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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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An Ode to Morgan

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By Middle-School Blogger Soleil Antle

As you might know, seventh graders Morgan Richardson and Soleil Antle are the closest of buddies, and have been since fourth grade. Soleil writes a poem about her dear friend, and all the thoughts and memories that they share. 

Your evil cackle, your grinning smile, 

I can’t help but stare for a while.

Us together a chaotic scene,

Kids running around calling us mean.

Our laughter untamable don’t you agree,

Our souls forever set free.

Teachers putting us together, 

Oh how they must be under the weather. 

The expression of thoughts similar indeed,

Angers one, the other succeeds.

The competitive edge you’ve set in me,

Sparks wisdom, to the third degree. 

You and I don’t make much sense,

But our confidence level is over the fence.

You make me happy; you make me sad, 

A crazy duo I might add. 

Our inside jokes we don’t even understand,

Oh, our actions quite unplanned. 

Sumo wrestling, I always win,

Accept the times, you spin, spin, spin.

Nonsense-filled ideas flood our mind

Connect us like a tight bind. 

Little white lies, we tell for fun,

Concerning numbers more than one. 

Milano’s your day’s sweet treat,

Oh we enjoy that middle-school seat. 

Always an adventure no doubt,

I hope the staff don’t hear us shout.

After all is said and done, Soleil thinks on her friendship with Morgan and concludes, Acknowledge the people that matter to you because at the end of the day they are there for you.

Food On a Deeper Level

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By Middle-School Blogger Soleil Antle 

Food is more than a meal; food is more than a thought; it’s the reason for our existence. There is a deeper level of communication between us and our food. We express ourselves through our baking/cooking as people always give their proudly baked meals to their families and friends who might be grieving or thriving in the world. If you really think about it, food connects all people. 

Some people escape their sadness and bury themselves in their food, as it becomes comfort and pleasure. Emotionally, food is always there: the textures, flavors, aroma, and the visual attraction. You can sometimes hear food, like the bacon sizzling on a stove. After a bad day you just want to sit down and enjoy your favorite meal, whatever it might be. Flavor plays a big part in the emotional side of food; it’s hard to explain, but when you taste a meal that has clearly been worked on, you can feel the special connection between the chef and the plate–unlike fast food that is just pure chemicals thrown into a bag, with no love. My mom, an incredible cook, bakes from her heart. I can’t describe the amount of times she has stood at the oven all day whipping up something amazing. One of my personal favorites is her Blondies. They are vanilla brownies which are crunchy outside and soft inside. The whole seventh-grade class is obsessed with these, and you can see the smiles erupt on their faces every time we smell them. You take one bite, and you just want to eat the whole batch. 

Others take pride in their culture creating special dishes and sharing them through the community. For example, Thanksgiving, here in the United States we celebrate by gathering together and sharing a large feast with turkey, potatoes, jams, stuffing, etc. We talk with people we haven’t seen in ages and share laughter. A lot of families also have special traditions like eating potluck style where each brings a favorite dish.

Another way families are brought close together is making memories like cooking for the first time. I remember being a toddler and standing on the stool just so I could reach the countertop to decorate sugar cookies with my mom. She would go all out and grab all the sprinkles and icing she had, making sure my sister and I would have the best time. It was always a competition as to who would get the bigger spoon to lick off the batter. It still tasted great even though it wasn’t even baked.

As a result food is more than nutrition; it’s a wonderful thing that brings joy and comfort. When I come home from a long day of school and practice, I just want to eat the delicious food my mom is preparing in the kitchen. It brings a smile to her face when my sister and I tell her how good her food is.

Sources: 

The Deeper Meaning of Food In Our Lives
The Meaning of Food

My Grandpa’s Good Food

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By 6th-Grade Blogger Reagan Kaminsky

My grandpa recently turned 80 years old. My family and I knew we had to do something unique for him on this special occasion, so our entire household got together and created a cookbook full of the recipes we love that Grandpa makes. My grandpa is an outstanding cook, creating wonderful dishes that vary from Swordfish Dumplings to Pumpkin Cheesecake. For this week’s Food blog post theme, I decided I was going to write a poem about how much joy all of his recipes bring to my family. 

Here, my Brother, Chase (right), poses with my grandpa (left) while Grandpa shows off his cookbook on his 80th birthday.

Dishes clanking, family chatting,

You’re in the kitchen cooking, but there’s still time for laughing.

A variety of smells fills the air, but they come together somehow.

You shout, “Come to the table, dinner’s ready now!”

You serve each bowl with care while children eagerly wait.

We finally dig in; your cuisine always gets a “5 Star” rating.

Next, you bring out the very last course.

Again, you serve with care, never with force.

The chatting stops everyone easily finishing their plate.

Soon, the room erupts in “That was great!”

Your food not only brings love, joy, and cheer,

It brings family together, where all problems disappear.

Don’t Forget

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A compilation of “Forget-me-nots” by 8th-Grader Jackie Padgett

I find it very difficult to remember things, especially things from when I was younger, so I decided I wanted to do a “Don’t forget” or “Remember you said this” type of blog. I was also interested in what people of different ages wanted to remember. So, I asked two questions of two kids from every grade:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?
  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

Starting us off is…

6th-Grader Calum Webster with an indecisive response:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“My dog, I think.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

“I don’t know, umm, I don’t know… oh, uh, I’m good at basketball, wait, no, actually sure.”

6th-Grader Grace Ghaly has a confident reply:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“I never wanna forget my friends.” 

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

“My attitude.”

7th-Grader Sam West quickly mutters out a reply while getting ready for his soccer game:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

”When I ate that breakfast burrito from the gas station it kinda hurt if you know what I mean.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”That I hold the record for the fastest unrecorded time of solving the Rubik’s Cube. Joking.”

7th-Grader Lorelei Behr says something very thoughtful:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“I don’t want to ever forget about my friends, even when they move away.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

“I don’t want people to forget the things we laughed and cried about together.”

8th-Grader Hudson Fossey replies with a simple answer:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“The time I built a trailer for a gokart with my cousin and then having him shoot a bow and arrow off of it.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

“I don’t really care if people forget about me.”

8th-Grader Ava Kerber shares a silly, but real, response:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“Umm, when I was born.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

“Umm, that I was alive and a human on this planet.”

9th-Grader Zander Eaton replies with a math-focused answer:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“My times tables.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”That I remembered my times tables.”

9th-Grader Louisa Richardson gives an imaginative reply: 

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“I don’t want to forget my imagination. I love that I have a sense of, um, creativity.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

“Ugh. I guess I hope people don’t forget that I care about them.”

10th-Grader Rory O’Kane shares a sports-related answer:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“Sports.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”Sports.”

10th-Grader Melina Brodeur gets some help with her response from Louisa Richardson:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“What got me to where I am.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

Louisa inserted, ”Your sparkle!”

11th-Grader Alex Ratner:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“My friends and family.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”My gaming abilities.”

11th-Grader Kristina Panagiotaros:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“My friends.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”Me altogether.”

12th-Grader Sawyer Falzone says:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“My I.D. and glasses.”

2. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”That I’m not a horrible person.”

12th-Grader Landon Elder a quick but significant response:

  1. What is something you don’t want to forget?

“My lovely experiences.”

  1. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?

”That I existed.”

I was actually surprised to get a few serious answers. I really thought most of them would be jokes. Since the way I chose people was completely at random (and whomever I saw first), if I didn’t get to you, leave a comment of something you don’t want to forget.

A Clam Thanksgiving 

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A Traditional Re-Telling, by Renowned Clamologist Levi Kassinove

Platitudinous as it was, the clams rested year-round on the sandy ocean floor. After all, do clams migrate? Do they flap their little halves and swim around twice a year? It doesn’t matter. A clam is what a clam is. A lowly, pathetic filter-feeder. Humans have them for dinner all the time with pasta. They are NOTHING to the animal kingdom. They are but a meager source of protein and tedious work for us. It is truly a pain for animals to bust open their shells, only to find a lackluster gob of flesh on the inside. Despite this rather insensitive banter about clams, which is obviously discussed among all other animals on a constant basis, clams are thankful.

A clam has its own little clam family, just like you and me. It is thankful for the bacteria that wafts in its direction, possibly providing sustenance. I don’t know what a filter feeder eats. Maybe it’s algae…. Nevermind, it’s plankton (bioexplorer.net). The fact of the matter is, even if one suffers from clampression, or is currently going through a clamcession, or is even in the midst of a global clamdemic, clams will stand (rest?) strong because of their hard outer shell. 

A NON-THANKFUL CLAM (wordpress.com)

Clams have a marvelous ability to stand vis-à-vis with an octopus and not move a muscle. One clam is cornered. Our cornered clam senses he isn’t skilled or strong enough to avoid octopus calamity. It’s inevitable that this clam is gonna die. He’s gonna get crushed. All the other clams escaped from the octopus confrontation. They called upon their octopus-evasion skills; he wanted to be like them. But deep down, the clam knew he wasn’t as talented as the other clams. All he’s left to ask is…why isn’t he enough? To him, it seemed that everyone else was naturally better at life than him. Sure, he held his own in most aspects of life, but escaping an octopus? Clearly he did not have the talent. He was effectively worthless–not because of the octopus, but because of the other clams. See, if they had all died, he would feel totally content with his failure. He would happily accept death by octopus. But the fact of the matter was that he was the runt of the litter. He had to accept that. His misery sunk him so low that he actually started physically sinking into the sand. He disappeared under a blanket of wallow and self-loathing and small oceanic granules. The octopus scoffed and swam away. 

Levi says, “The inner mind of animals are all alike in their inherent struggles”
(Photo Source: ktla.com).

Then, suddenly, a giant evolved-monkey appeared in the water. At least, that was what it looked like to the clam. It grabbed the clam along with his family, which was like 15 other clams. The diver put the clams in a bag and threw them onto a boat. And, it was then, riding in a boat to their inevitable deaths by some chef at an Italian restaurant, that the clams celebrated Thanksgiving. Every clam knows that they are about to die. And yet, they celebrate the lives that they have lived. Our protagonist clam must forgive himself. Was it his life that he should be thankful for? Or rather, should he be thankful that HE has to carry the burden of being a worthless piece of shellfish? At least, the clam proposes to himself, he is punished with this terrible burden, rather than another clam. The clam would rather he suffer than another. He may not have forgiven himself, but he has forgiven The Almighty Clam. And that is why he is thankful. For he is…a clam. 

That Feeling

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The Blog staff’s second assignment was to “Find a cause” and share it with us, The Bird on Fire readers. Some student bloggers chose to champion their own causes, explain causes going viral, or causes brought about through environmental, political, or social change. Penny, in verse form, chose to illuminate the importance of reaching out to another.

Blog Advisor Zachik

By 7th-Grader Penny Andreas 

The school bell rings

Kids come out of the doors

I sit there waiting

Thinking had anybody come

I come back to my house

Nobody wondering if I am okay

Nobody even noticing

I sit alone with my doubts

I take a walk

By myself

Thinking would anybody notice

If I was gone

Next day I consider not waking up

Still I come to school

Then she walked up to me 

And said she wanted to talk

My classmate guided me out to the hall

She asked if I was okay

I started to cry

I started to bawl 

I told her everything

My struggles at home

I told her the feeling

Of being alone

At first she just looked at me

Then took my hand

She said it would be okay

And she understands

She helped me to my feet

And said she was sorry

She said I have felt that feeling

Of feeling solitary

I will forever thank her

For getting me to my feet

For listening to what I said

For accepting me

For somehow seeing

That feeling

It’s Not You…It’s Me

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No, this isn’t a breakup. 

The year is finally coming to an end, so that unfortunately means that the Blog has to say goodbye. 

But, not for long! Give us two months, and we’ll be back in business. 

Thank you for reading all of our posts this year! Thank you for all of the thoughtful comments! And, thank you for staying subscribed! 

And, Quincy, if you’re reading this, we’ll see you next year…

Till then, 

2021 Blog Staff

Evan Spry, Jake Sonderman, Roman Rickwood, Elizabeth Shay, Sara Habibipour, Hannah Hall, Erik Bearman, Quintus Ni, and Ms. Zachik

Rats in the Kitchen??!!

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Hannah is not grateful, actually, for rats in the kitchen. She is grateful for cooking. The kitchen is her happy place. Here, she shares one of her favorite recipes (that might, or might not, include rats).

by Hannah Hall

One thing I am grateful for is the ability to cook. I find myself in the kitchen almost all the time, not because I am hungry, but because it is my happy place. This is because whether I am making food for myself or others, it always brings a smile to somebody’s face. 

And, recently, since I have been hearing the word “ratatouille” thrown around a lot, thanks to the internet extravaganza that is Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical, I have been pondering about this iconic French stewed vegetable dish. This inspired me to dig up an old Cheesy Ratatouille Casserole recipe and share it with the blog. This ratatouille recipe, however, is seriously the farthest thing from traditional (as you can tell by the Americanized name). It is just a fun meal I got from a magazine when I was a youngin’.

Usually, I like to serve it with some rice, butter, n’ chicken, but if you’re feeling something else, try it on some dough as a flatbread, or instead with some pappardelle for a pasta dish! So together, let’s grab our utensils, and get to cooking!

Cheesy Ratatouille Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1 small yellow onion (more or less)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 4 baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 eggplant
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½  tbsp balsamic vinegar (as much or as little as you like)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes (~28oz)
  • **1 cup red beans (not kidney beans) OPTIONAL**
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp fennel seeds
  • ⅛ tsp ground coriander (you can replace this and the 4 spices above with 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning if you don’t wanna find all the spices)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • **1-2 cup your choice of mixed shredded cheeses (eg. parmesan/mozzarella/provolone/gruyere/asiago…etc)**
  • Fresh basil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Finely chop onion and garlic. Roughly chop zucchini, pepper, eggplant, and mushrooms.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot. Cook onion and garlic for 3 mins.
  4. Add salt, pepper, veggies, balsamic and extra oil. Cook for 7 minutes, or until golden colored. 
  5. Add tomatoes, beans, and spices. Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Stir occasionally. 
  6. Check if it is at the thickness you want, and, if it is, move on to step 7. 
  7. Transfer all of it into the casserole dish, and top with the cheese.
  8. Place in the oven uncovered for 30 mins or until the cheese is melted and browned. 
  9. Serve and top with fresh basil! 

As Gusteau says, “Anyone can cook!” (even if you don’t have a rat under your hat). Enjoy.

What-are-you-Grateful-For Editor: Evan Spry

Call of Duty: Keeping Me Sane

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As Jake contemplated his response to Editor Evan’s “What are you grateful for?” post, he thought up of his favorite quarantine pastime, Call of Duty.

By Jake Sonderman

Saying that a shooter game is how I relax might be a shock to some, but, I am sure many people can relate to why I think so. Playing these games is, in a way, thoughtless. Many look to TV, fitness, listening to music, and art to let their mind relax. I also do these things, but since quarantine started, I’ve been playing more video games. I get to talk to Evan and take my mind off college work, work-work, school work, and the many other kinds of work that burden all of us. 

“Correlation does not equal causation.”

While the first connotations that shooter games like Call of Duty bring to mind involve blood, gore, and violence, I have not at all found that to be the case, most of the time. I would equate games like Call of Duty to dodgeball more than actual violence; players spawn into a small map and try to beat the other team by knocking out the other players or capturing a point. When a player “dies,” they either respawn instantly or wait for the next round (much like dodgeball). I am very critical of the claim that shooter games have made society more violent, as shooter games were introduced at the same time period as things like the internet and social media, which without a doubt have affected how violent we are as a society. But, as Ms. Mckee would say: “Correlation does NOT equal causation.” 

Zombies

If you didn’t know, a new Call of Duty came out recently set in the Cold War era, and I have to say I’m a fan. It has the much awaited arrival of the next zombies gamemode. If there is one thing more thoughtless and relaxing than normal Call of Duty, it is Call of Duty Zombies. It is a very cooperative game, and I have fun playing it with my aforementioned comrade, Evan Spry. Though I have to revive him many times a game, I couldn’t ask for a better partner. Sometimes Andrew, Co-Yearbook Editor, will join us (until his game crashes).

If it weren’t for this game, quarantine would have been much longer, I wouldn’t have stayed in touch with my friends, and the stress of senior year would have driven me pretty much insane. Sometimes, the small things like a game or a show can make a huge difference in your mood and well being. I am grateful for this small thing that has helped me stay calm, and I hope you all have something that has helped you through quarantine and will continue to keep you stay sane. 

What Are You Grateful for? Editor: Evan Spry

I’ll miss y’all next year

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When Editor Evan asked the Blog class, “What are you grateful for?” Erik decided to write about the friends he has made during his time at Palm Valley. *If you’re not included in this story, it’s a matter of space, not affection. And, there will be no Blog nepotism (except for my “separated-at-birth sister”Hannah!).

By Erik Bearman

Nathan Bosworth

Nathan and I met during Freshman year and quickly became close friends. He was always honest and wasn’t afraid to express himself. He was confident and a fantastic drama student. I regret that he left this year, but my memories with him are something I will always look back on with joy. Miss you, Nathan!

Andrew Hall

Andrew was one of the guys I met in eighth grade, but we didn’t talk to each other much since we were in separate classes. We also didn’t know much about each other apart from the fun fact that Andrew, his sister Hannah, and I share the same birthdate: March 29th, 2003. Andrew and I really bonded when we went on a school trip to New Orleans during our Freshman year. We watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit in our down time with Mr. Brooks and laughed over how funny it was. Over the years, Andrew has always been someone I can joke with, and I’m grateful for him because he is someone I can count on to make me laugh.

 Hannah Hall

Similarly to Andrew, I met Hannah in 8th grade, but we didn’t really bond until we took that class trip to New Orleans. We joked a lot, and she offered to be on my team during a group bonding game. This was something which meant a lot to me because I didn’t ask her to do it; she did it out of the kindness of her heart. Throughout the remainder of our high school years, Hannah and I have continued to be good friends. I am grateful for her because she has always been someone I can joke with in class, and she was a big supporter of my Biology Facts even when I didn’t think anyone cared about them.

Josiah Llapitan

On my first day of high school, I was super nervous. Many of my friends had left after 8th grade. I feared I’d have few to talk to. At lunch, I sat down with a group of new students. One of these students was Josiah. He turned out to be super cool, and I’m still friends with him to this day. I’m grateful for Josiah because he was one of the people who made Spanish fun, and he always made me laugh at lunch.

Chelsea Xu

I first saw Chelsea in the 8th grade, but we never talked because we were in different classes. This continued until our Sophomore year. She reached out to me, and we began to talk. At first, it was fairly casual, but we quickly realized how strong our friendship was becoming. We bonded over memes and our shared torment during AP World History. She is very artistic, and I enjoy listening to her ideas and plans for college and the future. I’m grateful for Chelsea because she’s been there for me during rock-bottom, she accepts me for my weirdness, and she never treats me like I’m crazy when I’m talking about my career ideas.

What are you grateful for? Editor: Evan Spry