The Loop
Ice Festival
The Loop Ice Festival will
be held Saturday, Jan. 12,
in the Loop Neighborhood of
University City. Hours are
from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Admission is free. There
will be ice sculpture, snowboarding,
music, games and arts and
crafts. In addition, there
will be a chili cook-off.
For information, call
(314) 727-8000 or visit
www.visittheloop.com.
Delta Dental
Winter Zoo
The Delta Dental Winter Zoo
activities at the St. Louis
Zoo will be held on Sundays,
Jan. 13, 20 and 27 from noon
to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
There will be family fun
activities and indoor entertainment.
For information, call (314)
781-0900 or visit www.stlzoo.org.
Ice skating
lessons
Ice skating lessons are available
at the North County and Kennedy
recreation complexes during
January.
At the North County complex
in Veterans Memorial Park,
3rd session lessons are Wednesday,
Jan.2-23, and Saturday, Jan.
5-26. For information, call
(314) 355-7374.
At the Kennedy complex in
Wayne C. Kennedy Park, 3rd
session lessons are Saturday,
Jan. 5-Feb. 23; Monday, Jan.
7-Feb. 18, and Wednesday,
Jan. 9-Feb. 20. For information,
call (314) 894-3088.
For information on other
county park activities, visit
www.stlouisco.com/parks.
Soulard
Mardi Gras
Since Easter is early this
year, the Mardi Gras season
in Soulard starts in January.
The event runs from Friday,
Jan. 18, through Tuesday,
Feb. 5.
Some of the special events
include Taste of Soulard,
Saturday and Sunday, Jan.
26-27; the Barkus Pet Parade
and Wiener Dog Derby on Saturday,
Jan. 27; the Grand Parade
on Saturday, Feb. 2, and the
Fat Tuesday Parade on Tuesday,
Feb. 5.
For information, call (314)
771-5110 or visit www.stlmardigras.org.
Maple Sugar
tree tapping
Although the weather outside
tells of more winter, Missouri's
maple trees aren't fooled.
In January, they are starting
to get ready for the growing
season.
In January, the trees start
to pump nutritious sap from
the roots to the branches.
That's when humans take time
to tap the trees and siphon
off sap for making maple syrup.
Kids and their families can
watch on Wednesday, Jan. 23,
at the Rockwoods Conservation
Area in west St. Louis County.
The program is from 10 to
11:30 a.m.
You won't see any syrup making
at this session. That happens
at another Rockwoods demonstration
in February.
Registration for tree tapping
starts on January 9. For information,
call (636) 458-2236.
For other Missouri Conservation
Area events, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/stlouis.
Butterfly
House's family fun weekend
The Butterfly House in Faust
Park in Chesterfield plans
a "Hot, Hot, Hot" family fun
weekend on Saturday and Sunday,
Jan. 26-27. Hours are 11 a.m.
to 2 p.m. each day.
In the wintertime, one of
the big attractions is the
85-degree temperature needed
to keep the butterflies happy.
But, there also will be plenty
of family fun and games.
Admission is $6 for adults,
$4.50 for seniors and $4 for
kids 4 to 12 years of age.
But, if you purchase a Missouri
Botanical Garden membership,
you get a same-day admission
pass for free.
For information call (636)
530-0076 or visit www.butterflyhouse.org.
EveryDayCircus
If the weather's too wintry
for you, it might be a good
time to try a session at the
EveryDayCircus at the City
Museum.
Admission to circus performances
are free with the regular
admission to City Museum.
The performances are Wednesday
through Sunday.
The shows feature clowns,
stilt walkers, jugglers, magicians,
mimes, performing parrots
and dancing dogs.
For information, call (314)
645-4445 or visit www.everydaycircus.net
Area kids
dance in Joffrey Ballet's
"Nutcracker"
Nine-year-old Joselyn Patterson
has taken dancing lessons
since she was three. Her favorite
ballet is the "Nutcracker,"
an old-time fairy tale that's
been a holiday classic with
kids for years.
Earlier last year, Joselyn
told her parents, "I've wanted
to dance in the 'Nutcracker'
for my whole life."
A month later, while listening
to the kids' radio station,
Radio Disney, she heard an
announcement that enabled
her to fulfill her wish.
The broadcast told of an
audition for area kids to
try out for dancing parts
in the December performances
by the famed Joffrey Ballet
of the "Nutcracker" at the
Fox Theater.
Joselyn of Ballwin was among
a huge crowd of kids who auditioned
for parts at tryouts at the
University of Missouri-St.
Louis. The Dance St. Louis
organization conducted the
auditions and co-sponsored
the Joffrey's appearance.
In the end, nearly 120 area
kids were selected to dance
in supporting roles alongside
the adult members of one of
the most recognized ballet
companies in the world.
But, starting last September,
the kids had to take part
in rehearsals once or twice
a week right up to the performances
in early December.
The kids were divided into
two dance teams. That's because
employment rules limit number
of performances young kids
can do. Each team participated
in three of the six shows
in five days the ballet performed.
There were five evening and
one matinee shows at the Fox.
Ten-year-old Alexis Strauss
of Glendale also won a spot
in the "Nutcracker" cast.
Like Joselyn, Alexis also
started dancing lessons when
she was three.
Alexis said she got a chance
to watch a Joffrey company
perform in Chicago. "Kids
from our dance academy went
to Chicago where we saw the
Joffrey in 'Cinderella.' After
seeing that, I really wanted
to dance with them," she said.
Her teacher at Caston's Ballet
Academie posted the "Nutcracker"
audition notice on the school's
board. She said, "I thought
I did very well at the tryouts."
But, she said her parents
urged her not to count too
much on winning one of the
spots.
She said, "When I won, I
was so happy that I was both
crying and smiling at the
same time."
Alexis said the Fox Theatre
was the biggest stage on which
she's performed. "I saw the
inside of the theater for
the first time during a costume
rehearsal only a couple days
before the first performance."
She said, "The theater is
so beautiful."
Twelve-year-old Erica of
Columbia, Ill., also was in
this year's dance team for
the Joffrey performances.
But, this year was actually
the second time she'd danced
in the "Nutcracker" at the
Fox.
"I was a mouse in "Nutcracker"
four years ago. This time,
I got two parts in the performances,"
she said. Erica takes lessons
at the Alexandra School of
Ballet.
She was a mouse again but
also was a "polchenell." That's
a small child who comes out
of the giant pleated skirt
of one of the adult dancers.
Joselyn won a part as a
"snow tree angel" whose dance
steps are performed on tiptoe.
She takes her dance lessons
at the Dance Academy.
Alexis had the part of a
soldier, complete with a uniform
and a toy rifle.
The "Nutcracker" is a perennial
favorite across the country,
especially during the holidays.
The make-believe story has
such well-known numbers as
the "Sugar Plum Fairy" and
a score by famed composer
Tchaikovsky.
There were half-dozen different
groups performing some version
of the "Nutcracker" in December
just in St. Louis.
A review by the Washington
Post newspaper called the
Joffrey's version "an elegantly
unified production, with tastefully
executed vintage touches and
great care taken with Tchaikovsky's
beloved score."
Erica and Alexis both say
they want to be professional
dancers when they grow up.
And they want to perform in
New York, which they consider
to be the dance capitol of
the country.
But, Joselyn said she's more
interested in a career in
architecture.
First Lego League
West St.
Louis county team heads for
nationals
A six-member team of west
St. Louis County middle-schoolers
last month won the top prize
in the Missouri State First
Lego League tournament.
Now, the kids are busy making
improvements on their entry
for FLL World Festival in
April.
The winning "Oddly Charged
Particles" team includes
five boys and one girl.
The kids range in age from
11 to 14 and live in the
cities of Ballwin, Ellisville
and Wildwood.
Winning
the Champion's Award marked
the second time in three
years the kids have won
top spot in the state FLL
meet. They won two years
ago under the team name
of "Squared Table."
Thirteen-year-old Linsey
Button is an 8th grader
at Selvidge Middle School.
She acknowledges the team
did "pretty well in state"
but "we have a lot of work
to do to prepare for the
national tournament."
Winning teams at state
can continue to make improvements
to their robot entries right
up to the world festival.
That tournament will be
held in at Atlanta April
17-19.
Besides Linsey, other members
of the "Oddly Charged" team
are:
Vineeth Bhuvanagiri, 14,
of Wildwood; twins Chris
and Ryan Novatny, 11, of
Ellisville; Ian Pittwood,
11, of Ballwin, and Brian
Roth, 12, of Ballwin.
The entry in the state
meet required lots of work
since the competition involves
more than just building
and programming a robot.
This year, entrants worked
on a theme of allocation
of world energy resources.
The kids had to build and
program a robot that could
perform various energy-related
jobs. The robot's run has
to be done without any operator
intervention.
But, each team's entry
also included a written
"energy audit" of a public
building. The kids checked
on energy use in the building
and then present a report
on changes that could cut
down on energy usage.
The "Oddly Charged" team
picked the Selvidge Middle
School building, where four
of the six members attend
school.
Fourteen-year-old Vineeth
did special work on that
report. The whole team collected
energy-use data about the
building. Then, Vineeth
created an Excel spread
sheet to let officials predict
whether suggested conservation
changes would be cost-effective.
Vineeth said, "I like to
work with computers." He
said he got help from an
official of an architectural
firm that specializes in
"green" or energy-efficient
construction.
The kids presented their
report to the Rockwood School
District's facilities committee.
The kids all shared in building
and programming the robot.
The machine is built of
Lego pieces and powered
by an on-board computer.
At each planning meeting,
kids passed around different
assignments so each would
know all phases of the overall
project.
Chris Novatny is a 6th
grader at Selvidge Middle.
He said his favorite part
of the project was in actually
building the robot. "I like
to make sure the robot has
all the right features on
it so the computer program
can work."
For instance, their robot
had to be able to lift oil
barrels, move model "wave
tide" windmills and empty
fuel trucks.
His twin, Ryan, said he
liked programming the robot's
computer "brain." But, he
said his favorite part of
the FLL project was "going
to the tournament competition
and being with all my friends."
Eleven-year-old Ian Pittwood
of Ballwin said there'll
probably be more to do before
the world festival besides
improving the robot's operations.
"We'll probably do some
fund-raising. Last time,
we raffled off some Cardinal
tickets to help pay for
the trip," he said.
He said the people who
bought the tickets got a
good deal. "The Cardinals
won the game they went to,"
he said.
About needed improvements,
Ian said the biggest problem
involved the robot's inability
to unload the fuel truck.
But, he added, "It's fixable."
Twelve-year-old Brian Roth
lives in Ballwin but is
an 8th grader at Sperreng
Middle School in the Lindbergh
School District.
He said the idea for setting
up the FLL team came when
he attended a robotics class
during a "summer college
for kids." He said, "Our
teacher told us about the
Lego League competition."
He and his mother called
friends and first set up
the four-member Squared
Table team. That led to
the first state meet victory
two years ago. This year,
the team added members to
increase membership to six.
Team members with eligibility
left plan to have another
team next year. But, they'll
have to recruit some new
members because Vineeth
and Linsey will be too old
to continue.
First Book
of St. Louis
Kids get
free books at after-school
program
Nine-year-old Kristopher
Wallace got his first free
books at Halloween at his
after-school program at Dignity
House in the City of St. Louis.
He gets a chance to choose
free books about once a month.
Appropriate for the Halloween
season, the subjects of Kristopher's
first books were scary. One
gave tips on being a spy and
the other was about kids catching
a burglar.
Kristopher is a 4th grader
at Mitchell Elementary School.
He said, "I like scary books
and comedy books."
He goes to Dignity House
for its after-school activities.
Dignity House is one of three
after-school centers run by
Neighborhood Houses. The other
centers are Caroline Mission
at 2828 Caroline St. and St.
James Center at 1455 E. College
Ave.
Neighborhood Houses received
a grant from First Book of
St. Louis that allows it to
give free books to the kids.
The idea is to help kids build
a home library with books
they like.
Eleven-year-old Cerrita Cunningham
is another of the kids at
Dignity House who has gotten
free books. She said, "When
I was in 3rd grade I was reading
7th grade books."
Cerrita now is a 5th grader
at Clark Elementary School,
which is located just north
of Dignity House. She doesn't
have far to go to get to her
after-school program.
Nine-year-old Dontre Sutherland
got his first free book at
Dignity House this fall. He
said the book was about the
life of Rosa Parks. She's
the black woman who became
a focal point of the civil
rights movement when she refused
to move to the back of her
bus.
Dontre said he's got "8 or
9 books in my library that
I have in my bedroom."
The home libraries of Kristopher
and Cerrita are much bigger.
Cerrita said her home library
is located in the living room.
"It contains 60 or 70 books.
About 40 of them are mine
and the others belong to my
cousin," she said.
Kristopher's library is even
bigger. "I've got 104 books
at home," he said.
He said some of the books
came from a friend of his
mother. "When the friend's
son got older, he outgrew
some of his books. They gave
them to me," he said.
The three kids said they
also check out books regularly
at both their schools and
at branches of the St. Louis
City Library.
Ms. Rhonda Ford is the director
of Dignity House. She said
she allows the kids to pick
their First Book selections
about once a month. "I put
the books on tables and the
kids can pick two they like,"
she said.
Ms. Ford said the kids get
to pick from about 60 different
titles each month.
(If your school or organization
would like to know more about
the First Book of St. Louis
program, contact Ms. Heather
Winsby, the chairman of the
St. Louis chapter of First
Book. Her number is (314)
567-0057.)
Dontre Sutherland said he
does most of his reading at
home. "I like to read alone.
I have a yellow chair in my
bedroom that I use to read,"
he said.
Because he likes to read
long chapter books, sometimes
he needs help with big words
and involved plots. He usually
asks his older brother, Deonte,
a 7th grader.
Dontre said the biggest book
he's read so far was titled
"I Was a Sixth Grade Alien."
He said it was 126 pages long
and took him about a week
to finish it.
He said he usually checks
out about one book a week
from his school's library.
Cerrita Cunningham said she
checks out books at both her
school library and the city
library pretty much every
week.
Asked what she likes best
about reading, Cerrita said,
"I learn new things every
day."
Kristopher Wallace said
he checks out two to three
books a week from the city
library.
Although he likes scary books,
he also likes comedy books
and "ones that have a happy
ending."
He said some of the comedy
books have illustrations.
He said he's drawing a comic
strip himself. He said, "It's
about a boy and his family
who are having a happy time
at New Year's."
Kristopher said he'd like
to be a pro basketball player
when he grows up. But, it
that doesn't work, "I'd like
to write kids books."
(For additional information
about Neighborhood Houses'
programs, you can contact
the main office at 5611 Delmar
Blvd., Suite 104, St. Louis,
Mo. 63103. Or call (314)
383-1733. Ms. Sandy Montgomery
is the development director.)
The Stock
Market Game
St. Gabriel's
teams find unique approach
One standard
rule for stock market investment
calls for holding a diversified
portfolio to spread the investment
risk. Another is to not put
too much of your money in
one stock.
Teams of kids
at St. Gabriel's School found
success without following
those rules.
The team of
John McCann and Mitchell Knapp
posted the highest gain among
St. Louis elementary school
teams in the fall Missouri
Stock Market Game competition.
And classmate Danny Hogan
was a one-man team who finished
close behind.
Five teams from
St. Gabriel's School were
among the hundreds of school
teams in Missouri who competed
in the 10-week contest. The
contest is sponsored by the
Missouri Center for Economic
Education, headquartered at
University of Missouri-Kansas
City.
All the teams
start with $100,000 in play
money and compete to see who
can increase their portfolio's
valuation the most during
the contest period. The fall
competition ran from Oct.1-Dec.
7. Another game period will
be in the spring semester.
The McCann/Knapp
team ended with a portfolio
valuation of $119,228.68,
a 19% gain for the less than
2½-month period. Danny Hogan's
portfolio ended at $115,607.43,
up more than 15%.
Among St. Louis
middle schools, two teams
from Hixson Middle School
posted the best gains. One
Hixson team ended with a portfolio
valuation of $124,263.32 and
another finished at $120,679.49.
What made these
valuations even more impressive
was the record of the real
stock market during the same
period. The Dow Jones 30 Industrial
Average (DJIA) declined nearly
2% during the Oct.1-Dec.7
period.
And the DJIA
average is made up of 30 of
the most substantial companies
in the U.S.
The game period
was marked with large gains
and drops in real stock values.
But the kids said they didn't
panic during the period of
sharp fluctuations in stock
market values.
However, 13-year-old
Mitchell Knapp admitted he
might have had different feelings
"if I was investing my own
money."
Ms. Linda Hohenbarger
was the advisor for the St.
Gabriel "investment club"
activities. She's an enrichment
teacher at St. Gabriel's.
To start the
SMG segment, Ms. Hohenbarger
asked her husband, Fred, to
give the kids some insight
into stock investing. He's
a former engineer who's made
a study of the stock market
since his retirement.
After a back
grounding in investing, the
kids set out to research possible
stock choices.
Fourteen-year-old
Danny Hogan said he "Googled"
individual stocks for basic
information. Then, he went
to Big Charts.com for more
information, including past
financial results for up to
10 years.
Twelve-year-old
John McCann said the researching
the stocks on the Internet
was the thing he liked best
about the Stock Market Game.
When it came
to investing, both teams put
more than half of their $100,000
investment pool in one stock,
ISRG. The company manufactures
equipment for the health industry.
Putting so much
money in one stock is generally
a "no-no." But, in this case
it worked.
More than 80%
of the McCann/Knapp portfolio
gain came from ISRG. And,
more than 100% of Hogan's
net investment gain came from
ISRG.
The only other
investment to show a significant
gain for the teams was Apple
Computer.
Each portfolio
had six stocks. Fortunately,
none of those other stocks
had any big losses.
Danny Hogan
said one of his first stock
purchases was in the company
that makes quirky, but popular,
Crocs footwear. But, after
the stock dropped, he sold
it after two weeks.
The McCann/Knapp
team also had some early losers.
They originally bought McDonald,
the fast food firm, and Hilton
Hotels. But, they dumped those
early after some losses.
Even with ISRG,
the teams had some uneasy
moments. After gaining strongly
early in the contest period,
the stock dropped. But, in
the end, it recovered to post
a large gain. It was the making
of both of the teams' final
ranking.
Mitchell Knapp
said he liked the Stock Market
Game because "I like to compete."
Results for each of the SMG
teams were updated at the
end of each day and could
be checked at http://cas.umkc.edu/mcee.
Danny Hogan
said, "The Stock Market Game
seemed so real. It gave me
experience so I'll know what
to do when I'm investing my
own money."
Last in 2-part
series
Local author
critiques kids' writing
Kids' author Pat McKissack
of St. Louis had some good
things to say about 11-year-old
Haley Erstall's writing
style. But, the prize-winning
author also offered some
"constructive criticism"
to help Haley improve.
Haley was one of the 5th
graders at Independence
Elementary School who read
their original stories to
Ms McKissack last month.
They had the conversations
via a videoconference session.
In November, kids in teacher
Michele Kelly's class listened
while Ms. McKissack gave
them some writing tips.
She came back in December
to critique the stories
they wrote after the first
session. (To read the
first article, click
here.)
(To read
full texts of three of the
kids' stories, click
here.)
Ms. McKissack regularly
shares writing advice with
area kids through videoconferences
sponsored by the Cooperating
School Districts (CSD).
She is in a CSD studio and
the kids are in their regular
classrooms.
Haley's school is in Weldon
Springs. She lives in St.
Charles. Her story, entitled
"Champion," was about a
boy who helps his basketball
team win a championship.
Ms. McKissack told Haley
her writing included "good
descriptions" and "good
dialogue" between the characters
in her story. "You write
very well," she told Haley.
However, she urged her
to work more on "transitions"
between one part of the
story and the others. "You
need to help the reader
go from one scene to the
next," she said.
Ms. McKissack said transition
sometimes can be accomplished
with a couple words, such
as "next morning," Other
times it might need a sentence
or two, she added.
The author told the kids
that even established writers
such as herself need to
have people around them
who can offer advice that
make their writing better.
"We're always trying to
get better," she told the
kids. Haley said she's done
quite a bit of other writing,
including biographies of
her sister, 7-year-old Maggie
and her dog, Pepper.
Haley said she described
Maggie, who is a Down's
Syndrome child, as "being
more than my sister; she's
my friend."
Eleven-year-old Kaitlyn
Howard was another student
who read her story to Ms.
McKissack. Her story was
titled, "Ryan's Only Wish."
It told of a boy who was
in the hospital with cancer
and whose dad was serving
in the military. Ryan's
only wish was that his dad
could be home with him for
Christmas.
Ms.McKissack told Kaitlyn,
"You built the drama well
and developed your characters
well. Ryan was very likeable.
And your transitions between
scenes were good. And I
liked the surprise at the
end."
In the story, Ryan's dad
is sitting on the couch
in their home when Ryan
comes home.
Ms. McKissack said her
story would have even more
impact if she showed the
emotions that the characters
were feeling. "Rather than
just telling someone is
sad, try to use words that
show the emotion," she told
Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn thought the "constructive
criticism" would help her
writing.
The kids get a chance to
rewrite their stories. Then,
Ms. Kelly will send both
the original and the rewrite
to Ms. McKissack. The author
promised the kids to mark
all the stories and return
them.
Ten-year-old Alexis Liker
of St. Charles read her
story, "The Lonely Caterpillar."
It might have been the shortest
of the stories critiqued
by Ms. McKissack.
But, she told Alexis, "That's
a beautiful story." She
said she was intrigued as
Alexis mixed facts with
fictional elements. They
gave the caterpillar human
characteristics.
The story tells about
a caterpillar that knows
he's ugly and doesn't have
any friends.
But, the story has a happy
ending because the caterpillar
is transformed into a beautiful
butterfly that can fly around
the find new friends. The
story is illustrated by
Alexis' own colorful drawing
of the butterfly.
Alexis said she got the
idea for the butterfly story
from a piece she had written
earlier. That was the story
of the metamorphosis of
a maggot into a fly. She
admitted that transformation
didn't have the same appeal.
"I like the caterpillar-to-butterfly
idea better," she said.
Alexis said her best type
writing is poetry. "I read
the poetry my dad wrote
when he was a kid," she
said.
But, she doesn't plan to
be a writer when she grows
up. "I want to be an animal
trainer, of either tigers
or dolphins," she said.
|
McKissack sidebar
Texts
of three original
stories
(Editor's note:
These are three original
stories by 5th graders
at Independence Elementary
School that were critiqued
by St. Louis kids'
author Pat McKissack.
Young Saint Louis.com
covered the videoconferences
between Ms. McKissack
and the kids in their
creative writing course.
To read the main story,
click
here.)
Story No. 1:
"Champion"
By Haley Ernstall
"He's dribbling down
the court…he shoots…five
seconds the time…the
crowd is cheering
and then 'Ohh.' It
bounces off the rim.
Well, that's the end
of it, folks," sighs
the announcer.
Kyle walked over
to the benches, where
his parents were.
"Great job, Kyle.
You did great," said
his parents. "That's
not what everyone
else thinks," drooped
Kyle. He started to
walk away when his
team bumped him and
said, "Nice going,
Kyle."
He sighed, "I'm never
going to make it to
the championship."
On the way home,
Kyle fell asleep because
he was in Chicago
and he lives in Arizona.
In Kyle's dream, he
could see a basketball
player practicing.
"Oh, My Gosh, that's
Shaquille O'Neal,"
he gasped.
"I heard you lost
your game today. When
I get frustrated and
think I can't do it,
I just never stop
practicing. So, you
should practice at
least once a day if
you really want to
turn out to be the
greatest player you
always dreamed of
being," he advised.
Kyle jumped up and
was wide-awake. "Did
you have a good nap,"
laughed his dad. "We're
about halfway there.
Just a few more hours."
Kyle looked out the
window. They were
in Colorado. The rest
of the way there,
all Kyle thought about
was his dream. Finally,
they reached 56th
Street where his house
was.
He ran inside where
his dog, Sammy, was.
Kyle loved Sammy.
He was basically his
only friend. It was
getting late, so Kyle
and Sammy went to
bed.
The next morning,
Kyle had another game.
He had practiced ever
since he got home
and again in the morning
before his game. On
the way to the game,
Kyle was thinking
about his dream again
and how he could be
the best player.
They finally reached
the gym. The game
was about to begin.
Kyle played in the
1st quarter. He did
OK but he could have
done better. In the
2nd and 3rd quarters,
he was on the bench.
Finally, he was in
the 4th quarter. There
was 10 seconds left.
The other team has
the ball. Kyle's team
just needs three more
points. They passed
the ball to Kyle.
Kyle got the ball
and ran.
He was almost there.
Everyone kept yelling
for him "Slow Down."
He was at the 3-point
line and there was
someone almost on
him. He shot, but
he closed his eyes.
It was very quiet
and three seconds
were left. He still
had his eyes shut.
He heard the timer
go off but the crowd
hesitated, then cheered.
Kyle opened his eyes.
He had won the game
to the championship.
His team ran over,
lifted him up and
started to shout,
"Kyle, Kyle."
-The
end-
Story No. 2:
Ryan's
Only Wish
By Kaitlyn Howard
It was around 12:37
a.m. and Ryan was
still in the hospital.
He was used to the
hospital beds but
not quite used to
their clothes. He
was sick of not being
able to see his friends
even though his only
friend was his Teddy
Bear.
He had spent 2½ years
in the hospital. He
was five years old
when he started having
cancer and he'd been
only home one time.
He missed not being
able to swim or play
two-hand touch football!!
"Mommy, I can't go
to sleep," Ryan said.
It was almost Christmas
and Ryan has been
wishing he could be
home for Christmas.
"Mom, will I be home
in time for Christmas?"
Ryan said. "I don't
know, Honey. This
is one of those things
you never find out,"
his mother whispered.
Ryan is about 4-foot-2
and is bald due to
all the chemo. The
hospital room he stays
in has a huge window
and ever night he
looks for a shooting
star. So far, he's
only seen two. He
is always thinking
about others and is
used to all of it.
He has a new bruise
starting on this leg.
As he noticed it,
he told his mom. "Mommy,"
he whispered.
Yes, Honey."
"I kind of have a
new bruise starting."
"Are you all right,
Honey?"
His mom immediately
calls the emergency
room and they were
up right away. His
mom was a tall, skinny
woman with long brown
hair and is always
worrying about Ryan.
Ryan's dad is in the
military and rarely
sees Ryan. The main
reason Ryan wants
to be home for Christmas
is to see his loving
father.
Days pass and Ryan
decided to write a
letter to his father
so he got out a piece
of paper and a pen
and wrote:
Dear Daddy.
When will you be
home? I really miss
you. Please write
me back.
Love,
Ryan Settle
A week passed and
no response. Ryan
was sitting in the
cafeteria when a mailman
walked up to him and
said, "Are you Ryan
Settle?"
"Yes I am Ryan Settle.
Do you have a letter
for me," asked Ryan.
"Indeed I do," replied
the mailman.
"Thank you," Ryan
shouted with glee.
The letter was from
Michael Settle and
said:
Dear Son,
I miss you and I
don't think I'll
be back for Christmas
unless a miracle
happens. So be good.
With
love, Daddy
Ryan was upset and
very sad although
he understood. He
thought to himself,
miracles can happen.
You just have to believe?
Days before Christmas,
a doctor as usual
came to check on Ryan.
Everything was fine
for the first time
and the doctor said,
"Ryan, you might be
able to go home for
Christmas."
"For real," Ryan
shouted down the hospital
hall.
"What's wrong, Honey?"
his mom yelled as
she was running to
him.
"Nothing. I am absolutely
fine, really I am."
"Okay, then what
did you want to tell
me."
"The doctor said
I could go home for
Christmas," Ryan said
in a joyful voice.
"Is that true?"
his mom questioned
him.
"Yes, Mom. It is,"
explained Ryan.
Ryan and his mom
were flipping through
the channels when
they saw the headline:
"The Chinese take
a break." Ryan and
his mother stayed
on this channel and
it said the Chinese
and Americans have
stopped the fighting.
Ryan and his mom
both stopped and looked
at each other for
a moment. The next
day at nine sharp,
Ryan and his mom returned
to their house for
the first time in
a while. He was surprised
to see a Christmas
tree with presents
piled high.
Also Ryan's father
was sitting on the
couch. "Daddy, Daddy,"
Ryan shouted with
joy. "How come you
are home?"
His dad said that
since the Chinese
were done fighting
they were allowed
to come home.
"I told you myself
miracles do happen
and I was right. So,
since it's Christmas,
do you want to open
presents."
There were wonderful
gifts piled him behind
him. Ryan opened all
sorts of gifts such
as remote-controlled
cars, footballs, basketballs,
shirts and pants.
The best gift of all
was given last.
Ryan was opening
a gift with doggy
wrapping paper when
a wet little nose
popped out. It was
a longhaired miniature
Dachshund. Ryan was
very excited and immediately
had a name for her.
"I will name her
Ginger." And from
that point on Ryan
and Ginger were the
best of friends.
-The
End-
Story No. 3:
The
Lonely Caterpillar
By Alexis Liker
One day, a caterpillar
named Kali was squirming
along. She was lonely.
She wanted to play
with her friends.
But, all of them were
big blue butterflies.
She felt left out
because she couldn't
fly.
She never would become
a butterfly, she thought.
So she asked Mr. Ant
if she would ever
become a butterfly.
But, he said, "No,"
and went out for some
food.
Kali was even more
lonely so she took
a nap. When she woke
up, she was in a dark,
shiny thing. "What
is this?" she exclaimed.
"This is new to me.
Am I turning into
a butterfly?"
Then, she heard something
crack. The dark slimy
thing opened. She
hopped out and she
started to fly!
She had the most
beautiful wings of
all her friends. She
flew out and went
to show her friends.
They were so amazed.
So they played fly
tag and Kali the butterfly
never felt left out
again.
-The
End-
|
Despite injury,
operation
Gabriela
Demose succeeds in tennis
Tennis player
Gabriela Demose was interviewed
by Young Saint Louis.com
more than five years ago.
Then, she was 12, ranked No.
1 in her age group and having
her first shoulder problems.
Now, she's a
senior at Lafayette High School,
survived successful shoulder
surgery, won the Missouri
big school girls tennis championship
and has earned an academic/sports
scholarship to Drake University.
In the years
between interviews, Gabriela
played with pain, eventually
had to have a shoulder operation
and even won her first national
tennis title while serving
underhanded.
Gabriela's
now is 17 and heading to her
final semester at Lafayette.
This summer, she'll play in
national tournaments to give
her a feel whether she's good
enough to turn pro.
Concerning the
last five years, "I never
stopped playing tennis even
when I was in pain. Several
times I wanted to but I knew
I wanted to play collegiate
tennis."
Gabriela credits
tennis for a lot of her personal
development during her middle
and high school years.
"It helped me
develop a good work ethic.
It also helped me become more
independent," she said. "It's
also given me some notoriety;
people know who I am. And
I like that."
Also, she said,
"I like to meet people. Playing
in tournaments helped me to
get to know people around
the country."
One of the people
she got to know in her middle
school years was Kirby Bridges
of Omaha. "I knew Kirby from
playing in tournaments. We
paired up when I won my first
national title, in doubles
with her in Omaha," Gabriela
said.
That was one
of the tournaments where she
had to serve underhanded.
The pain in her shoulder was
so bad she couldn't use her
normal overhand serving motion.
During her sophomore
year, she finally had rotator
cuff repaired with surgery.
She had trouble
with her shoulder for quite
some time. But, the family
put off the operation until
Gabriela's bone structure
had matured. Sometimes, if
repairs are too early, further
growth can interfere with
healing.
Gabriela made
it to the Missouri big school
tennis tournament as a junior.
But, she lost to Michelle
Kedzierski of St. Joseph High
School, who won the title
as a freshman.
However, last
fall, Gabriela beat Kedzierski
and went on to win her own
title. "I got a little revenge.
It was a really tough match,"
she said. Kedzierski finished
third behind second-place
winner Rachel Stuhlmann of
Webster Groves.
(YSL.com
has interviewed both Gabriela
and Michelle earlier. Gabriela's
first story was in July, 2002;
Michelle's in September, 2003.
To read, go to Past Stories
at the top of the home page
and click on the appropriate
month and year.)
Gabriela was
the first girls state tennis
champion for Lafayette. She
also was the first champion
from a St. Louis public high
school. St. Louis has been
strong in girls tennis but
the champions came from private
schools.
Since the girl's
tennis season is in the fall,
Gabriela's high school career
is over. She said she'll be
playing in independent tournaments
this spring and summer.
Then, while
at Drake, she said, "I'll
play in minor International
Tennis Federation tournaments
that mix amateur and pro prospects."
Under international rules,
she doesn't risk her college
eligibility by playing in
such meets.
To stay in shape,
Gabriela is getting specialized
conditioning with Chris Mileski
of the Sports Enhancement
Group in Chesterfield. That
workout center plans individualized
exercise schedules for different
types of athletes.
Asked about
a tennis career, Gabriela
said, "Pro tennis is awfully
hard. But, we'll see."
However, she
has a Plan B. She plans to
major in business while at
Drake University. "My scholarship
at Drake was part academic
and part sports," she said.
Gabriela is a member of the
National Honor Society at
Lafayette.
Gabriela's favorite
subject in school is history.
"I really like American history,"
she said.
She said her
repaired shoulder held up
well during the fall tennis
season. "It's 100 per cent
now and I haven't had any
pain for some time," she said.
But, she admitted,
during the rehabilitation
after the surgery, "I'd get
frustrated and get down on
myself."
Gabriela said
the individual nature of tennis
can have a downside. "It can
be lonely, especially when
things aren't going well,"
said.
About her trip
next year to Drake University,
she said she's excited. "I
really like Des Moines. The
school has a tremendous indoor
tennis facility. And the school
is in a good athletic conference
(the Missouri Valley Conference).
Gabriela's
story shows how hard work
and perseverance
2007 Gateway
Young Achiever
Farrell
Roland in new school, town
and state
Most 8th grader
Gateway Young Achiever winners
go to a new school the next
school year. But, 15-year-old
Farrell Roland's adjustment
has been somewhat bigger.
Last spring,
when he won a Young Achiever
award, was in St. Joan of
Arch School.
But, this fall,
he and his family moved to
Mesa, Ariz., which is a suburb
of Phoenix. His father, Kenneth,
a microbiologist, has a job
with a new company.
So, this year,
Farrell is attending Rhodes
Junior High School in Mesa.
There, the middle schools
go through 9th grade, rather
than ending in 8th as in St.
Louis.
Thus, he's living
in a new city and state. "I
didn't know anyone in the
town or in the school," he
told Young Saint Louis.com
in a phone interview. And,
he didn't get enrolled until
the new school year already
was underway.
That's set him
back a little from getting
involved as much as he was
in school, church and the
community in St. Louis.
Another big
adjustment has been in the
type of school. "This is my
first experience in a public
school. Previously, I'd always
gone to private schools,"
he said.
(YSL.com
has been covering the Gateway
Young Achiever program for
several years. This is the
first time that we've profiled
a winner who had left the
St. Louis area.
(And, it
took us a little extra time
to locate Farrell. Ordinarily,
his profile would have been
in the December, 2007, edition.
But, we're presenting it this
month to finish the individual
profiles of the 2007 elementary
and middle school winners.)
Farrell was
extra busy during his time
at St. Joan of Arc School.
Last year,
he played soccer, basketball
and baseball. In 8th grade,
he said all three teams qualified
for the CYC city championship
tournaments.
He also was
on the honor roll with a straight
A average. He posted the highest
scores in both math and science.
He also was elected as the
8th grade treasurer.
In addition,
he was in the Altar Guild
at his church. He read the
liturgy at services in school
and also played the harmonica
during programs by the school
choir.
During the summers,
he volunteered at a Tri-Art
Camp, which schooled younger
kids in triathlon sports such
as running, swimming and bicycling.
The kids also received training
in studio arts, such as clay
and fiber.
This year, his
tryout for his new school's
basketball team wasn't successful.
But, he said, "I'm going to
try baseball in the spring.
I'll also be in choir in the
second semester."
He also said
he'll join an after-school
basketball program in January.
Since the sequence
of math teaching in Arizona
is different, he hasn't been
able to get as involved in
that subject, which is one
of his favorites.
About his intense
interest in science and math,
he said, "My dad talked with
me about science but I developed
my math interest on my own."
About his new
home setting, Farrell said,
"We live in a nice-looking
subdivision and I've made
a few new friends." But, he
admitted that he's still making
adjustments to the move. "It's
taken some getting used to,"
he said.
But, his plans
for future schooling and a
career haven't changed. And
his choices of colleges have
broadened somewhat.
Farrell said
he wants to work in the medical
field. "I'd like to be either
in medical engineering or
internal medicine," he said.
His father works in developing
new vaccines.
About college,
he said he had been planning
to attend in St. Louis. He's
still interested in doing
that but he said Arizona also
had some good colleges and
universities.
He said another
activity area he's considering
in his new home is volunteering
at a veterinary clinic. He
said that would be a start
toward getting into the medical
field.
If his past
record of achievement, as
outlined in his Young Achiever
nomination form, is an example,
Farrell is likely to solve
this problem of moving to
an unfamiliar location.
Teacher Rosemarie
Guarino at St. Joan of Arc
School said, "Farrell's leadership
role has covered many important
aspects of his life and education.
Farrell is trustworthy, responsible
and a true leader.
"Farrell generously
gives his time and effort
to support what he really
believes."
Farrell got
a chance to reconnect with
his St. Louis friends last
month. He flew back from Phoenix
to spend about 10 days in
the St. Louis area during
the holidays.
Then, it was
back to his new home and getting
involved as he was in St.
Louis.
This
month's book reviews
A
girl struggles while
coping with effects
of her father's drug
addiction
Raspberry
Hill is an African-American
teenager who lives
with her mother. The
two are trying to
lead a "normal" life.
Their life was changed
drastically when the
mother's husband and
Raspberry's father
took to the streets
as an addicted drug
user. Now they fear
each time he comes
back into their lives.
He will steal anything
the two own in order
to trade it for drugs.
He hustles people
on street corners,
begging for change,
in order to support
his addiction.
Raspberry's
mother works hard
trying to maintain
a standard of living
similar to what they
had before the family's
breakup. The neighborhood
they are now forced
to live in makes that
difficult. Teenagers
in the neighborhood
hang out in large
groups and "party"
noisily throughout
the night. When the
mother calls the police
to try to quiet the
harassing noise, one
of the girl members
of the group attacks
her with a piece of
pipe and severely
injures her. While
her mother is hospitalized,
Raspberry has to try
to survive on her
own. Her drug-addicted
father reappears and
manages to steal the
little money Raspberry
and her mother have
been able to accumulate.
When
Raspberry takes advantage
of an opportunity
to secretly steal
money from a friend,
she begins to fear
that she may be becoming
just like her father.
Much of the book is
concerned with how
Raspberry works at
redeeming herself
after doing the "unthinkable."
Will she ever be able
to regain the trust
and confidence of
her friends?
"Begging
for Change" by Sharon
G. Flake has realistic
dialogue and action
that involves a reader
in Raspberry Hill's
struggle to regain
her self-respect as
well as that of people
who are trying to
help her.
An
eighteenth-century pirate
ship turns up
in the harbor of a modern
town
For the summer, twelve-year-old
Vicki was working as
a waitress in her father's
restaurant, called Ye
Olde Seashell Room.
The restaurant was located
near the beach on an
Atlantic Ocean bay in
New England. At one
time in the distant
past, sailing ships
had used the bay to
bring their cargoes
to shore. The restaurant
itself was quite old
and was famous for the
masthead of a ship that
hung on its wall. The
masthead was a carved
image of a woman that
stared out over the
patrons in the eatery.
The name on the carving
was "The Storm Goddess."
There was also an old
painting of what looked
like a pirate that,
supposedly, was a distant
ancestor of Vicki's
family. There were also
rumors of a treasure
that had never been
found.
That summer, Vicki
had become friends with
a boy of her own age
named Peter. She met
Peter when he dined
at the restaurant with
his father and mother.
He and his parents were
vacationing. Peter was
interested in the history
of the area and was
especially interested
in helping Vicki find
out the story behind
the masthead and the
mystery behind the ship
named "The Storm Goddess."
The ship had disappeared
at sea more than two
hundred and thirty years
before. The restaurant
was also quite old and
there was a story that
both Ye Olde Seashell
Room and the lost ship
had some kind of connection.
Vicki and Peter rummaged
looking for documents
in an old trunk on the
upper story of the restaurant.
They also discovered
that the masthead was
hollow inside when it
was taken down to be
protectively refinished.
The mystery became even
more challenging when
one night the sea water
stayed out at sea and
exposed the bottom of
the bay. There, now
on dry land, was the
wreck of "The Sea Goddess"
lying on its side. Vicki
and Peter knew they
had to find a way to
sneak aboard the old
ship. However, the local
authorities had already
built a fence around
the wreck and had bright
search lights lighting
up the area.
Well, you know the
kids are going to find
a way to get aboard.
Little did they suspect,
however, that once aboard
they would find some
of the original crew
still on the ship and
fighting over its treasure.
This is an unusual
book in that the twenty-first-century
kids have to deal with
eighteenth-century pirates
- obviously ghosts -
right in their own modern
day community. If you
like mysteries and pirate
stories, you will like
this book.
What
it was like for kids
to go to a one room
schoolhouse
in 1904 Indiana
Fifteen-year-old Russell
Culver and his ten-year-old
brother, Lloyd, weren't
too upset when they
got the word that their
teacher, Miss Myrt Arbuckle,
hauled off and died.
It was August and school
was just about to start.
On such short notice,
it was unlikely Hominy
Ridge School could start
since there would be
no teacher. How good
could it get? Besides,
Miss Myrt was past her
prime anyway. She was
deaf in one ear from
screaming at the kids
and had an arm weakened
by "whupping" the kids
to make them behave.
The last thing in the
world the boys expected
was that their older
sister, Tizzy, would
be hired as Miss Myrt's
replacement. After all,
their dad was president
of the school board.
Tizzy had gone to board
in town to get a higher
education and had picked
up three years of high
school. So she was educated
enough to be a probationary
teacher. She could start
right away. The County
Superintendent of Schools
would come in and examine
her teaching in a few
weeks. If she passed
the test, she would
get a certificate to
teach permanently. The
trouble was - Tizzy
knew her brothers just
too well. She was tough
enough as a sister without
being their teacher
as well. Besides, she
was one of those people
who really loved school
and liked to learn.
Talk about really bad
luck!
And talk about adding
insult to injury. The
boys had to go with
their dad to fix up
the schoolhouse and
get it ready for school
to start. They had to
hang the door back up
because somebody had
torn it off the schoolhouse.
The outhouses had to
be repaired - one for
the girls and one for
the boys. The windows
and the inside of the
wooden-framed building
had to be swept and
scrubbed. Naturally,
Tizzy was there to make
sure everything was
done just right.
Now, Russell had been
making plans with his
friend, Charlie Parr,
to run off and get jobs
working on the wheat
field in the Dakotas.
They had planned on
running off when they
were sixteen. If school
hadn't opened, they
could have done it a
year earlier. Now, they'd
have to suffer another
year in Hominy Ridge.
Russell was ready to
go anyway, but Charlie
kept dragging his heels.
Of course, little Lloyd
wasn't to know about
it. Russell felt guilty
that he might be leaving
his little brother without
a big brother to look
up to and take care
of him.
Richard Peck, the author
of "The Teacher's Funeral,"
knows how to tell a
story in such a way
that the reader will
be laughing out loud
about every other page.
He knows just what kind
of trouble boys in 1904
could get themselves
into.
A middle
1800's orphan girl
wants to own a ranch
and raise horses
Charlotte Parkhurst
spent her early life
in an orphanage for
boys. She learned how
to fight and protect
herself. Her favorite
pastime was working
with horses in the stable.
Unfortunately, the head
of the orphanage banned
her from the stables
and forced her to spend
all her time working
in the kitchen under
Mrs. Boyle, the harsh
cook. Charlotte decided
to run away and make
a new life for herself.
With the help of a former
slave who had worked
with her in the stable,
she was able to disguise
herself as a boy and
catch a stagecoach ride.
Charlotte knew the
orphanage head would
come looking for her,
so she had to flee as
far as she could. She
also knew she had to
remain in disguise or
people would recognize
her from newspaper reports.
She managed to impress
an owner of a stable
by showing her knowledge
of horses and their
care. Reluctantly, he
hired this "young boy"
and eventually trained
"Charley" to operate
six-horse teams to pull
wagons and stage coaches.
Charlotte knew if she
ever was going to own
her own ranch, she would
have to move west where
land was cheap. So,
eventually, she quit
her job and headed west
on a stagecoach. She
was able to land jobs
because of her ability
to handle horses and
her willingness to work
hard. Of course, everyone
thought of her as "Charley"
and had no idea she
was really a girl. She
saved her money and,
when she found a small
ranch for sale, purchased
it. She had finally
become a ranch owner
and was able to live
her dream.
"Riding Freedom" by
Pam Munoz Ryan is based
on the life of a woman
who had actually lived
her life disguised as
a man. Reportedly, she
was the first woman
to vote in a presidential
election, well before
it was legal to do so.
Math
Mania questions
about measurement
The
first Math Mania
puzzles of 2008 ask
the question: "Do
you measure up?" These
are all questions
that deal with the
numbers used to measure
things, from distance
to time and beyond.
Ms. Amy Ruzicka is
Ms. Math Mania.
The math teacher at
St. Gabriel's School
in south St. Louis
says that many Americans
have trouble when
it comes to problems
dealing with measurement.
She's designed six
questions that call
for you to solve these
measurement questions.
Last month, we found
that even a math teacher
can make mistakes.
Ms. Ruzicka put a
number 9 in Question
2, instead of a 6.
That made it pretty
much impossible to
come up with an "order
of operations" that
would give an answer
of 24.
However, she tells
Young Saint Louis.com
that she's got all
the right numbers
in place for the six
questions for January.
So, now that you're
back from the holiday
break, you can get
warmed up for math
by figuring the answers
to the six questions.
Then, fill out the
attached entry form
and send in your answers.
The rules for entering
Math Mania
in 2008 are the same
as for 2007. Each
month, YSL.com
publishes a number
of math brainteasers.
We also publish an
entry form that can
be printed out and
the answers filled
in.
If you answer all
the math puzzles correctly,
you'll have a chance
to win a Borders book
certificate. Depending
on the number of correct
entries, YSL.com
will give from three
to five $10 certificates.
To enter the January
contest, fill out
the attached entry
form and give answers
to the six measurement
questions. Be sure
to follow instructions
when completing the
entry form.
In the February edition
of YSL.com,
we'll publish the
answers to these January
puzzles and name any
winners.
- Print out the
following entry
form.
- Fill out your
name, address and
telephone number.
- Answer the six
January puzzles.
- Put your completed
entry into a stamped,
addressed envelope.
- Be sure to print
the entry form so
we can be sure of
the spelling.
- Mail the entry
to:
Math Mania
Contest
Young Saint Louis.com
813 Rotherham
Dr.
Ballwin, Mo. 63011
(All
entries must be
postmarked by
the
15th of the month
to be eligible.)
-----------------------Clip
here to make entry
form-----------------------
Entry
for January 2008,
Math Mania Contest:
Name:
__________________________________
Age: _____
Address:
_________________________
School: ___________
City:
_____________________
State: ______
Zip: __________
Contact
phone: (_____)
_____________________
January
Math Mania Challenge:
Do You Measure
Up?
Measurement
is a very weak
area for many
Americans. See
if you measure
up by correctly
solving the following
problems. Try
to do them without
using any conversion
tables!
-
The number of
yards in a half-mile,
plus the number
of inches in
three-and-a-half
yards, plus
the number of
feet in three-quarters
mile
Answer:
-
The number of
weeks in six
years, plus
the number of
years in fourteen
decades, minus
the number of
decades in sixteen
centuries
Answer:
-
The
number of quarters
in eighteen
dollars, plus
the number of
nickels in fourteen
quarters, plus
the number of
dimes in sixty-three
dollars
Answer:
-
The number of
centimeters
in six meters,
plus the number
of meters in
six kilometers,
plus the number
of milligrams
in six grams
Answer:
-
The number of
square feet
in two square
yards, plus
the number of
square inches
in five square
feet (CAREFUL!
Notice it says
square yards
and square feet.)
Answer:
-
The number of
pints in twenty
quarts, plus
the number of
pecks in fourteen
bushels, plus
the number of
cups in two
gallons
Answer:
December
puzzle answers
Ms.
Math Mania admits
an error in December
Even math teachers
can make errors with numbers.
Ms. Math Mania
admits she put a wrong
number into one of the
December puzzles, making
it impossible to make
the answer to Question
2 to come out to 24.
So, we threw out that
question and made the
December quiz into a 5-question
puzzle.
But, that didn't do any
good because none of the
kids, with eligible
entries, answered the
other five questions correctly.
So, there were no winners
in the December
Math Mania.
(When I put the word
"eligible" in boldface
and underlined it, it
was on purpose. According
to our rules, all entries
need to be postmarked
on or before the 15th
of the month of the contest.)
There was a batch of
entries that couldn't
be considered because
they were postmarked after
the deadline. Please make
sure you get entries in
on time; Young Saint
Louis.com wants to
be able to consider each
entry it receives.
And Ms. Math Mania,
teacher Amy Ruzicka of
St. Gabriel's School in
south St. Louis promised
all the questions in the
January Math Mania are
correct. It'll be up to
you to make sure all your
answers are.
To enter the January
contest, click
here.
Answers
to the December
Math Mania Challenge:
24
Here are some
possible solutions:
|
1.
|
6 |
1 |
2 |
8.5 |
|
Answer:
|
|
|
2.
|
24 |
12 |
15 |
9 |
|
Answer:
|
|
|
3.
|
18 |
18 |
16 |
12 |
|
Answer:
|
|
|
4.
|
15 |
9 |
7 |
12 |
|
Answer:
|
|
|
5.
|
1/2 |
9 |
5 |
1/6 |
|
Answer:
|
|
|
6.
|
5/6 |
6 |
6 |
1/6 |
|
Answer:
|
 |
