the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Powered by Genesis

Portable Poem Day

April 23, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Leo Milmet

As many PVS students already know, on Tuesday, April 24, Palm Valley will be celebrating Portable Poetry Day. Essentially, the students will celebrate by wearing a word on themselves in some way. Below is Mr. Griffin’s release for Portable Poetry Day, where you can learn all about how we’re celebrating Portable Poetry Day at PVS.

If you need a couple of ideas for words, check below the poster for a few interesting words that might just tickle your fancy.

National Poetry Week

TUESDAY, APRIL 24

PORTABLE POETRY DAY

RELEASE THE MAGIC OF WORDS!

BE THE POEM YOU ARE!

Instructions:

  1. COME UP WITH YOUR MOST FANTABULOUSLY EXPRESSIVE WORD. ADJECTIVE, NOUN, ADVERB, VERB–WHATEVER. THIS WILL BE YOUR WORD FOR THE DAY.
  2. ON TUESDAY, APRIL 24-–WEAR IT PORTABLY SOMEWHERE ON YOUR SELF:
  • PINNED OR TAPED TO YOUR SHIRT, FRONT OR BACK
  • ON YOUR SHOE, ON YOUR SOCK
  • ON YOUR PANTS, ON YOUR SKIRT
  • ON YOUR HAT, IN YOUR HAIR
  • ON YOUR FACE, ON YOUR NOSE, ON YOUR EAR
  • THINK AHEAD AND HAVE IT PRINTED ON A T-SHIRT

(Dress code is still in force, but you may wear any alternate clothing that is directly related to your WORD: a hat, a scarf, a shirt, etc.)

  1. ON TUESDAY:  ALL THROUGH THE MORNING, PUT YOURSELF TOGETHER WITH CLASSMATES & FRIENDS & TEACHERS TO FORM WILDLY IMAGINATIVE POEMS THAT ARE PORTABLE!
  2. AT LUNCH IN MR. GRIFFIN’S ROOM, WORDS AND POEMS WILL BE VOTED ON AND PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED:
  • MOST HILARIOUS WORD
  • MOST ATTRACTIVE WORD
  • MOST EXOTIC (UNUSUAL) WORD
  • MOST MEANINGFUL COMBO
  • MOST SURPRISING COMBO
  • 2018’s MOST PORTABLY FANTASTIC POEM

Some of our favorite words here in Blog Class:

  • Orwellian
  • Vertebrate
  • Coniferous
  • Crepuscular
  • Antidisestablishmentarianism
  • Astroturfing  

Editor: AJ Patencio

Filed Under: Culture, Current News, Letters, Poetry, School Events Tagged With: Leo Milmet, National Poetry Month, Poetry Week, Portable Poetry Day

Writer’s Block

April 20, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Renée

 

In the absence of

time.

Unaccompanied by

fate.

Not having the use or benefit of

magic.

Lacking

experience

Short of

patience.

Deprived of

stability.

In need of

direction.

Wanting

accomplishment.

Needing

support.

Requiring

humility.

In circumstances in which the desired action does not happen,

write.

Editor: Bella Bier

Filed Under: Advice, Letters, Poetry Tagged With: Renée, without, Writer's Block

Mythological Misunderstandings

April 18, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Graphic by Harlow Berny

By Harlow Berny

I. Love. Fairy tales. If it has magic(k), mythical creatures, or an interesting and emotionally deep plot, then chances are that I’ll like it. But the thing that sets me off the most is when there’s a misunderstanding of something important about the magic(k) or mythical creature involved in the story. Here are some of the mistakes that upset me the most.

Types of Magic(k). There are two main types: magic (simple things like pulling a rabbit out of a hat and someone using cards for a reading) and magick (occult magick such as divination and summoning a demon). The two main types of magic are not black magic and white magic. The terms black magic and white magic can be construed as racist terms made to separate the “evil, impure, and barbaric” African magic from the “good, pure, and refined” European magic. These insensitive terms are often used by people who are new to the community and mean well or people who are just using magic(k) for show/money.

Occult vs. Cult. These words do look very similar, but they certainly do not mean the same thing. Occult simply refers to anything that can’t be explained by science, while cult refers to a group that worships a particular being or object. It can be confusing to people who haven’t been told the difference, and thus has caused misrepresentation of both subjects. One example would be the game Yandere Simulator (Warning: This game would likely be rated M for Mature by the ESRB–Entertainment Software Raters Board–if it wasn’t still in development) which has an Occult Club that the player can join. When you join the club, however, you participate in cult activities such as demon summoning and sacrifice.

Satyr vs. Faun. What does a satyr have to do with a female deer? Nothing. What you’re thinking of is a fawn. A faun is a creature from Roman mythology that can be male or female and has goat legs, horns, ears, and tail with a human torso, head, arms, and hands. They typically play pan flutes, drink wine, and have an affinity for romance. Sounds familiar? That’s because many people use the word “satyr” for creatures like that, when a satyr is really a different creature from Greek mythology. A satyr is a middle-aged (or older) man with a long beard, pointed ears, a donkey tail, and a goat or enlarged human phallus that is permanently erect. They are almost always ugly and drunk, have extreme lust for women, and play a pipe flute. These creatures are from different cultures and are quite certainly different species.

Chimera vs. Manticore. For the last misunderstanding, we have two mythical creatures that I don’t see very often. A manticore comes from Persian mythology and has a lion body, human head or face, and a scorpion tail. Sometimes a manticore has poisonous spikes on a lion tail, and some modern depictions give it large bat wings. A chimera is from Greek mythology and is a female creature with a lion head, goat body, and serpent tail. Some modern depictions call any monster that is a combination of multiple animals a chimera.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Filed Under: Culture, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Letters Tagged With: Harlow Berny, Mythological Misunderstandings

Pete’s Declassified School Survival Guide: The Essay

April 11, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Peter Kadel, Senior Survival Scout

Essays, the go-to assignment of choice for English teachers everywhere. Ranging from 1 page to 100 pages, throughout your high-school career you will write so many essays and papers that it is likely that one of them will resemble the works of Shakespeare. But, what if all of them could be as good as the great William Shakespeare? Today, here at Pete’s Declassified, we are going to teach you how to write essays that are so good they will make your teacher question the very fabric of the universe and move to Thailand to discover inner peace. So fasten your seatbelts everyone! It’s time to learn.

  1. First, you need to consider your deadline. The best concepts can be ruined by spending too much time worrying about staying on topic and making sense. The best time to write a wonderful essay are the first 48 hours after the essay has been assigned; if you wait any longer your ideas will be lost forever. So, as soon as an essay is assigned, check yourself out of school, and go home. Once you are home, lock all of the doors and retreat to your lair to begin writing.
  2. During your 48-hour writing marathon, you are going to need to fuel your mind and body so you have enough energy to write a wonderful essay. While coffee may sound like the right choice, it’s not. Your best bet is to embrace your inner mad scientist and concoct a caffeinated sugar monstrosity so potent that it will give you a caffeine buzz just from looking at it. My personal favorite is brewing my coffee in Red Bull instead of water and instead of using creamer I buy an iced mocha and use that as my creamer to maximize caffeine intake. Once you’ve got a gallon or two of that in your system, you’ll be all fired up to write an amazing essay.
  3. Now that you are ready to begin writing your essay, you need to think about the content of the essay. While the subject will vary, all essays can follow the same template: hook, line, and sinker. The hook should be eye-catching and astonishing, so even if it doesn’t relate to the rest of your essay, use the flashiest paragraph you can muster to hook your audience. Next, comes the line; all you need to do for this portion of the essay is write as many lines/pages as you need to fulfill the essay’s requirements. Use as many quotes as you can; there is no need to reinvent the wheel here. The human race has been writing stuff down for thousands of years; it would be wasteful not to use what previous generations have written. My favorite resources to quote are the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta, the White-Gold Concordat, and business records from Mesopotamia. Once your line is of adequate length, it’s time to move on to the sinker. All you need to know for the sinker is that it should essentially sink your essay in reality. Bring it down. Crush it like reality crushes all high-school students.

If you follow all of these steps, your essays will bring a tear to your teacher’s eye and an “A” to your report card. You’re welcome.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Filed Under: Advice, Letters, School Events, The World Tagged With: Pete's Declassified, Survival Guide, The Essay

gurl power

March 19, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Poet Blogger Makena Behnke reminds us March is National Women’s History Month.

 

don’t tell me how to wear my hair

don’t tell me how much makeup to wear

don’t tell me you don’t like my style

and definitely don’t tell me to smile

maybe in your small dumb brain you think it’s flattering

but in our big broad minds it makes us want to scream

screaming, though, is no big fun

our voices hurt and then get numb

though they turn to deep, hoarse voices

maybe then you’ll think we should have some choices

–women’s day is everyday

 

Editor: Shelby Armor

Filed Under: Culture, Letters, Poetry Tagged With: gurl power, National Women's History Month

Over 10,000 Views!

February 28, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

Shelby Armor marks our milestone.

Our blog, The Bird On Fire, recently reached a huge milestone. For the first time ever, we reached 10,000 views! The Bird On Fire was formed in 2014 as a Winterim course on how to create a blog. The first post was on December 18, 2014, stating how we have many fun posts to come. When Blog became an elective offering in 2015, we landed on our motto: “Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans” (Thank you, Gaige Griffin). Now look how far the blog has come! As we hit 10,000 views, we go back and remember the fun times that have happened since its formation. Who could forget Brennan’s exposé on the Doomsday Clock? Or Makena’s comforting poem on “Comfort”? Or Gaven Li’s famous recorded Blog-sponsored ping-pong competition? (280 views on YouTube!) We thank each and every reader for coming back time and time again to read our posts. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, and we are excited about where we’ll go in the future.

Pictured above is the very first post of the blog.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Filed Under: Current News, Letters, Media, Performances, School Events, The World Tagged With: Blogception, Milestone, Over 10000!

Be Careful Out There

February 14, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Advice of the Week from “Dear Claire”

According to Medical Daily, 24,000 people per year die from being struck by lightning, so obviously you should consider carefully before leaving your house. A BuzzFeedYellow article says 450 people die per year falling out of bed. So, the risks of getting out of bed should also be considered carefully–maybe just stay there and hide from whatever objects could kill you. Our day-to-day activities clearly are an adventure in living dangerously. Claire’s compiled some interesting, unexpected, and worrying ways to die. Watch out for the following.

(A list of “Unexpected Ways to Die” on Valentine’s Day? “Dear Claire” says, “Death can be romantic. Haven’t you read Romeo and Juliet? Thanks, Mr. Griffin.”)

Top 5 Unexpected Ways to Die:

  1. Eating a cherry pit: The inside of the cherry pit is lethal! Don’t eat it!
  2. Elevator crash (cdc.gov says 30 people die annually by elevator): If the elevator seems unstable or old, maybe don’t get in it!
  3. Vending machine falling on you: Even if a bag of chips is stuck on the other side, do not rock the machine; it may fall, and you will DIE.
  4. Electrocuted by a toaster: Don’t touch a toaster with wet hands; it increases your chances of getting electrocuted. Also, don’t put any metal in the toaster to fish out your toast (forks, knives, etc).
  5. Hippo attack (bbc.com says 500 people per year die in Africa via hippo attack): Hippos are more aggressive than they appear, and they are known for charging at smaller boats and capsizing them.

Editor: Brennan Nick

*Medical Daily referenced.

Filed Under: Advice, Letters, The World Tagged With: It's to die for., Watch for falling coconuts

A Performance on Puns . . . . A Play on Words

February 14, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Compiled by Shelby Armor and Bella Bier

It’s the last week of school before February Break. If you’re dragging–not that you’re counting the days,–here are some puns to brighten your day. Puns make us giggle. Just ask Holden.

  • Yesterday I accidentally swallowed some food coloring. The doctor says I’m okay, but I feel like I’ve dyed a little inside.
  • I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind.
  • Why don’t some couples go to the gym? Because some relationships don’t work out.
  • A friend of mine tried to annoy me with bird puns, but I soon realized that toucan play at that game.
  • I’d tell you a chemistry joke, but I know I wouldn’t get a reaction.
  • Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was just a soft drink.
  • When notes get in treble, bass-ically they get put behind bars. The alto-nate punishment is to push them off a clef and hope they land flat on sharp objects.
  • I once got into so much debt that I couldn’t even afford my electricity bills, they were the darkest times of my life.
  • Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I’ll show you A-flat minor.
  • When William joined the army he disliked the phrase “fire at will.”
  • Claustrophobic people are more productive thinking outside the box.
  • Why don’t programmers like nature? It has too many bugs.
  • Atheists don’t solve exponential equations because they don’t believe in higher powers.
  • Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
  • A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”
  • My friend’s bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast.
  • I got a job working in a hayfield. After one day I bailed.
  • Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It’s very time consuming!
  • What does a clock do when it’s hungry? It goes back four seconds.
  • Two windmills stood in a field. One asked the the other, “What type of music do you listen to?” The other replied with “I’m a big metal fan.”
  • What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
  • A girl said she knew me from the Vegetarian club, but I had never met herbivore.
  • Broken pencils are pointless.
  • Did you hear about the cartoonist who died alone in his apartment? Details are sketchy.
  • I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
  • There were two ships. One was painted red; the other was painted purple. They collided. At last report, survivors were marooned.
  • Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job? She couldn’t control her pupils.
  • Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
  • I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.
  • I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.
  • I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded.
  • I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
  • Bakers trade recipes on a knead-to-dough basis.
  • What do you give a sick horse? Cough stirrup and neighsel spray.
  • I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
  • Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
  • What did the mummy do for the talent show? She wrapped.
  • What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite.
  • Without geometry, life is pointless.
  • Someone just stole my Thesaurus! I’m at a loss for words.–Brennan

Do you have a pun to share? Reply in the “Comment” section.

Ex: From Peter, “We’re getting so many suggestions for headlines, kinda like a ‘title wave.'”

Editor: Brennan Nick

*Punoftheday.com referenced.

Filed Under: Humor, Letters, Uncategorized Tagged With: punny, punny day

Fundamental Love

February 7, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

We welcome Leo Milmet to the Blog Staff. Previously, Leo contributed as guest reviewer. More Leo reviews are to come. Today, he debuts with a poem. Leo says of the topic “Giving Back,” This is really something I believe in. The poem also serves as a submission to the Desert Youth Town Hall poetry contest honoring upcoming speaker Caroline Kennedy. The contest’s theme is “Giving Back,” named for Ms. Kennedy and her extended family who exemplify a dedication to public service and its impact on individual citizens.

 

By Leo Milmet

 

Why give back? Not because you should but for

Love of your fellow humans. Helping those

in need makes me feel good. I love all people.

All should be helped. Why? Imagine you were

a person in grave terrible need, then helped by one with a golden heart,

who clothed you, fed you, generously gave you enough to survive just one more day.

You would be happy. You would be grateful for their generosity.

Why? Maybe because they saved you from something,

or at least tried to. The golden-hearted person showed love for a fellow

Human being, a beautiful person inside,  like all of us are.

 

Empathy. Life. Humanity. Compassion. Love

for your contemporaries on this planet.

You don’t want them to leave forever, so help them.

 

Editor: Peter Kadel

Filed Under: Letters, Poetry Tagged With: Caroline Kennedy, Fundamental Love, Giving Back, Youth Town Hall

First-Word Reactions

February 2, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Claire Jenkins

When Claire fired the following bolded words at a select pool of respondents, she got the following answers. What would psychologists say? What would you say?

Female:

innovative

pink

brave

pretty

height

fashion

dress

Eve

 

Male:

ignorant

kind

controlling

tall

shoes

train

suit

Adam

 

Smart:

science

children

glasses

tall

math

Einstein

lightbulb

women

 

Dumb:

sad

willpower

blonde

none

wood

brick

Barbie

rock

 

Future:

bright

bleak

nonexistent

scary

watch

car

space

broken

 

Past:

important

mess

ugly

scary

gift

bone

1800’s

wrong

 

Present:

fleeting

falling

beautiful

fun

crying

essay

Trump

tiring

 

Alone:

surviving

sad

me

fun

cat

sad

freedom

always

 

Community:

thriving

bridge

friendly

YMCA

mold

gate

Palm Springs

belong

Edited By: Peter Kadel

Filed Under: Letters Tagged With: first response, What comes to mind when I say . . .

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

About

We are the Palm Valley Firebirds of Rancho Mirage, California. Join us in our endeavors. Venture through the school year with us, perusing the artwork of our students, community, and staff. Our goal is to share the poems, stories, drawings and photographs, essays and parodies that come out of our school. Welcome aboard!