By Eric Finley, 7th Grader
On Saturday and Monday 6th and 7th graders worked on planting the sea grass that 6th grade picked on their trip to Baytown, TX. They are doing this for Get Hip For Habitat, which is an organization that helps the Galveston Bay replant their ecosystem with the sea grass they picked. It is a good cause and we all are proud of the 6th and 7th graders for helping the ecosystem down in Galveston.
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By Eric Finley, 6th grader
Por Que No is a project in Stacy Liskey's Spanish Class. You go to a Spanish-speaking place, like a restaurant, store, and/or bakery and ask the people who work there some questions and take a picture. When you get back to school, you draw a Pokemon (creature) telling the story of your trip. Also, on another paper, you write down your questions and their answers/a summary and five new Spanish words that you learned from talking with them. You turn in this assignment every other month starting at the beginning of the school year. The last one is due May 12, 2016. Most of the students at Allen do this assignment. I think it might teach us some Spanish, but most kids don't really practice new Spanish words, They just use what they already know to get what they need for the assignment. So I think it is 50/50 as far as learning goes. It's still nice to get out of school and talk to people in Spanish. By Lizzy Marrs, 7th Grader Twice a year, sixth and seventh graders at Allen Academy go to Baytown, Texas for an environmental trip. In early October, they travel to Baytown to learn about the wetlands, how those lands affects the world, and how individuals can help. Students bring back the saltgrass and put it into pools where it will grow. Periodically throughout the year, students take care of the plants by checking the salinity, pH, and much more. At the end of the school year, students get to take the plants back to Baytown and replant them. This way, the grasses will help to repopulate the marsh ecosystem. And once Allen students are done saving the wetlands, they get to enjoy a nice trip to the ocean to swim and relax. According to science teacher Stephanie Hanover, the project “started a while back when I worked at another school, and the kids there had never seen the ocean, and all I wanted was to bring the ocean to them.” So she started bringing the kids to Baytown and helping them learn about this ecosystem. The tradition has carried on throughout Hanover's years at Allen. Now, every sixth and seventh grader enjoys this learning experience and fun, relaxing trip to southern Texas. By Eric Finley, 6th Grader
If you were at Allen Academy in November last year and you saw Abe Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and other Civil War figures in the hallway, it wasn’t time travel. It was a project by 6th graders; each dressed up as a person from the Civil War era. I was President Lincoln, and wore a suit, top hat, beard and black pants! Sixth graders had to tell a little about about their character and answer some questions from 4th and 5th graders and parents. First, 6th graders went to the 4th and 5th graders and told a little about themselves. Then, they did an after- school showcase for parents and teachers. Students had a fun time learning about the Civil War and historical characters. by Lizzy Marrs, 7th Grade Before school started this year, Allen welcomed its newest student--but it isn’t a person. It’s a bunny named Judy Hopps (after the character in the movie Zootopia). For their senior year, many 12th-grade girls wanted something special. They suggested getting a classroom bunny. Ellie Schwab and Kara Davis took the lead on convincing teachers and administrators to agree with their idea. “At first, we wanted a guinea pig or rabbit to relieve stress from the day,” Ellie explained. She said they liked the idea of coming in and petting the animal to release tension. The group of 12th graders talked first to Mrs. Shelley Caskey, the 12th-grade girls’ advisor, who encouraged them to pursue their idea. Mrs. Caskey said she also believed that a classroom pet would help relieve stress. The girls needed approval from Mr. Engstrom, but he was concerned about health codes. Mr. Engstrom told the girls that if they made a PowerPoint presentation to back up their reasoning of why getting a classroom pet was a good idea. So Ellie and Kara created a presentation for “Back to School Night, on Sept. 8th 2016.” In this presentation, they cited websites that talk about how to care for a class pet and how it benefits the classroom and helps students. As a result, Mr. Engstrom approved the project, and the 12th graders were off to find their bunny. A few of 12th graders went to Petco in College Station and chose the black and white hare, only to find that another person was just about to buy her. They persuaded the buyer that Judy needed to learn more calculus (which is what Mrs. Caskey teaches) and they purchased Judy two weeks before the school year began. Judy’s cage door is always open, awaiting the arrival of new friends. She gets treats such as lettuce and carrots, and a soft bedding all to herself. Now, Judy Hopps lives a comfortable life in Mrs. Caskey’s classroom, with free roaming space, and lots of love. Photo credit: Jackson Petty |
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April 2017
Eric FinleyI'm funny and smart. I love to cook. I'm in 7th grade. One fun fact is I love Germany. |