THE BEST DAY EVER - by Grace Tran

                "Dear Mrs. Tran and Mr. Tran, I’m writing to inform you that your daughter, Grace Tran, has won the McDonald’s essay contest. Please come to the award ceremony on February second to collect her reward". After I read this letter, my heart leaped out.

                Two weeks later, I found myself standing on the stage at the Yung Wing Elementary School, reading my essay to a bunch of people. Aunt Aimy, Coach Jen, parents, and Grandma came to cheer me on at the award ceremony. I finished my essay with a grin and walked off the stage.

                But first, I had to get there early to meet the judges. When the ceremony started, there was this judge with a purple mohawk. Aunt Aimy arrived with a basket of gifts for me and a congratulation balloon. Inside was a tie, a monkey candle, a cup with hearts on it, a little pack of cards, and a teddy bear.

After the ceremony, each contestant was presented with a goody bag. In it was a case with a pen and calculator. I also got a calendar, a notepad with a cool cover, a flash drive, and two balloons. Moreover, I received five two-dollar gift cards for McDonald’s and a $250 check.

                Even Ronald McDonald came!!! He picked a random boy and tried to draw him on a board. The cool thing was that the eyes of the drawing on the board actually moved.

Then, Ronald McDonald said, "Well, the next thing you know you're going to tell me it talks." Suddenly, the picture opened its mouth and actually started talking!!!

                The best part was when Ronald McDonald started erasing the picture. He was like, "One, two, three."

The picture said, "Four."

Those two kept arguing about counting. It was, "HEE-larious." Finally RM erased the picture, but then it talked again so he put the board back stage. As I said before, it was "HEE-larious!!!"

                After the ceremony, I went to a restaurant and celebrated. I had my favorite dishes - a lot of them! I felt really good - compliments, gifts, and prizes.

When I think back, I remembered spending hours each day revising my essay. I thought it was impossible for me to win but, WOW! I still can't believe I won! I learned that it was not only important to try hard but also to do your best. Over 300 students entered the contest and only 10 won. My advice for contests like these: try hard and try your best!

 

 

From the Pages of Grace's Tran...

 

THUS THE SEASON TO START BLENDING

My favorite holidays are Chinese New Year and Christmas.  Chinese New Year because there is the lion and dragon dances.  People are always laughing.  And there are pops and fireworks and much more.  Christmas because I sleep over at my uncle's HUGE house.  When I wake up the next morning, I open my gift at the foot of the Christmas tree.

I celebrate Chinese New Year with my parents and family members.  I celebrate Christmas with family members and friends.

For Chinese New Year, my family and I go to a restaurant and eat.  We also go to Chinatown to see the parade and pop firecrackers.  For Christmas I sleep over at my Uncle's family.  Every year I go there with my Aunt's family.  The next day, its Christmas.  Relatives and friends all go there, including my grandma and grandpa.

To make Chinese New Year better, I would combine all the holidays to make Chinese New Year.  For example, to add some Christmas spirit,  I can give presents instead of red envelopes.  That would be cool.  To make Christmas special, I can spin it with Thanksgiving, being thankful.  I call this method, the holiday blend.

from the pages of Grace Tran....

 

                                                                       WHAT EXACTLY IS A HERO???



Hero's don't exactly have to hover in midair or shoot laser out of their eyes.  They just have to have bravery, skill, and leadership.

Bravery is important.  No hero wants to chicken out.  Skill is also important.  Who's ever heard of a hero that isn't good at anything?  Every hero has to have one talent.  And last of all, leadership.  Leadership is important, too.  A leader doesn't always mean they lead wars.  It can also mean having a good influence on others, reassuring others, etc.

My hero is Abraham Lincoln.  I think he is a great hero because he had bravery, skill, and leadership.  He wasn't scared when he plunged into the icy river just to save his dog.  He wasn't scared when one general wasn't attacking.  And he was calm when slavery started.  Abe Lincoln's speeches, strength, and humor were his skills.

He was the only person who said speeches only two minutes long.  But his speeches reached out into other's hearts.  His strength was when he was only seven years of age but Abe could lift up a log all by himself.  His humor was when he preached just like the preacher, coughed like him, and memorized what the priest had said on Sunday's announcement.  He preached to the other boys when they were tired.

His leadership grew stronger as he became the president.  As president, he had to lead the country.  At that time, there was slavery and Abraham wanted to stop it.  He refused to retreat.  And at last, the war was won.

To others, Abraham Lincoln is a great hero.  After all, he was shot to death.  All heroes die hard deaths (maybe).

THE 2012 FORMULA by Nicholas Ng

Do you know how wacky one year can be? 2012 was a surprising, concerning, roller-coaster like year.

 

Winning an essay contest, seeing Las Vegas and surrounding canyons, and participating in a math competition were the best experiences that happened in 2012.  The most memorable moment was when one day my teacher, Ms. Poole, called me to go up to her desk.  I thought I was in trouble.  Instead, she pointed to an email with a smile on her face as I stood next her.  The email said that I won the Liberty Essay Contest sponsored by New York Liberty, a women basketball team.  I competed against students from my school and other New Jersey and New York schools, winning first place.

 

Last October, I participated in the competitive Bergen Math Competition. Even though I didn’t win, I had an opportunity to see how much other kids knew about math. It amazed me.  From my experience in this contest, I can tell you right away to prepare and don’t be nervous. Being nervous will slow you down when relying on speed to win.  Preparing will help you get ready to enter a competition and make it seem not as hard.

 

During the summer, my family took a trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Circle, a circle of amazing National Parks and Canyons.  I thought it would just be a tour of boring canyons, but it turned out to be a surprisingly fun vacation.  It was very fun hiking up and down the mountains (though dehydrating), exploring Las Vegas, gaping at the colorfully lit lights of the hotels and during the shows at the casinos. I never thought that Las Vegas and a hiking trip could be so enjoyable!

 

Challenges were faced in 2012, too. An unexpected sorrow of 2012 was getting uveitis last summer. This was not like a broken bone or something of that sort; it was an inflammation in my eyes.  Now, I take medications to control the swelling.  Without medications, I could have gotten cataracts. Good thing I didn’t. I take pills every day and injections every Friday and every other Tuesday to help me treat uveitis.

 

We had Hurricane Sandy days before Halloween.  We were much more fortunate than many others, but we still faced hardships. Our family went through four days of blackout. That seems like a lot, but some people lost power for an entire week and a half. Some families even lost their homes and cars. Based on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I know to be prepared for natural disasters at all times.  When I buy a house, I’ll buy it away from areas prone to natural disasters.

 

My favorite book I read last year was Powerless by Matthew Cody. It is about a boy named Daniel who moves to a new town and new school. He meets these weird kids who have superpowers. Slowly, their powers disappear one child at a time. Daniel needed to know what kind of evil would steal elementary kids’ powers. Read Powerless and find out what happens next yourself.  Powerless deserves five stars. Matthew Cody makes every chapter a cliffhanger, always tempting you to read more. I couldn’t put the book down until the end!!!

 

Lessons are learned often. Two important lessons I learned in 2012 were to always prepare before something and never last minute. Also, certainly not do the minimum. If you prepare for a test last minute, you might score 100 but you wouldn’t learn anything. Don’t take my path and cheat your way through school. If you do the minimum all the time, it would be terrible for you and your grades. For example, if you did a worksheet and you did not do the extra credit, you could get a question wrong and your grade would be lower; but if you did the maximum, even if you got a question wrong, the extra credit would cover that. Also, trying your best means that you did the maximum you could’ve done. Doing the maximum means you did a good job even without getting a 100 on your test.

 

Surprises + worries + roller coaster bumps = 2012.

 

 

Study Ahead, Study on a Schedule, and NO EXCUSES! by Grace Tran

An important goal is to understand what you're studying.  It doesn't matter if you got a bad score on the test.  It only matters if you study; you know what you studied, and tried extra hard.  Like I can get an 100% on an exam.  But not know what I was studying.  It only matters if you understood the text.

 

This is my goal because I never realized how important studying was until I pretty much flunked every single test.  (So don’t be like me!!!  I’m warning you!!!)  You can always study ahead of your teacher so you know what you're going to learn.  Studying is also important because it shows responsibility and independence.  Nobody has to remind to do it.  Just do it independently!  You're studying for yourself, not other people.

 

To reach my goal, I think I'll have to have my own study schedule.  Like on certain days I have to study and some days I don't.  Or I can push myself more often.  Like write reminders and not play or enjoy myself as much.  Who cares if I can't play as much!  It’s not like my whole life depends on it?!

 

I feel confident that I can someday accomplish this goal.  I mean, like, everything's possible on Earth.  Also, goals like this might be especially hard because of excuses.  It’s simple to come up with excuses for this goal.  "I had a bunch of homework; I had to take care of my demented parrot."  No excuses!!!

A LESSON LEARNED by Grace Tran

I once learned a very important lesson.  It was . . . to NEVER EVER do homework last minute.  It all started one Friday.  I had to finish tutoring homework last minute!  I had to stay up until 11 o'clock before I finished all the assignments. It was so tiring. 

                The same thing happened the next two weeks.  But by that time, I was very tired of having to stay up till 11.  So I knew I had to do the homework step by step.  I was all planned out.  I had to fit the tutoring homework with the school homework.  It was a tight fit, but at least I wouldn't have to stay up so late on one day.

                So on Sunday, I started on my homework.  As you can see from this story, never ever do all your homework last minute.  Also, take breaks between each assignment and plan your time wisely.  Or else, you'll end up having a really hard time.

                If you don't think this tip is good enough for you. Then, all I have to say is . . . GOOD LUCK!!!  Although it's a lot of work, that's what being a student is all about.  And, it doing homework last minute can develop a bad habit.  Therefore, my lesson is to never leave the homework last minute.  EVER!!!

ADVICE FROM A 6TH GRADER by Grace Tran

Sixth Grade Facts

 

          I'm in sixth grade. Sixth grade is kind of fun. Your first year in middle school isn't really that bad. I mean, you get to walk around the halls by yourself and not with a teacher. This year, we studied math, English, humanities, Chinese social studies, and science. (WOW! I know! That's a lot of subjects to take!)

          For middle school, you will need a flash drive, a little pack of tissue paper, hand sanitizer, pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, a binder, a three-hole puncher, folders, and post-its. In order to be successful in sixth grade, you have to study all the subjects. (Yes, all the subjects). That's what sixth grade is all about, studying and being independent. Being independent rocks! You don't need a teacher for every single little thing.

          However, there is something I would like to warn you about sixth grade. You see, the problem in sixth grade is that you have a large bundle of tests every two-three weeks. Also, there is a 70% chance you can fail a pop quiz if you don't study every day. Sixth grade has a lot of pop quizzes. Label your notebooks and always put your heading on homework assignments or else, the teachers won't accept your work. Oh, and one more thing, do NOT try to skip classes! If you do, you won't know what your class is doing, and you'll have to make up the work next time.

          My advice for sixth grade is. . . try to relax. If you have a ton of homework, don't freak out!!! Study! And last of all, have fun!!! Sixth grade is not that bad. You just have to relax and try to have fun!!!! Sixth grade is a BLAST, but it's no joke.

WHAT A FAMILY! by Grace Tran

        The members of my family is my mom, and dad. There's also my aunt, two cousins, and my uncle. And of course, me.

        My mom is the boss of the family and the tough one. She's in charge when it comes to certain things. My dad's the mean one. He's also the one stressing out the most. My aunt is always bringing me to fun places and giving me toys, I love her. My cousin, Jasymne is also stressing out. She has a tough attitude just like my mom. My other cousin, Madison, is a swimming athlete. However, unlike my other cousin, Madison is the fun one. She likes candy as much as I do and she loves to play with me. When I'm bored, I always go to her apartment to play. Her dad, my uncle, is tall, and muscular. He used to be a firefighter and a paramedic.

        My family is special because my mom's side of the family is from China. My dad's side is from Vietnam. Right now, I'm learning some Vietnamese. As for my Chinese, its Okay. My family are also strict Buddhist believers, and there are not many families that believe in Buddhism nowadays.

        I feel the best thing about my family is. . . EVERYTHING! I LOVE believing in Buddhism, and being half Vietnamese and Chinese. My family is the most wonderful family anyone could ever wish for.

ABOUT ME by Sterlin Kato Lee

 
I am 9 years old and in the 5th grade. My birthday is in December. I am 4 feet and 6 inches. My hair is  dark brown. my eyes are also dark brown. I weight about 70 pounds. I like how I have brown hair because blond hair seems too bright. I like how I have brown eyes because other colors seem weird to me. I like my name, especially my middle name. My parents say my name is special. I am named after a character in The Green Hornet!  I dislike how I can't do a back flip. I always wanted to learn how to do that. I dislike how I am not twelve, because I can't sit in the front seat of my dad's car. I want to sit in the front seat so I can play with the car's navigator. I have lots of favorite foods such as pizza and spaghetti. My favorite colors are blue, black, and white. I have a younger sister named grace. She is 8 and her birthday is in November. She is in the 3rd grade. My favorite things to do are riding my bike, swimming, playing with my laptop, and many other things. I like it when I am on vacation because I get to relax. I especially love it when we go to the water parks or when we fly in an air plane. When we are in an air plane, I like to look out the window so I could see the clouds and the sun. This is me!

The End

Grace Tran's Autobiographical Sketch:

My Own Special Theories

        I am 11 years old and I have black hair, brown eyes, a cute smile, and a nose just like my dad's. I wear purple glasses. I'm about four feet ten inches. I have an o positive blood type. I can describe myself as a daredevil, funny, shy, fun, and creative. I won't describe myself as an A+ student, but, oh well!

        I like myself because I am a princess, my great ancestor was the princess of china. There's a picture of her in my grandfather's room. I also like myself because of my big eyes, one of the reasons that make me unique in my own little way. Lastly, I like myself because I have a face like my grandmother's, a nice big round generous face.

        I don't have a sibling so I really wish that my mom would hurry up and have another child already! It gets really lonely at my home so I want somebody to entertain me or someone to play or talk to. I also wish to be smart in every single subject in school (which probably would actually happen). My last wish is to become a scientist when I grow up. I either want to be an astronomer, chemist, or inventor. Even "lastlier", I want to go to harvard college and graduate with 999,999,999,999 PHD's. Fine, maybe I think too. . . imaginative. But that's my true dream. After all, I am the one and only Grace Kelly Tran. (Besides, I should think like one, too!)

AN ADVOCATE FOR HOPE

By Grace Tran

Heller Keller went from bitter to loving, from disturbed to compassionate, and from hateful to charitable.  At age two, an illness seized her sight and hearing.  Luckily, Helen gained Annie Sullivan as her teacher.  Annie taught Helen words and helped her graduate from Radcliffe College.  Ultimately, Helen journeyed to numberless towns and encouraged and gave hope to those who are disabled.

Helen Keller was only two years old when she became very ill.  The sickness affected her ability to see and hear.  Helen’s father searched and found her a special teacher, Annie Sullivan.  At first, Annie tamed Helen to behave.  One day, Annie pumped water onto Helen’s hand.  Then she spelled the word water on it.  At that moment, Helen understood everything had a name.  She grew persistent in learning.  Helen learned 300 words in a few weeks and also to read Braille.

As Helen grew older, she graduated from Radcliffe College with honors.  She wrote a book, The Story of my Life, which gave Annie and her a comfortable lifestyle.  The majority came to listen to her lectures tours that comforted them.  Helen traveled to every continent except Antarctica, just to encourage people who had disabilities. 

When I grow up, I want to be just like Helen Keller, helping people with disabilities.  Helen is kind and passionate. I see myself overcoming fears, graduating from college, and giving hope to the world.
 

MY TRAVEL JOURNAL: THE GRAND CIRCLE by Nicholas Ng

CONQUERING THE DESERT

DAY 1: Don’t you just hate airplanes? Airplanes make me throw up and my ears pop. Airplane food makes me puke! Well, on my family trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Circle, my ears popped for five hours! The three cans of orange juice helped a little. When we arrived at Las Vegas around 12:00 EST, my eyes couldn’t support my 2-ton eyelids. Unfortunately, I had to wait. The computer broke down when we rented our SUV. So the cashier, in a frenzy, was trying to work her brain instead of pushing keys on a keyboard. I rolled my eyes half way; everything went black. As light poured back in to my eyes, I saw us in a 4x4 Jeep rolling around in Las Vegas. Its electrical clock blinked 3:00 A.M. We arrived at Plaza Hotel and checked in. Everyone dashed to the elevators and zipped through the hallways except me. I thought everyone craved sleep, too. We opened the door to our room; a blast of weird smells gushed at us. I took a step in, hoping to sleep. I did find a bed but what really bothered me was the SMELL of CIGARETTES!!! The cashier ruined my night! Eventually, half an hour later, my dad came back with a new room key. We tugged our luggage to a new room on the other side of the hotel. As soon as the door opened, I ran inside and jumped in bed. I took one last glance at the clock: 3:45 AM.

DAY 2: I woke up at 9:30 AM. My eyes still drooped downward. We shopped for water and food supplies. Frozen Gatorade, checked! More frozen Gatorade, checked! Two 24 packs of water, checked! Three bags of chips and snacks, checked. We were completely prepared to conquer the desert. Stepping into our jeep, we began an unforgettable adventure. After we arrived at our lodge-looking hotel, we immediately took a shuttle bus to Zion National Park. The bus went around the entire canyon. Here and there stood skyscraping towers of rock, streaked with rusted iron ore. For one second, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The bus driver explained these famous “monument rocks” and then took us to other sightseeing spots. For the first time in my life, I was in awe. I ended my day with my jaw opened.

DAY 3: There it was. The sign said THE NARROWS and right beneath it were a group of bold letters that read FLASH FLOOD WARNING! I looked up at the sky. I didn’t know it was gray until now. As we hiked and hiked, the sky seemed to drop lower and lower. Finally we took a break. I looked across the path. There was a ledge. It looked unstable. It was 3 feet out and 2 feet wide. I wanted to take a picture on the ledge so badly but I was afraid the cliff would fall into the rushing muddy water right below it. It took me 10 seconds to gather all my courage and ask my parents’ permission. To my surprise, they agreed. I took 2 steps out and my parents snapped several unforgettable pictures. I quickly leaped off the ledge onto safer ground. “I did it,” I thought. “I DID IT.”

DAY 4: I looked up at the trail ahead of me. It was just a dirt path snaking its way up a 50 foot cliff with slopes up to 40 degrees steep. I let out a sight knowing it would be a long time before we finally made it to the top. “What comes down must go up!”I thought. So I began my adventure. As soon as I started walking up the slopes I saw my friend Charlie climbing the mounds of dirt and sand between the bottom level and the next level. It was a shorter distance and didn’t even look tiring. So instead of forcing my legs to go up and around 5 walls, I began to climb. This was so much more fun than walking up boringly. The only bad thing was that every step Charlie took, small little rocks rained on me. We climbed and climbed until we reached the top. I looked at my parents below me. They were walking around the second slope. Under the shade, I sat back and enjoyed my precious water.

 

END OF THE TRIP: I had a fun-filled crazy adventure in the Grand Circle. Maybe the furiously hot sun and the lack of air conditioning set me back, but the adventure taken was well worth the cons of my trip. I don't think I'll ever saw something as jaw-dropping and eye-popping as these canyons and national parks. I recommend all of you to visit!!! Save up, this was one expensive summer vacation!

 

Weekly Website Review

It’s Time for Kids!

Have you ever wanted to have news about children, not adult, topics? Time for Kids is time for kids!! http://www.timeforkids.com/news  What’s so unique about this website, you ask? Instead of adult reporters, kids report the news! Time for Kids also publishes a popular magazine; my younger brother collects TFK magazines!

And why is TMF so amusing?  It has news written by kids and news from around the world.  It helps you with homework (a big plus J).  You can view photos and videos or go to mini-sites and read about a variety of topics.  Check out extras at TMK Extras tab; and of course buy TMK products like magazines and books.

In the Homework Helper section, TMK teaches you writing tips, how to write A+ essays, and how to be a grammar wizard. http://www.timeforkids.com/homework-helper  In Photos and Videos, re-watch Olympic highlights and see exclusive snapshots!  Don’t like the Olympics (which I doubt any of you wouldn’t)?  View other videos and pictures. http://www.timeforkids.com/photos-video  In Mini-Sites, read book reviews, movie reviews, Olympics, video game reviews (yes, video games!), and special months such as the Black History Month. http://www.timeforkids.com/mini-sites  The common Extras tab includes information about which companies and programs Time for Kids teams up with. http://www.timeforkids.com/extras  The Store tab is where you can buy all TMK products including: colorful magazines, 3D, Scientific, and other types of books.

Do you feel like this summer is one of the most blistering summers yet?  Well, I certainly do! According to TMK reporters, about 63% of the country is in somewhat of a mild drought and the other 46% is going through huge droughts. http://www.timeforkids.com/news/hot-and-dry/43366  A drought is when rain does not fall for a long time.  For Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, this year is a nightmare.  This drought is serious because no rain means no crops.  And no crops mean less to feed the animals and most importantly: us!

I would recommend this website to anyone who wants to know what is happening around the world and get help with homework too!  TMF is definitely the website to learn if our country is having trouble or is running smoothly and to learn about news of other countries.  I hope you enjoy this natural, colorful website just as much as I did reviewing and learning about it.

Weekly Website Review

DOGOnews!!!

           

When a computer opens to the DOGOnews homepage, articles everywhere invade the screen.  The top of the page has a News, Maps, and Sites tab.  Aspiring writers can write reviews of their favorite books or movies in the Book and Movie sections.

                This website specializes in news about every topic you can think of.  Under the News tab, check out Current Events, Science, Sports, Social Studies, Did You Know, Green, General, Entertainment, International, Amazing, Fun, and Video sections.  In Maps, you can look at the entire Earth online.  Drag and rotate the map with your mouse to see an overview of any place on Earth.  At Sites, read reviews of websites on different subjects such as New, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Brain Games, Little Kids, and Curious Kids.

The common weakness of most websites is they have no games.  But not DOGOnews!  I found Professor Garfield in Sites > Brain Games:  http://www.dogonews.com/external_sites?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.professorgarfield.org%2Fpgf_home.html&return=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogonews.com%2Fsites%2F2011%2F3%2F8%2Fprofessor-garfield.  In this game mission, you must save the Earth by going through obstacles to get to the “off” switch. These obstacles are mini-missions that you either unscramble words to fill in the blank or have a game of Memory.  Enjoy!

                Let’s say you’re stuck in a dumpster and can’t get out.  Now think of a bear in a dumpster that can’t get out! That’s exactly what happened. Recently in New Mexico, a few cubs (baby bears) were stuck in a dumpster.  Lucky for them, Shirley and Tom Shenk came to the rescue! The couple drove their pickup truck and dropped a ladder in the dumpster.  They drove a few yards away and watched the cubs to make sure they got out.  And sure enough, the cubs climbed up the ladder to safety.  This is not the first time the Shenks saved this family.  They have saved them two times already.  Let’s hope those bears don’t go back in the dumpster! Read full article on… http://www.dogonews.com/2012/7/30/video-of-the-week-baby-bears-get-stuck-in-a-dumpster-again

                I definitely recommend this website!  It’s packed with hilarious and serious news and videos.  The Book Review and Movie Review tabs are very unique and really opened my eyes!!!  DOGOnews is a deluxe website!

Weekly Website Review

Science, Science, Read All About It!

For those of you who are science fanatics… you’ll love this week’s website!  Science News for Kids is all about science:   http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/.  You can read hooking articles and learn outrageous facts and new vocabularies from the articles!

Science News for Kids’ strengths are that it has everything there is to know about science.  It’s tabs on Atoms and Forces, Earth and Sky, Humans and Health, Life, Tech and Math, and Extra.  However, it doesn’t have games, which is the only drawback of this website.

Studying what you love is the way to go!  This is what I learned from Science News for Kids.

Wayne Maddison was 13 when he first became interested in spiders.  He pursued his interest in spiders and eventually studied spiders in college.  Maddison now works traveling to remote jungles in search of new species. 

Michael Dorcas started keeping pet snakes in his family pool at age 10.  After college, he started studying one of the biggest snakes in the world: the Burmese Python.  It could grow up to 20 feet long and swallow alligators, crocodiles, and deer WHOLE!!!  He also works in the Florida Everglades by finding and killing Burmese Pythons as they are not native to the Everglades.

Read more about these appealing jobs that people do at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/07/cool-jobs-studying-what-you-love/.

I rate Science News for kids a 9.5 out of 10 because it lacks games.  However, if you focus mainly on information and not games, then this website suits your brain perfectly.  So, enjoy the website and have a happy Tuesday.

South Street Seaport in Flames

BREAKING NEWS:  FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING LED TO SEAPORT FIRE

On July 14^th a three-alarm blaze broke out at South Street Seaport at around 4PM. Hundreds of tourists and visitors were enjoying their day.  Smoldering dark plumes of smoke hovered over Manhattan and could be seen across the river from Brooklyn!  Thirty-three fire units responded to the fire with about 140 firefighters. The flames were located under the thick timber planks which were hard to cut through. As if that wasn’t enough, the firefighters had to put out the flames in boiling temperatures from the fire and weather. Coach Jen and I could see the smoke from her apartment. We thought it was fog!

                Fire officials say the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring. The wires under the seaport were used to provide power for lights and vending machines. The fire turned enormous due to the extremely flammable wood planks. Besides, part of South Street Seaport was built in 1985.  Its age didn’t help either.

This fire could’ve been extremely dangerous. Good thing the brave firefighters hosed the flames in under two hours.

Now, if you have a fire in your house…

1.       Create an escape plan and possibly a Plan B

2.       If you are in a room with one door, check to see if there is a fire behind the door by

a.       Looking to see if there is smoke coming from cracks under (if there is, don’t open your door).

b.      Lightly touch the door if you don’t see smoke. If it is hot, don’t open the door.

c.       Briefly touch the doorknob. If it’s warm or hot, don’t open the door!

3.       If 2a-2c are negative, slowly open the door and crawl on your hands and knees. Remember to STAY LOW!

4.       Don’t bring favorite toys or stuffed animals with you when you exit. You need to be outside as quick as possible.

5.       Once outside, DO NOT GO BACK IN! Not even for a family pet!

6.       If you can’t get out the only door in your room, open your window and yell or call for help. DO NOT HIDE UNDER A BED OR CLOSET as this will make it incredibly harder for firefighters to find you!

7.       If you catch on fire, don’t panic. Like they teach you in pre-school, STOP, DROP, AND ROLL!!!

Hope you’ve enjoyed my report!  Signing off from River Edge NJ:  Summer Blogger/Reporter Nicholas Ng.