doing this because they want to clear roster space and save money to get Dwight Howard, whose contract expires at the end of the season. We took a survey on a couple people and they all said it was a bad trade. The Celtics made a BIG mistake and it seems the 18th banner is slipping away from the Celtics’ grasp.

Teamworks by Bennet

On March 1, 2011, fourth grade Fenn boys got to go to Teamworks. We played soccer, flag football, ate pizza, and played video games. Teamworks is an indoor place for soccer and other sports. There are many birthday parties. The Fenn boys were split up into two groups. One group went to a field to play soccer; the other group went to another field for flag football. At Teamworks there are four fields (three indoor and one outdoor), Men and Women bathrooms, a water fountain, a workout room, A small arcade, a party room, and a bouncy house room. Not everyone in Fourth Grade went, but the ones who did had a great time! Kadin says, “It was totally sick!” Charlie B said excitedly, “It was awesome!

Lights, camera, action!by Anthony and David

The two 5th grade plays that are going on are going to be awesome! The Monday-Wednesday class is doing a play from Africa and it is called the two dilemma tales. This play is not one whole play, but a two in one play and one is called The Honey Hunter and the other one is called The Snore or The Song. The second play is called Nathan the Nervous which takes place in a kingdom in Britain and this play is a whole one. The lead role for Nathan the Nervous is Nathan who is a king (Chewy). The lead role for The Honey Hunter is the honey hunter (Zach). The lead roles for The Snore or The Song are brothers Drinn and Mukata (Anthony and Ben). That is all we have for today! Cut!

Art Review by Jackson and Harry

There is a new art exhibit at the Fenn school. Max Mason made the beautiful painting of the Phillies, Washington Nationals and the Orioles. All of these paintings are in the perspective of a fan watching the game. The painting of the Phillies stadium is when they are mid way through a double play. There are two generations of painters that are showcasing there art in the show. You can buy this art. There is a list in the exhibit room. We hope that you will go and take a peek. I highly recommend going to see the art. It is very well painted, and I think you will enjoy seeing the art. It is an awesome show. I don’t know when it is coming down so if you want to see it, go soon.

Movie Review by Owen

Launch the blueberry catapults with the new movie Gnomeo and Juliet! It’s about two sides, red and blue, that have always had a feud. The gnome children of the rulers of each side, who are Gnomeo and Juliet, meet while looking for a beautiful flower and it is love at first sight. Gnomeo is blue and Juliet is red. A little help from a hyper flamingo and they realize that colors don’t truly matter. Battling, lawn mower racing, and a ton of comedy make it the ultimate movie!

A great family movie! Perfect for rainy days.”- The Elton Times

“A hilarious twist on Romeo and Juliet!”-Movie Mania

PL8S by Sam

7 bucks for an Alaska license plate? Sure! Oh, sorry. I was just buying a plate for my collection. As most of you don’t know, I collect license plates. I started in 2007 and now I have about 160 plates. Some of my rarest ones are the Northwest Territory polar bear, 1960 Saskatchewan, 1975 West Virginia state delegate, Alabama National Guard, and my Karachi Pakistan #007 plate. Some plates are rarer than others, such as a #1 Alaska plate is way rarer than that old Mass. plate your husband

won’t get rid of hanging by one nail in your garage. I collect duplicate plates, for example I have 23 Vermont plates. You are probably thinking, “How the heck does this guy get all these rare plates when all I have is an old rusty Mass. plate in my garage!?!” I usually buy them at flea markets because those people are thinking “All I want is to get rid of this junk A.S.A.P.!” I also buy them at a store on Cape Cod called Marine Surplus for $3. I have gotten the majority of my plates from people just giving them to me. Two of my favorite plates are the ones above my door that say: SAMMY FARLY2. I have one or more from each state hanging on my wall. So if you have some old plates that your husband DOES want to get rid of, I’m your guy!

WW Fenn Speaking Contestby Alan and Nicholas

On Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011, the finals of the WW Fenn Speaking Contest were held. First, the contest starts in the classroom and the peers chose the people who will move on to the next round. The next round is held at all school meeting, judges will pick 10 people who will advance to the finals. The finalists were: Maahin, Parker, Tom, James, Will, Zahin, Henry, Chad, Tomas, and Jake. The first honorable mention went to Maahin for his enunciation. The second honorable mention went to James because of the challenge of what he recited. First place was awarded to Zahin for reciting The Highway Man. We thought it was fun, even though we didn’t get any recess which wasn’t fun. We think the people who spoke showed a lot of courage. We are looking forward to the next speaking contest.

Teddy gets to the GeoBee state finals!by David and Hal

Mr. Irwin has recently announced that Teddy, a 5th grade boy who has won the Fenn GeoBee, is going to the state finals. We asked Teddy what he could win, and he said that he could win a scholarship if he wins the National GeoBee which is in Washington D.C. There are rumors that say he could win a scholarship to

Harvard, win money, but none of those are confirmed. He said he is mainly studying geographical features. He is not nervous now, but if he makes it to the Nationals, he is going to be very nervous. He said that to get in the states the test was 70 multiple choice questions. We hope Teddy wins, and we wish the best of luck.

The Insect League Update by Paul and Charlie

The insect league is heading to the playoffs. There are 8 teams in the league. The Eastern Conference consists of the Ticks, Fleas, Chiggers and No-see-ums. The Western consists of the Slugs, Gnats, Stinkbugs and Earwigs. Some of the highlights were: the number 4 Slugs beat the number 1 Gnats and the Gnats and the Stinkbugs are tied for first place. The playoffs start Monday, March 7. Good luck to all the teams!

Frosty the Snowman by Alexander

It was the day of the “Frosty the Snow Man” performance. And I was in it! I walked out of the classroom to Robb Hall. I almost had to tell the class not to come, because I was the only fourth grader in the second year band! After lots of practice, it was time for all-school meeting. The kids filed in, each fourth grader waving to me. I was in the front row of the stage chairs. Finally, it was the time! As Ms. Lien raised her baton, we all raised our instruments and got ready. Then, all at once, we started playing Frosty the Snow Man. It was great. After we finished awkward silence... then, applause! I was famous throughout the school because of the performance. We haven’t recorded it yet, but when we will, the CDs will be distributed.

Robb Hall 2 Updateby Walker

Put up the wall! Lower the boards! The new building is up to date. It is on time and is scheduled for the start of the 2011-2012 year. They are now installing the insulated panels on the roof. They are also putting in the plumbing

and the electrics. They are planning to put in the windows on March 17 and are going to start to put on the roof on March 21. They have also started the wood framing on the outside. It looks like it will only take a short time to finish but they have a lot more to go. We hope the building will be done early but we do not know. This is going to make a great building for Fenn, and we could not have done this without the help of all the workers.

Fablehaven Book Reviewby Nicholas

I think that Fablehaven Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull is a great book that anyone would like. It is the fifth and last book in the series. The main characters are Seth and Kendra, and they have to stop the Society of the Evening Star from opening the demon prison. Kendra and Seth are in different places and they both have to go on dangerous missions to help protect the world from destruction. In the end there is an epic battle and Kendra and Seth have to fight the demons. Fablehaven is a great series and anybody who likes to read would not be able to put it down.

Dunk Contest by Charlie B.

I am here to tell you about the NBA dunk contest. The dunk contest contestants were Javale McGee, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, and Demar Derozen. It started off exciting - Serge Ibaka had this kid come in and he said I lost my teddy bear and his teddy bear was on the rim so Serge Ibaka said, “I got it” and he did a dunk where he caught the teddy bear in his mouth and dunked it at the same time and it was amazing. He also did a dunk where he dunked from the foul line and I think it should’ve got a 50 but it only got a 45. Javale McGee did a dunk where he had 2 balls and 2 hoops and he threw both balls off the back board and dunks both balls on different hoops. It was radical. The judges gave him a 50. The 2 people that made it in the finals were Javale McGee and Blake Griffin. Blake Griffin had maybe the best dunk ever in dunk contest history. It started when he got a whole chorus to sing, “I believe I can fly!” Then his

teammate Baron came out driving a car and he went under the hoop and threw the ball up for Blake Griffin while he was in the car and Blake Griffin jumped over the car and dunked it. The crowd went wild and they gave him a 50. He ended up winning it. This is Charlie B. reporting.

Red Sox Spring Trainingby Chewy and Blayne

The Red Sox have kicked off spring training looking really fresh. Even though they’ve lost two games at home, the Sox look just as good as any other team. Their last game was against Philadelphia but they lost 2-0.They are now tied 2nd with the Yankees in their division with a record of 2-3. They really need Josh Beckett and John Lackey to step up this year to win a championship. Jon Papelbon said he feels better about this spring training than last year which is good. We think the Red Sox will have a good year this year.

The Fire Eternal Book Reviewby Alan

You should read The Fire Eternal, by Chris D’Lacey. The main character David has been killed but somehow he has turned back alive. Now he can change into a polar bear, and practically anything he wants. Dragons are returning to the Earth and David is helping them. There are evil aliens called the IX that can’t be seen. They can enter and control a human body and do whatever they want. They are trying to create a spark of Dark Fire, which they will give to a Darkling (gargoyle). The Darkling will come alive and destroy Earth. IX are trying to kill everybody on Earth and David must stop them.

Book Review by Kadin

I loved the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was full of action, surprises and mysteries. The story is about a boy who goes to a wizarding school. He has two friends Ron and Hermione. The gang always gets themselves into trouble, from sneaking around the school at night to fighting the darkest wizard ever known. In this book strange

happenings go on around the school. There have been people petrified and will not wake up. There were also strange messages saying “The Chamber of secrets has been opened” and “Only the heir of Slytherin can open it.” If you are interested in the slightest bit, you must read the book. It is the best book I’ve ever read.

NFL Lockout by Dylan and J-rod

The NFL could possibly not happen this year due to the wealthy and spoiled owners and the commissioner of the NFL, the terrible, Roger Godell. The reason that the commissioner and the owners are causing this mayhem is because they want to abuse the players so that the players still get under paid and the owners and others get more money. Even though the NFL was supposed to have a lockout starting Thursday, they extended the deadline by 24 hours to try to come to an agreement with the players. If they don’t come to an agreement by Friday at midnight, then there will be no 2011-2012 season.

A “Food Revolution” by Witt and William

MMMMM, yummy food! We are learning about nutrition in science. Food is one of the main subjects of nutrition. One of the things we have learned about is not just how to read nutrition labels and the ingredients, but we have also talked about obesity. We watched a video about a chef from England, Jamie Oliver, who has changed school lunches in his home country from unhealthy processed foods to unprocessed home cooked food. Now he is willing to get Huntington, West Virginia (which is rated most unhealthy town in West Virginia) all healthy and leave those junky fatty potato chips behind! First he is going to a school to try to fix up the lunches to healthy foods, which is a huge challenge because all the lunch cooks only want to cook the way they have been. He opens up a kitchen where people can come and learn to cook food. Then he goes to a very obese family’s house to try to help them with their diet. His plan is to spread this “Food Revolution” across the United States, first fixing Huntington. There is a radio D.J. that is against him. Will Jamie overcome his challenges? How can he get the radio D.J. to support him? It will be quite a challenge, but he is hopeful! Let’s all wish Jamie

Oliver good luck and have an AWESOME weekend! P.S. If you want to find these clips, go to YouTube and type in “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”

Bruins on a win streak! by Spencer

Really? The Bruins are on their biggest win streak in two years. Since the trade to acquire Tomas Kabrele from the Leafs, Chris Kelly from the Senators, and Rich Peverley from the Thrashers in exchange for Blake Wheeler, the Bruins have gone 7-0-0, climbing up the standings with wins against the Lightning, the Oilers and the Senators. They are now within a couple of points behind conference leading Philadelphia Flyers. The trade deadline was last week, and I think the Bruins were real winners. I think the Bruins are contenders for the Stanley Cup, but they just don’t have that offensive weapon that teams like Washington, Tampa Bay, and Vancouver have. I believe the Bruins will make it to the conference finals against the Philadelphia Flyers. Let’s hope the Bruins continue the winning streak for just a couple more games!

Trivia Contest by Patrick R

1. A horse is tied to a 5 meter rope and there is a pile of hay six meters behind the horse.How can the horse eat the hay when he chooses without breaking the rope?

2. A prisoner is planning an escape the walls are made of concrete and the floor is made of dirt.He thinks he has found a way out. He knows he can’t make a tunnel out. How does he plan to escape?

3. What is the next letter in this sequence? O T T F F S S 4. What’s unusual about these words?

BOUGH, COUGH, DOUGH, ROUGH, THROUGH

Spring Sports by Anthony

The 5th grade sports for spring are Mcwhipit and baseball. However, I think that most kids prefer to play lacrosse over Mcwhipit. At least as far as I know. Mcwhipit is like lacrosse and usually is very fast paced and incredibly hard. Baseball is baseball and everybody wants to be the World Series champions. This is Anthony saying, after vacation tie those cleats up tight and get ready for spring sports!

New Dramas by Paul

In 4th grade drama we are doing two plays. The one I’m in is The Tale of Two Drummers and the other one is Johnny Appleseed. The Tale of Two Drummers is about the Revolutionary War. In the play I am Tabitha the maid, Tad is Dame Channing, Max B is Oliver, and Henry is Meredith. There are other people, but I can’t remember them all.

Channel 14 News by Connor

What are those long necks sticking out of that ferry? They look like giant 45 foot Rothschild giraffes, one of the many endangered species of giraffes. The ferry is driven by conservationist people who want to try and get these wonderful animals to safety and away from hunters and a lack of habitat. The people ferried the animals across Lake Baringo in a small country on the eastern border of Africa. The eight giraffes and the ferry were accompanied by a boat full of Kenyan soldiers.

(Source: Scholastic News online)

Literature Circle Projects by Kiefer and Kevin

Bang! Bang! Whoosh! Pick your question! Alright! Does Mars attack Jupiter? What?! Oh, sorry. We’re doing Literature Circle Projects. Lately, we have finished our literature circle books and we’re doing projects to review

them and to show our understanding of the book. My (Kiefer) Hatchet group is doing Jeopardy. My group (Kevin) is putting on a musical skit (not singing). We also have some idea about what the Dogsong group is doing. We think they are hosting a talk show with characters as guests. We have still not planned everything yet, and we will present this week. Good luck, everyone!

The Cotton Ball by David and Liam

Starting Monday, Liam and James will be holding the cotton ball poker tournament. It is 10 pizzos admission. Currently, James and Liam, David, Samuel and Max (paying 5), William, Connor, and Henry are signed up. The finals will be on Thursday. On Monday section B will play and the last man standing will play the winner of Section A. The winner will get the whole pot (55 pizzos). If you don’t win then you will get a little prize from the winner. (Who knows what!) So, if you’re in the poker tournament, bad luck (just kidding).

Mystery Person by Parker and Charlie C

He goes to Fenn School. He is a fourth grade student. His advisor is a girl. The person loves food a lot. His name somehow relates to orange juice. He is funny. For recess he hangs out in Mr. Smith’s room. He plays football. He was in the first group of skaters. When he types he never uses capital letters. He has a little brother. He’s 10 years old. He likes pie. His favorite song is Not Afraid by Eminem.

Suns, Not Shining So Brightly Anymore by Jack

After the Phoenix suns celebrate their victory 88-71 over the Boston Celtics, surely enough, the Suns and the Celtics faced at the Garden as Steve Nash crumbled to the ground at the sight of a technical foul. The Celtics crushed the suns 115-104- an obviously high scoring game as the Celtics take the spotlight once again as they await their next game against the Golden State Warriors, whose year has been terrific, and another high scoring team that awaits the ball game on March 4, 2011 at 7:30.