You are here:
DISTRICT | MIDDLE SCHOOL |
Ms. Magnuson's Home Page
   
New and Notable:

SPRING SPORTS II
Posted Tuesday, April 04, 2000
BASEBALL SEASON has begun! Players need the following: a cap, a glove, a jacket or sweatshirt for cool out-door practices, cleats (optional), and a winning attitude. Bats, bases, baseball fields, and coaches are provided.

GLOVE CARE is essential for the longevity of your glove. It should be leather, but need not be cost prohibitive. You can find a good leather glove for as little as 15 - 20 smackers! Care for a new glove is somewhat different than care for and older one.

NEW GLOVES
You must begin developing a "pocket" in your glove right away. To do this, you will need a baseball, the size you will be playing with, and a heavy rubberband(s) or string. Place the ball in the glove just below the index finger, where the pocket will be. Tightly close the glove around it, and fasten the glove and ball tightly with the rubberband(s) or some string. Leave it like this overnight each night until the pocket forms. Soon you will have the perfect glove! It will become your most prized possession!

NEW gloves Do NOT need to be oiled. Most are pre-oiled before you buy them. Begin oiling once the leather shows discoloration in the pocket area (where you catch the ball). Do not use too much oil, just a little bit, and rub it in the glove leather with your hands. Allow it to dry over night. If you do not oil a dried glove, the leather will begin to crack, and soon you will have to buy a new one. SO SAD, so don't let this happen to your glove!!!

BUYING A NEW GLOVE: It is essential that you choose the right one for your hand. If you are RIGHT-handed, and throw with you RIGHT hand, you need a LEFT-handed glove. If you are LEFT-handed, and through with your LEFT hand, then you need a RIGHT-handed glove. Don't let this confuse you! Lefties need a right-handed glove. Righties need a left-handed glove. It's that simple. Suppose you are in the store and a sales person says, "Can I help you?" You can say, "Yes, I'm looking for a RIGHT-handed glove." (because you are LEFT-handed). They should show you gloves that fit the right hand, but they might show you gloves that fit the left hand because they might think you meant that you were right-handed. ALWAYS TRY A GLOVE ON BEFORE YOU BUY IT! ALWAYS TAKE A BALL IN YOUR HAND WITH THE GLOVE ON. Does it feel natural? Can you throw the ball with the free hand? If the answer is, "yes," then you know that you have the right glove for you. Have fun shopping!!!

OLD GLOVES do not need so much special care. Simply oil as needed. Rub a bit of oil into the glove leather and let it dry over night. Do this as needed to prevent the leather from cracking. Real old gloves may need to be restrung. This ia a good option if it was an expensive glove, and it is your prized possession (that will be true if you took good care of it when you first got it).

Now, LET'S PLAY BALL!!

Independent Reading
Posted Thursday, March 16, 2000

CONGRATULATIONS to those students who have already read at least 50 books!!
~Maria Jaimes-6th. grade
~Huimin Zhuang-8th. grade
~Zhijie Zhuang-7th. grade

CONGRATULATIONS to those students who have read at least
100 books!!
~Huimin Zhuang-8th. grade

You are all doing a terrific job!! Keep reading and look for the new books on our shelves!

Spring Sports
Posted Thursday, March 16, 2000

"SPORTS DO NOT BUILD CHARACTER, THEY REVEAL IT"

TRACK and GOLF TEAMS (Spring)

The Season starts in April. Keep your eyes out for sign-up
sheets from Phy Ed. The time to start getting in shape is now! Take advantage of our early Spring this year, and get out and RUN!! (Do warm-ups first though, and don't forget to
stretch before and after your work-out!)
See you on the track!

"I'm gonna burn some dust... Eat my rubber!!
-Chevy Chase (Family X-mas Vacation)


Those of you in GOLF: You will need your own clubs. If you do not have any, you will need to either buy some, (new or used) or borrow some. A basic set is all you need. Also, a golf bag is essential! Get to a driving range, if you can, to get ready for the season!

"I'm a real Tiger in the Woods!"
-Billy (from Family Circus)

POETRY
Posted Sunday, March 12, 2000

TIME TO RISE

A birdie with a yellow bill
Hopped upon the window sill,
Cocked his shining eyes and said:
"Aint you shamed, you sleepy head?"

-Robert Louis Stevenson


POETRY CONTEST

Gabby, this should interest you! Literature students interested in Poetry Writing should see me about entering a contest for grades 7-12. You can win up to $2000.00 if you are 1 of 10 selected for every grade level. Your poem must not be more than 21 lines. You can enter the contest on-line, and can only submit 1 poem. Select your favorite, or most important work. You will type it directly on-line. There is no cost to enter! The deadline is in April. Fliers are available, with more information, for the asking! Winners will also be published!! I encourage all my poets to enter, OR ELSE!

What's Up in ESL
Posted Thursday, December 09, 1999

BOOKMAKING

We have recently finished our autobiographies entitled, "When I was Young in..."(Mexico, Arizona, Texas, China, etc.). These books are based on the book, "When I was Young in the Mountains," by Cynthia Rylant. Look for copies of them on the Middle School's homepage soon!


MAGAZINE ARTICLES

We are curently working on biographies for a magazine article. Students are interviewing their chosen "Person of the Year" as well as working on the design and layout of their articles. For samples of interviews, we read Mia Hamm's interview from last summer's USA Today, and Tom Hank's interview from last November's Nickelodeon magazine. Color photos of the interviewee will be copied to the front covers of their magazines. Also look for these on our middle school homepage in January!