MRA is proud to present the second issue of…
The Senior Sentinel!
Just to remind you, the members of the Sentinel Committee are:
The History of Dickey Prairie
By Taylor
Dickey Prairie is only a school to most of us, but to many others it is much more than that. It is a place where memories were made, and the bond between friends was inseparable. It wasn’t just a school, it was the community; it made you feel like you had 40 parents looking out for you.
On June 7th, 2009 there was a get-together of students from past years that had attended the small school. There was a hint of sadness in the air, but it was overpowered by the joy of everyone gathering together and having a good time.
Dickey Prairie had been in operation for over 100 years. The original log buildings that housed the students are long gone, but the “new” schoolhouse built in 1928 remains standing. Since then, additional buildings have been built to accommodate the growing number of students.
Until the mid 1950’s there was no school buses servicing the Dickey Prairie area, some people even remember walking two miles every day to get to school.
The school never had more than 32 students total at one time. Each year, the students took a county test to determine if they were eligible to move up a grade.
In 1992 there was a bond passed by the Dickey Prairie School District
Later, when they joined with the Molalla River School District , the property assets went to Molalla River School District , but the former residents of the Dickey Prairie School District
Many people attended this school at one point or another. The school held generations of families. Ask around: more people went to this small school than you think.
Though it may be called MRA now, the memories made at Dickey Prairie will live on in the hearts of the students who went there.
By Brooke
With new art teacher, Tony DeLand, students at Molalla River Academy
“We just finished clay pottery,” A second grader in Ms. Glasmire’s class said, “It has been really cool to learn how to form things and paint them.”
The K/1’s have been learning about the elements of art, as well as the 2/3’s. As for the 4/5 and 6/7 classes, pottery is finishing up for them. The 4/5 graders have successfully completed a mural and Mr. DeLand says, “Hopefully the board approves us and we will be able to paint the 6/7 mural in the Quonset Hut.”
Mr. DeLand also says that the students are adapting well to the new art style, and he is liking how things are going. He has a hope that the students at the school who aren’t as interested in the arts will find something they enjoy with him by the end of the year.
What’s coming up next term in art, you ask?
“Next term I want to start an exploratory unit,” He says, “I want them to have a variety of things to learn, like the elements of art and the different ways to paint.”
Mr. DeLand closed by saying his goal for the students by the end of the school year.
“I want them to be able to make art for themselves. Being self-sufficient is a great skill, but my hope would be that they can be self-sufficient and creative. Art is a skill that every student should learn how to do, and there is no way to get it wrong.”
By Makayla
We would like to thank Raelene Holshouser and Lauren Urton for throwing the Winter Wonderland Dance! It was awesome. We are very sad that Lauren was sick and had to miss it. Everyone wishes that she could have been there to see everything.
Decorations were absolutely wonderful! There was a photo booth where you could get your picture taken, and many were taken indeed! If anyone wants to see them you can go on to the local MRA (Z:) drive and have a look.
Almost everyone was wearing fancy clothes, and many of the dresses were beautiful, though they didn’t have the best dressed contest. Some students say that if they did have the competition, everyone should have won. The music that was played was fun to dance to, thanks to Mrs. Cook!
Food was excellent, and the cookies went by fast too…You could even make hot chocolate. All agree that it was simply delicious.
The winter dance turned out to be a huge success. Great job, and thank you to everyone that helped with set-up and clean-up!
UPCOMING EVENTS
*December 17th-Jan 4th—Christmas Break
*December 25th—Christmas
*December 26th-January 1st—Kwanza
*December 31st—New Years Eve
*January 1st—New Years Day
*January 4th—Back to School!
*January 14th—“Fiddler on the Roof” auditions
*January 17th—Martin Luther King Jr. Day/No School
Answers to last Issue’s Riddles
1) A Bright Idea
Q. 3 men were offered this challenge, “The man who can fill this room with something, using the least amount of money wins one million dollars. The first guy spent $25 The second guy spent $250The third guy spent $0 and won.
A. The third guy walked into the room and turned on the light switch and filled the room with light.
2) Liar Paradox
Q. A Cretan sails to Greece Greece
If someone says "I always lie", are they telling the truth? Or are they lying?
A. There is no answer to this one, it is a paradox, there is no answer to paradoxes, so, sorry!
3) Hotel Bill
Q. Three people check into a hotel. They pay $30 to the manager, then he realizes that the room is $25. The manager gives $5 to the bellboy to return. The bellboy thinks that it will be too hard to split $5 between 3 people so he pockets two and gives each guest $1 dollar.
Each person paid $10 and got back $1. So they paid $9 each totaling $27, the bellboy has $2; where is the remaining dollar?
A. It was added wrong—they started with $30, $5 was given to the bellboy, he keeps $2, and gives $3 to the guests. Here is the math to prove it:
$30 - $5 = $25 + $2 = $27 + $3 = $30
New Riddles
1) Computer Security
Mike worked at a high security institution. He tried to log into his computer and the computer denied the password. He then remembered that the passwords to the computers were reset every month for security reasons. He called his boss for his new password.
Mike then said, "George, my old password is out of date."
George said, "Yes, it is. The new password is different, but if you listen closely you will be able to figure out the new one. Your new password has the same amount of letters as the old one, and four of the letters are the same."
Mike then logged into his computer with no trouble. What was the new password? What was his old password?
2) A Ping-Pong Ball Dilemma
Your last good ping-pong ball fell down into a narrow metal pipe imbedded in concrete one foot deep.
How can you get it out undamaged, if all the tools you have are your tennis paddle, your shoe-laces, and your plastic water bottle, which does not fit into the pipe?
3) Camel Race!
An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving the advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can.
What did the wise man say to them?
Dear Brooke,
I’m failing all the time in classes. I’m trying my best but I still fail! I need your help.
-Sad Clown
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Sad Clown,
You have a predicament on your hands. What you need to do is get some things put into perspective. First off, are you being honest with yourself? Are you studying for the tests coming up and taking efficient notes? Taking good notes and actually studying is the key to doing well on tests. I know that studying can be boring, but try to make it more exciting. Have a friend over to study with you (only if you are really studying, not hanging out). If studying seems to take forever, try breaking it into different parts. Study for 30 minutes, and then take a break. If you really care about getting good grades then it is time to step things up.
Also, do the homework, and do it well. For example, if you get spelling homework on Monday, do a little bit on Monday, more on Tuesday, and finish it off by Wednesday. Then you have Thursday to study and get prepared for the test on Friday. Homework may seem pointless to some, but it is also a form of studying.
My final tip would be to talk to your teachers. Explain your problem and I’m sure that they will be willing to help. Ask questions too! If you don’t understand something they have taught, don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask!
I hope this helps, and good luck in the future.
Wishing you well,
Brooke
How can I control my anger?
-Angry
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Dear Angry,
Oh dear, this is troubling. Not only that, but it isn’t healthy to be angry all the time. It just puts you and others in a bad mood.
My advice would be to try to figure out what is making you angry. Is it a person? Is it a chore that seems pointless to you? Figure out what it is and then try to avoid that at all costs. If you can’t avoid it, then you need to find things that calm you down. Common things can be counting silently to ten, going outside to get some fresh air, or taking deep breaths. Whatever works for you, do it so that you can calm down.
Also, put some things into perspective. When you feel yourself getting angry, stop and think about it. Why I am angry about this? Is it really a big deal or am I making too big of a deal about it?
Angry, I hope these tips help. If your anger doesn’t get better, try talking to your parents or to someone you trust. Together you can work to calm down.
Sincerely,
Brooke
THE CREATIVITY GALLERY
Here are the artists of this issue!
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| by Syduck, grade 4, pencil |
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| "Doors in the Dark", by Black Swan, grade 7, colored pencil |
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| Self Portrait, Coley Bug, grade 7, colored pencil |
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| By Antien, grade 5, acrylic paint on canvas |
