v  What am I looking forward to in my new school? I want to see what class I am in and make new friends.

v  What will I remember most about my fourth grade year? Mrs. Gerard was funny, nice and used to bring Ada in for movies and special occasions. Mrs. Zwicker gave brownie, cupcake, or Rice Krispie spelling tests. I also liked movie Fridays. J Also, The Tail of Desperaux was cut off by Migery Sow, the cauliflower-eared serving maid who could not hear! (The REAL title was The Tale of Desperaux.)

v  I am most proud of the Styrofoam persuasive essay and my wax museum. They were both really fun and inspirational to me.

John Paul Jones

By TJ

You all know that everyone honors the navy and its accomplishments, but have you ever wondered: where did it start? Who started it? Well, if you have questions, I have answers, so you should read my report about John Paul Jones, “Father of The U.S. Navy”! He was born in Kirkcudbrightshire (KIRK-coo-Bree-sure) Great Britain and he died in Paris, France at the age of 45. When John was young, he would shout commands to his friends captaining small toy boats on the water. In addition to this water-play, he spent many long hours watching the trading ships come and go from the bay harbor he lived by. He was also very well-fed, which led to a good life of sailing later on. All of these things took him away to experience a life like no other. But just how did he ever get to that life? Keep reading to find out!

He started work at an early age, and this is what happened in his early years. John started his apprenticeship at age 13, so he had a lot of experience at sea. He was also good at expressing himself in his writing, which probably inspired his famous quote, “I have not yet begun to fight!” His brothers also could have taken his fame, but he was second oldest of the five, so he started sailing first. He also became friends with Ben Franklin, so he loved the USA. You can now see why he’s so famous, judging by these facts. 

 Jones did not stay on Britain’s side for the Revolutionary War, though. Rather, he fought for the colonies, including NH. This is about how he took command of Ranger, his first American vessel. He was appointed captain of Ranger the same day the U.S. flag was adopted. Ranger went straight to Drake, a ship docking at Ireland. The mission didn’t work, though. It then attacked Whitehaven, a seaside town. After that, Ranger headed to Ireland and captured Drake! Was this just beginner’s luck? No way! You’ll soon find out why.

The Ranger put him ahead the gang, but his days in command of Bonhomme Richard was where the REAL action started. It all started with Jones leading a squadron of five against Britain. Soon he was met by another squadron, but be it a friendly one, God forbid. The two lead ships then locked together and clashed in a notably fierce surprise attack. While two others were bombarding each other, another American ship came in but refused to their fire, leaving all equally damaged. Eventually, the British squadron leader Serapis sank leaving Bonhomme Richard low on capabilities, but, thankfully, still afloat. When John Paul (this was his real name) returned to France, he received an award named Institution du Merite` Militaire. He led a long at sea, but all good things have to come to an end. He died in Paris, France and his sword remains at the place of his burial to this day. 

Styrofoam Glog

                  Styrofoam report

People think Styrofoam helps make life easier, but I have a little something to tell you before you ditch my report for good! Did you know that the 25 billion Styrofoam cups, enough to circle the earth 68 times if they were placed side-by-side, are used YEARLY? Do you crush Styrofoam? If so, I think you should know that it is 95% air, and that just increases the chance that it will break and release 57 chemicals into the air we breathe. Styrofoam is also the 5^th largest creator of hazardous waste. I’m going to blow your mind with this one; Styrofoam chemicals cause CANCER. There! Now you should think twice about crushing Styrofoam, huh? Not to be mean, but I mean, come on, do you want cheaply made cups, or an eco-friendly future?

                Ooh! So now you want to know what happens when you do think about the environment, do you? Well, here’s what. For all you pet-lovers out there, not buying Styrofoam could save many animals. Plus, if you recycle it, the market for Styrofoam recycling technology will grow! People are also more likely to have healthy babies if they don’t buy it as much either. Your recycling also adds up to significantly deplete (lower) the amount of Styrofoam used each year. This is why I think you should recycle or not use Styrofoam. Here are some alternatives to Styrofoam to get you started.

                I said I would give you examples, so it’s good a time as any to tell you some of my ideas. One thing to do is to ask for less unnecessary packaging on your shipped items. You can also use reusable cups for drinks. If you break your little brother’s Styrofoam habits now, they will know later on not to do it because it is bad for the environment. Also, even better, start a petition to help with your friends. I got these ideas from what I do. Remember, this could be you someday, so keep trying!

                I am aware YOU have been trying, but I do stuff too, you know! I almost never use Styrofoam cups, which is a good thing, right? I also take heed of my parent’s words and don’t crush or demolish Styrofoam. Another thing I do is that I use glass, metal, or plastic cups when I eat. Whenever I see my twin little brothers crushing Styrofoam like they’re Godzilla attacking NYC, I tell them not to. (Usually works! Try it!) See? I've been doing it too, so you’re not alone in this eco- friendly project.

                All these things are taken from my research and everyday life. But now it’s time to turn over a new leaf with MY opinion. There’s a lot of things you can do to stop the torture of innocent Styrofoam workers through all the pain, and hardships they go through. How would you like that? I know I wouldn't! This is why I've been telling you: why use STYROFOAM? Why?   

CIRCUIT!!!

NH symbol videos

Check out our NH symbol videos!!!!! 

     Hi! I’m TJ. I am in fourth grade and my favorite subjects are reading and writing. What I have been reading is The Chronicles of Mismantle. This blog’s purpose is to let you know about what’s going on in the classroom… Let’s get started, shall we? You can also send comments (nice ones!) to me if you want to. Lately we’ve been talking about electricity. Do you know the difference between a parallel circuit and a series circuit? I do! What do you know about electricity?

We also have been writing simile and   metaphor poetry. Similes are comparisons using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Metaphors are comparisons not using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

       I hope you will respond to my blog.

Sincerely, TJ