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The Palm Valley School Student Blog

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The World’s Most Amazing Cats

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With the new semester, we bring you new bloggers here at The Bird on Fire. For our first post of the semester, we introduce ourselves and share a passion or two. Here in January 2026, we’re interested in cats, video games, new year resolutions, musicals, and–how can we avoid it–the news cycle. — Advisor Zachik

By 8th-Grade Blogger Jacqueline Pretorius

My name is Jacqueline Pretorius, or Jackie for short. I’m in 8th grade, and this is going to be my first blog post. I chose to write about my three amazing cats. I’ve had more cats in my lifetime, but these are the ones that I have right now and am closest to. 

All the way back in third grade I was practicing some spelling words with Grammy (my Grandma) and my online teacher, and one of the words just so happened to be kitties. Once I spelled “kitties” correctly, Grammy told me that we had two kitties in our dad’s bathroom. I remember being so excited that I jumped out of my chair and ran out of my room. I didn’t even say goodbye to my teacher. I needed to see the kitties now! I quickly told my brother Max about the news and continued going down the hall. We met up and saw our kitties for the very first time in their little cages. 

We slowly introduced them to the house, and once they got to the living room, they were jumping around all over the place. It was so adorable. One cat we named Blitzen, after the reindeer. Blitzen for a while wouldn’t let me sleep since he kept on closing the door without realizing and then meowing afterwards. Eventually, after a couple sleepless nights we fixed the problem with a shoe blocking the door so that it couldn’t completely close. Then a while later Blitzen started making toilet paper art. I love him so much; he is more than just a friend to me. Every day after school he wants me to chase him down the hall for a scritching session. When I’m lying down on my bed he will sometimes go on top of me, put his paws on my neck, and start to purr. He has made it clear he has chosen me by meowing profusely when I’m at school or using the bathroom. The connection we built together is so indescribable. He has genuinely made me so happy that I can’t begin to imagine what life was like before we got him.

If I try to move Blitzen’s paw off my neck, he will nonchalantly put it back. This photo was taken when I was ten years old. Now I’m 14.

But overtime Blitzen became the only kitty in the house, and he was getting lonely when I wasn’t around, so in 7th grade we got two new kitties, their names being Frisky and Sunny. They came from the same litter, and they are both orange–although Sunny has lighter fur than Frisky. Sunny has chosen Max by always being with him, and whenever Max isn’t giving him enough attention Sunny will drag me along into his room. He also really likes these little alien toys for some reason, and he will run around to get them till we think it’s time to stop. He is cute, but also very manipulative when it comes to treats. Whenever we are in the kitchen he will meow or sometimes he will lead us to the cat treats.

Sunny comes to my room and meows, then goes to the cat tower and constantly looks back to see if I’m still there, and once there he will show me his furry tummy.

Frisky on the other hand helps Dad (a tele-radiologist) with the cat scans on his desk, occasionally turning off his computer monitor. Frisky has this specific spot that he leads me to so that he can be scritched. He is very playful since whenever you pet him he will try to bite and paw you, but it’s in a friendly way since he purrs throughout. Every night before bedtime we play with the kitties in my room, but Frisky has been too shy to go in. Last Christmas however we got a laser pointer, and he seems to really enjoy it so much so that his fear of going into my room when it’s play time has been conquered as he would not let the laser pointer get away that easily.

Frisky V.S Laser*

*(Above is a link to a Frisky Video: Just look at his head moving in sync with the laser. So cute! Also please don’t shine the laser pointer on your cat like I did accidentally as you can hurt them if it’s shined on their eye. Luckily he is okay!) 

All the cats have similarities–like using the chairs as their scratching post, even when there is an actual scratching post, as well as re-purposing random objects as things to paw even when there are cat toys just for that. Speaking of which, let’s hear their thoughts on these matters.

Interviewing my cats

 I understand if at first cats seem to not be that energetic, keep more to themselves, claw the furniture, and sometimes toilet paper, but it’s the bond you have with them that really counts.

We’re Back!

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Welcome to Palm Valley School’s 2025-26 student blog. Stay tuned for musings, insights, recommendations, reviews, articles, sports updates, and a new logo from the Fall 2025 blogging voices of Sami Alnabelsi, Sarah Alnabelsi, Soleil Antle, Mason Conway, and Morgan Richardson.

Introducing . . .

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. . . the 2025 Spring Semester thebirdonfire.org Blog Staff! This is an exclusive all-Middle-School staff. These Blog Staffers are crazy, rambunctious, and often–in the words of Ms. Maguire–they cause a “ruckus.” Catch their insights at thebirdonfire.org–now through May 2025.

Left to right: Blog Staffers Mark Huber, Greenlee Bartley, Sophia Nayfack, Dior Halum, Morgan Richardson, Soleil Antle, Sophia Bottine, Elizabeth Trevino Greenwood, Calum Webster, and Mason Conway. Reagan Kaminsky not pictured.
Blog Staff hard at work–definitely NOT standing on the table.

Blog 2024: Where Things Get Blogged

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Did you know that Palm Valley School has a blog? It’s called The Bird on Fire, and it’s back! Our holiday break is over;  it’s a new year; and Palm Valley’s blog is in full swing. Indy, Gil, Jackie, Oliver, and Louisa are now joined by new writers Jack and Jess. This means we will have more variety, insight, and sauciness posted throughout the remainder of the year. You can be part of the fun and publication by submitting anything you’ve written, drawn, or filmed to Advisor Zachik. Email her at szachik@pvs.org. If you want to get thebirdonfire.org articles delivered directly to your inbox upon publication, visit the home page of thebirdonfire.org and subscribe today.

Photo Credit: Derek Satterfield

Name That Blogger

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By way of introducing our 2023-24 staffers, let’s play “Name That Blogger!”

I asked our 2023 bloggers to write spatial autobiographies, detailing objects that define them (a prompt borrowed from Poets & Writers). Below, you’ll find excerpts from these spatial autobiographies; you guess which blogger belongs to which objects. (Hint: You might consider pulling from the vibrant-voiced pool of Indiana Behr, Oliver Martinez, Gil Maruvada, and Louisa Richardson.)

You can log your guesses in the Gil-created Name That Blogger quiz.

Blog Instructor Zachik

[A] Who’s That Blogger? _______________________________

In my room the lighting is horrible, this is because it is an old house which shows my ability to accept everyone no matter what age. I share the bedroom with my little sister with a little pink bunk bed situated on the left side of the room. I called the bottom bunk because I knew I would get to hang stuff up on the “ceiling” of it. Which demonstrates my ability to think ahead. What I didn’t think about is the fact that Morgan vomits when she’s nervous and she has thrown up on me twice this year. But that’s okay because it shows the fact that I am willing to learn from my mistakes, and choose the top bunk next time.

[B] Who’s This Blogger? _________________________________

When I think of an area with a large group of objects in my house, I think of my coffee setup. There’s lots of stuff, but a few of them make me think of several memories. My first coffee grinder was about $150 dollars, which for coffee grinders is not very much, and it doesn’t really give me the best results. I have several newer, nicer, models, and I really never use this one, and yet, I can’t sell it or get rid of it because of the attachment I have to it. I have a plastic Hario V60, which is a pour over device that costs less than $10. It was the first object of its kind I purchased, and its actually just as good as similar devices that cost hundreds of dollars and I still used it for years, until one day, I dropped it after brewing, and it cracked in two. I was able to purchase a new one that was identical, and it was still cheap, and yet still, it does not feel the same. Everytime I use it, I still miss the old one.

[C] And, Who’s This? ______________________________________

I walk around my house and see a bottle with germ killer spray and it reminds me of 3 years ago when we used it excessively to clean anything and everything that entered our house to protect ourselves from covid.

I also see a large clean green screen which was used to make movies last year for Mr. Griffin’s class. Reminds me of having to re-film a scene 20 times because Matteo didn’t like it.

I see a purple legacy edition LeBron James jersey which reminds me of the many Lakers games I have gone to.

I see a bookshelf with all The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books in order, which reminds me of going on long road trips and reading them along the way.

[D] And, Who Is This Blogger? _______________________________________

The books lining the shelves remind me of the stories that I’ve read, that I used to read, and ones that I haven’t yet finished. Every book has its own story, each one with different memories attached. How can the shelves bear the weight of so much thought? A small box that was used for holding cigars contains fossils and rocks, a gift in a curious container. You see the box was given to me by a man who used to smoke cigars in the house next door, the box boasts of holding 25 of them at one point. Fossils. A small model ship given to me by my grandparents sits on a shelf, the Mayflower. I was born in May, but I am not a flower, nor can I carry 135 people. A chessboard sits in the closet; I used to use it to play with my brother. It feels good to win. A telescope takes up a corner; it was a gift from a family friend who I met when I was little. Chance gave me the ability to meet him again almost a year ago. Sometimes chance is a curious creature; it has guided my life in many ways. People are born of chance, become students of chance, work for chance, and die by chance. Sometimes life is a curious creature. When you are at your lowest, you’ll never be there again. But, when you reach your highest point, you can’t live it again either. It might be best to just move forward.

Guess your blogger on the Gil-created quiz: Name That Blogger Quiz

Goodbye, Summer (Vacation)

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Welcome back to thebirdonfire.org. On the first day of this 2023-24 school year, I asked 8th graders to read and respond to Emily Dickinson’s “As imperceptibly as grief.” She was mourning the passing of summer in the poem. I asked how the 8th graders felt about summer winding down. Kimberly had not only a full reply, but one in impressive verse. She’s allowed me to share below. — Blog Instructor Zachik

First, Dickinson . . .

As imperceptibly as grief
  The summer lapsed away, —
  Too imperceptible, at last,
  To seem like perfidy.
  A quietness distilled,
  As twilight long begun,
  Or Nature, spending with herself
  Sequestered afternoon.
  The dusk drew earlier in,
  The morning foreign shone, —
  A courteous, yet harrowing grace,
  As guest who would be gone.

  And thus, without a wing,
  Or service of a keel,
  Our summer made her light escape
  Into the beautiful.

— by Emily Dickinson


Now, Kimberly . . .

As the days drift

With the hot breeze and the summer sun

A feeling of unfamiliarity emerges

A feeling of loss

But as the days continue

And autumn creeps up from behind

The feeling of hope

Leads into comfort and knowing

That everything changes, for better or worse

Seasons change like the changing of mind

A change of clothes and a different pair of shoes

The dog days of summer turn into the black cats of Halloween

Crisp warm days and chilly nights

And waving goodbye somehow does not seem so sad.

— by Kimberly Sayers

We’re back!

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We hope everyone had a fun and covid-free summer. 

We are accepting posts from contributors outside of blog class, so send any creative prose, poetry, articles our way. 

Our new blog leaders include our food-industry enthusiast Ike Spry, our sports-life writer Roman Rickwood, and our mystical-spirit guide Jessica Denyer.  

See us at thebirdonfire.org. Subscribe, and you’ll get our posts delivered directly to your inbox.

Back in Business

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Dry, barren, and blank. The whole summer has gone by without a single article from The Bird on Fire. But, the good news is we’re back! Question is: Are you? I would hope you say, yes. This year our writers include returning staff me, Hannah Hall, and Quintus Ni, along with the new additions Jake Sonderman, Sara Habibipour, Elizabeth Shay, Erik Bearman, and Evan Spry. Since we are currently in Distance Learning, the Blog will be rolling out with alternating themes every two weeks. Coming back from this summer vacation, I thought that the first theme should be something quarantine related. Quarantine gave us so much time to self reflect, and with this reflection came new-found passions…or at least simple fascinations. So, officially, our first theme of the year is “Hobbies/Talents/Things Learned During Quarantine.” With that being said, keep your eyes peeled for new content; it’s coming VERY SOON! And, don’t be afraid to leave fun comments or opinions in the comment section; we love to hear what you have to say. 

Catch ya on the flip side,

Hannah Hall

Editor Hobbies/Talents/Things Learned During Quarantine

Not pictured: Quintus Ni

P.S. New content arrives in your inbox IF you are a subscriber to thebirdonfire.org. You can subscribe on thebirdonfire.org’s home page. And, you are always welcome to visit the blog site.

Introduction . . . before the story starts

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By Doreen Yuan 

Welcome back to school everyone! This is Doreen. Over summer vacation, I learned about urban legends that were created by mysterious profiles on 2Channel. I want to share it with you here. But before I do, let me explain what 2Channel is.

2Channel (2ch)

It is an online Japanese textboard (a simpler version of a forum).

Management

The website’s scale and management style is unique. It currently has more than 1,000 active boards. They are categories such as “Social News,” “Computers,” “Cooking,” etc. These categories make it the most comprehensive forum in Japan. Each board usually has hundreds of active threads. Each thread contains up to 1,000 anonymous comments.

Software

2ch operates on forum software that was considered innovative at the time of its founding (1999). It represented a major departure from the bulletin-board systems of the 1980s. Everything can be done anonymously. A post in a thread will “bump” the thread, making active posts high on the overall thread list. Each thread is limited to a maximum of 1,000 postings, and a new thread must be opened by some anonymous user (self-elected) to continue discussion. This prevents the “rotting” of old threads and keeps active, fascinating topics refreshed. It also saves bandwidth, which is a major concern on a forum as large as 2ch. Old threads are moved to an archive where people can still view them until they are eventually deleted.

Anonymous Posting

One of the most remarkable features of 2ch is the complete freedom of anonymous posting. This is quite different from most English internet forums that require some form of registration. They usually require email validation to further confirm personal identity. On 2ch, the name field is available but rarely used. If you enter a real name, you will be considered a novice, an administrator, or someone trying to become an internet celebrity. 

The urban legend below is based on the premise of using the comment section of 2Channel.

The Mysterious Personal Profiles

as presented by Doreen Yuan

Meet the Characters:

Profile photo:

Online ID: No longer human

Sex: secret

Age: secret

Address: Japan-Yokohama

Character: cracks jokes, frivolous, outgoing and active.

What’s up: The real things are apt to be deviant.


Profile photo:

Online ID: Carry

Sex: /

Age: /

Address: /

Character: /

What ‘s up: /

Now, begin:

Join my Urban Legend. Make a mysterious profile yourself and become part of my story…. Below are some rules you need to know before I start to tell you my Urban Legend in the next post (check the comments).

1. The comment section is part of the story. Pay attention to it.

2. Anonymous users in the comment section are part of the story. Pay attention to them.

3. The characters named No longer human and Carry, who add comments, are part of the story.

4. Readers can leave messages in the comment section but should not intentionally destroy or try to confuse the coherence of the story.

5. Readers can respond to any anonymous character interaction in the comment section–that response may change and contribute to the story.

6. Do not use inappropriate language.

7. The roles and anonymity in the comment section are created by the primary story author himself.

8. The time of all messages is based on the time of writing.

9. Have fun, and enjoy it.

Editor: Luke Langlois

James Jams to “Jay”

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By James Zheng

Hello, everyone. I know we are reminiscing about our time during summer, but do not forget to enjoy the new school year. You especially must check out our school blog every DAY! Last year I did most of my posts about anime, movies, and games. This year, I will try to bring new and more creative posts to readers.

During my summer, I rediscovered a Chinese singer named Jay Chou. My only impression of him was from my childhood; the first time I listened to his songs, I  disliked his “lazy” singing style where you don’t know what he is saying unless you look up the lyrics. I did not have a good impression at first. However, one day I clicked on a video talking about the comparison between the top ten Chinese songs of 2005 and 2015. One of his songs was at number one in China 2005, and that made me interested in him again, and the things I used to dislike actually made him unique. 

Jay Chou’s career has always been marked by his dedication to the Mandopop (Mandrian Popular music) realm. When his first album came out in 1999, it was played everywhere on the street and soon made the top ten songs chart. Once Jay realized the opportunity was there, he charged up his music career and released more and more albums. His songs never get old, even though he has been making music for nearly twenty years. Each of his albums is still overwhelmingly popular nowadays around the whole of Asia. To give a personal comment on his songs, the complex level of lyrics and songwriting is still beyond most songs in recent years. 

So here are some recommendations. Some of them are more “James” subjective, while most of them are commonly recommended in the Mandopop realm. 

  • “Can’t Express Me (开不了口).” Released in 2001, this is the song I like the most. The change of the instruments adds a lot of improvement and meaning to the whole song.
  • “Secret (不能说的秘密).” Released in 2007, Chou also made a film with the same name. “Secret” is a light rock song.
  • “Common Jasmine Orange (七里香).” Released in 2004, this song is one of the most popular in Asia, awarded “Song of the Year” by the Asian music confederation. The lyrics are full of poetry and romantic meaning.
  • “Sunny Day (晴天).” Released in 2003, this is a charming song played with guitar. Nowadays, it is even more popular than “Common Jasmine Orange.”
  • “Nocturne (夜曲).” Released in 2005, this hit the top number one most popular song among the Mandopop realm. The rhythm is quite tranquil and smooth. Jay Chou also adds some Hip-hop into his vocal style.
  • “Silence (安静).” Released in 2001, the whole song remains almost the same speed and rhythm while being played with the piano. The song also has a strong emotional atmosphere.

And that is what I have for you guys. Chou still has tons of amazing songs to listen to, so check them out if you are interested. Try searching on YouTube, Spotify, Google Music, or Amazon Music. Lastly, I know that everyone doesn’t understand or usually listen to Chinese songs, but why not try it out just to see if you like the beat or the vocal style. You might want to welcome something fresh. New year, new music!

Editor: Luke Langlois