The Big Show!

The Big Show!

By: Madeline

On April 18th, 25th and 26th, fifth graders practiced for their big musical on May 3rd. The rehearsals had their share of ups and downs plus many dramatic and applause worthy moments.

The first rehearsal was the most disliked rehearsal. Mrs. Kelton had trouble directing due to the amount of talking and “chit chat” the fifth graders produced. In fact, they were stopped mid rehearsal many times due to the amount of talking. Due to this, the 5th graders finished rehearsal 5 minutes before dismissal (for specials) which meant it took 55 minutes to run through a show that is only supposed to take 30 minutes. Riley Kerley, a fifth grader is Mrs. Barnes Class, said “It was very chaotic but also very exciting”. The exciting feeling is something that many felt as well because this was the first time all of fifth grade was going to practice together plus the fifth grade musical is a big deal.

The second rehearsal did not have nearly as much talking. In fact, fifth grader Allison Zhang recalls the experience as following: “The 2nd was less crazy and it was good because I  got an applause”. The applause part was probably one of the most memorable parts about the rehearsal. Allison portrays the part of the dish in “Hey Diddle Diddle”. When Little Miss Muffet (Sophie) ended up running away with the spoon, replacing her, she is not happy. She ends up screaming at the dish which in turn caused everyone to applaud because she did such a great job. The only thing that changed (other than the talking) in this rehearsal was the fact that the microphones were added. This helped everybody learn the amount of volume to put into the microphone for the actual show. The third rehearsal also went much like the second rehearsal except for the body mics. This time around, Grandmother (Abby) and Little Miss Muffet (Sophie) worked with the body mics. In the beginning, there was a lot of feedback and it took about 5 minutes to get everything fully adjusted. In the end, Mrs. Kelton noted the Grandmother (Abby) might just have to use a handheld mic so Little Miss Muffet’s (Sophie) mic would work. Also, the dance was kind of a mess. Little Miss Muffet #2 (Madeline), Hey Diddle Diddle characters, Sing a Song of Sixpence characters, Lords and Ladies of the Court, Queen (Sage), and the Knave (Liam W./Salt) ended up facing some difficulties. Dog (Lyric) was goofing off and the circle made it hard for everybody. The reason the circle made it hard was due to the fact that more people get sucked into the dance each time the song repeats and some people do not back up the circle so their is enough room. People are having to shout and send signals to get people to move, which can not happen in the performance.

As the clock ticks down to the performance and their last practice, everybody is getting ready. Costumes are being prepared and lines are being rehearsed. The excitement around showtime is something that is very unique. But even with excitement, there is anxiety. People are getting nervous and that is not the best feeling. Even with these feelings, you can tell that this show will be very interesting. Definitely something that is unforgettable. The question is: what will make this performance unforgettable and why?

This is what are t-shirts will look like (they will not have the tittle of the play on them though).

100 Word Challenge

100 Word Challenge

She started bolting. Running. Leaping. How could I think it would stay a secret she told herself. Mary is a blabber mouth she complained. Cheating on the art fair by having her mom create an abstract art piece for her would not have stayed a secret. It was against the rules and would not be tolerated. She then abruptly stopped and started bawling on the ground. Her mother caught up to her. Instead of scolding her she just hugged her. “It will be okay”, whispered her mother. “Ok”, was all Beth could say before collapsing into her mother’s arms.

The Stranded Squad

The Stranded Squad

By: Madeline Hellwig

On March 9th, all three Clayton Elementary Schools, Captain, Meramec, and Glenridge, attended the Wydown Spring Play, Footloose. But, a group of Glenridge students could not fit on to their school bus and had to wait for the school bus to drop the other students of before coming back to them. The students called themselves “The Stranded Squad”.

The students names were Ceci, Cha Cha, Claire, Eliot, Madeline, Quinn, and Sara. They were all in Mrs. Barnes class, the same teacher that stayed behind with them. This happened because the bus the school district had sent was a handicap bus, meaning it had less seats. All of Mrs. Barnes class boarded, the last class to get on the bus. Then the students started realizing there was no more room. So, the seven kids turned around and got off the bus. Children who had their window open were confused about how come they were not on the bus. A few minutes later, they saw the bus leave. They then stood around for a couple of minutes, talking and being silly. Then, they started walking down the street to reach the end of the street. Shortly after they got there, the bus picked them up. They got to sit wherever they wanted to. When talking to Sara, she recalled the experience by saying “It was really awesome!”. When talking to Eliot, he was asked if he would ever want to be in “The Stranded Squad” again, he answered “I would want to do it again because it was fun!”.

The group made it to the play around only a couple minutes later than their school. Thankfully, everyone made it to the musical on time. And if this ever happens again, who knows if this group will stay the same or will they change. As for “The Stranded Squad”, they will never forget that one fateful day and the bond that will forever tie them together as a group.

100 Word Challenge by Madeline

100 Word Challenge

One day, Camille went to the jewelry store. The month before, she had taken pictures with her mother’s camera of the jewelry she had wanted but could not get because her mother did not have her wallet. Now that she is back, she started searching for that one beautiful golden necklace. After an hour of searching, she concluded it was sold and no longer there. Tears trickled down her face. She was crushed. She soon left the store, hand and hand with her mom. On the way out, she broke her toe on a hard, brown rock. “WHY!!!”, she hollered.

100 Word Challenge

100 Word Challenge

I am always last. For everything I do. Whether it be in academic competitions or in athletic competition. Last is the place I stay. I remember when I first came in last. It was the first day of preschool and I was the last one to enter the classroom. But that was 15 years ago. I  have since come to realize I am last because I am dumb. Now you might not think so because as you can see I have a graduation hat on. But it’s true. That is why I am always last.

100th day has come again!

100th Day Has Come Again!

By: Madeline

On January 30th, 2017, Mrs. Barnes’s 5th grade class went to Mrs. Sieve’s kindergarten class to celebrate the 100th day of school with their kindergarten buddies. It was an event that was action packed.

The celebration lasted for around an hour and everything happened fast. Talking and coloring could be seen. During this, 5th graders made crowns and sunglasses with their buddies. The crowns and sunglasses were colored by kindergarteners and fifth graders and each crown or sunglasses had the number 100 on them. Also, some students finished designing a gumball machine with the pairs of 10 gumballs each different colors. This event was one of the times other than book shopping that everybody got to spend time with their buddies. One person, Macy said “ I had a lot of fun with my buddy”, after talking about the experience.  Another person, Mrs. Barnes recalled the experience saying “My favorite activity was making the gumball machine”.

The event was short but was something that was not only untouchable, but unforgettable. The next time something like this will happen is not known but would hopefully be like this one and would most likely be a big hit. What do you think this event will be and when should it happen?

The Day the Lost Closed

The Day the Loft Closed

By: Ceci and Madeline

On January 20th, the teacher of 5B, Your Highness, forbad the entrance of the citizens of 5B to enter their loft. The loft was sealed off by a string to act as a border. Whoever crossed was in BIG trouble.

This action was due to the classroom of 5B starting the Revolutionary War unit. They had just learned about the conflict known as the French and Indian War. Your Highness announced the closing publicly while stating it was the the residents of 5B fault after not taking good care of the space (which was true) and not that they were not allowed to go back there When speaking to Your Highness she used the following words to describe the incident “I was hoping to get an ad. I was hoping to get a reaction. My goal was connect closing the loft and the proclamation of 1763”. Though the reaction of many 5B students was that they didn’t care, other people in the class disagreed.  The proclamation of 1763 was when none of the colonist could go past the west of the Mississippi.  This angered the colonists as well as 5B. Allison, a member of 5B, said “I was mad, I have a right to sit there.” Many people agreed and were frustrated. Ceci said that “We wanted to plan a rebellion against the closed loft.”  But, some people weren’t that mad Cha Cha claims “I don’t really care.”

In the end Your Highness had a change of heart. Her point had been proved and there was no need for the closed loft anymore. So, Your Highness untied the string that served as the border and 5B students were free to go to into the loft. Now, the loft schedule was back on track. But do you think loft deserved to be open?

November News Story: America, It's Voting Time

    America, It’s Voting Time      By: Madeline

On Monday, November 7th, some students at Glenridge Elementary helped host an annual tradition called Kids Vote. Glenridge students got the chance to vote for the candidates in the presidential and state elections.

This year, the Kids Vote election for Glenridge was quite different from others. Many students did not want to vote because they did not favor either candidate. When interviewing one of the helpers Madeline, she said “I understand people do not want to vote. I know how hard it is for some people to make this decision. Kids Vote is not just about voting, it keeps a Glenridge tradition alive. But deep down, it’s about letting students put all their hard work on making this Kids Vote election an amazing experience”.  This years results turns out that Glenridge voted for all Democratic candidates and a yes to passing a voter ID law and tobacco tax.

Kids Vote took a lot of planning. Students worked on lessons to teach to each grade level and help create signs and make announcements. It was according to some “very chaotic”.  When talking about presenting lessons, another helper Sage said “ I was nervous and afraid I would mess up". On the other hand, helper Evan said “ I was feeling confident”.

No matter who people voted for or what they thought was difficult about preparing, every Glenridge student shares something in common, they all love America.  And that love is something everyone can bond over. Kids Vote was just another way to express love for the United States of America.

The Cursed Photos!

The Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm book club table was in shock when they received their school photos. Half of the group loved their photos while the other half begged to differ. It was as if Stella and Madeline had good photos every other year but now. Stella and Madeline’s photos seemed like they were… cursed!

Madeline and Stella did not like their photos since the moment they got them. Madeline said “It looks like they photoshopped my cheeks!” Stella had a photo far worse. Her hair was swept over her face. She was very very unhappy. Stella had said ”mine looks ridiculous” But Stella and Madeline both laughed about their photos in the end. But the other 2 members of the table enjoyed their photos. One of the members Macy had said “ I was happy the way my photo turned out”.

Next year, photos may be better. Madeline said “I just hope my photo will be better next year”. Madeline had high hopes (like many others)  of the possibilities of better photos next year. But no one right now knows if this hopeful thought will become reality.

News Story By Madeline

Claymo Fun, For Everyone?

By: Madeline

On September 8th, Glenridge fifth graders helped kick of the first Claymo. With a task to complete, Claymo was a very interesting take on a mind twisting project. Memories were made both good and bad.

The task was to build a freestanding tower made out of only newspaper and tape. Claymo, the monthly get together were fifth graders lead meaningful lessons, was something some fifth graders looked forward to. Some kids such as Ceci and Sara had a great time at Claymo. Ceci recalls “It was very fun. But some kids misbehaved” and Sara recalls “It was good. It was fun. Fun is Claymo”. However, Macy did not enjoy Claymo as much as Ceci and Sara. Macy says “My group built the highest tower. But a kid throw a puppet at my head. Plus we forgot to say the Claymo promise”.

As you can see, Claymo isn’t fun for everyone. In fact, some people don’t even like Claymo. But what kids don’t understand is that they will be just like these 5th grade leaders some day. Maybe they will realize the Golden Rule. Then, maybe those who will follow the Golden Rule will help others enjoy Claymo, like them. So for those kids K-4th, remember you will follow these 5th graders footsteps, so make sure you help 5th graders make their  footsteps leave a mark. So, this year, help out and help Claymo leaders be the example you want to follow.