Recently my grade a field trip with keep Durham beautiful and we planted trees. We planted three different kinds of trees serviceberry, poplars, and magnolias. When we first got there the volunteers and directors told us how to plant the trees they also demonstrated how to plant the trees.

Taken by my teacher

We planted three different types of trees. I had a serviceberry.

After we planted the trees we watched a documentary on trees. A lot of it was in German so I didn’t understand that much.

I had a lot of fun planting trees and it made me feel like I was more part of the community. I was really thankful for this field trip and opportunity and am glad  I got to do it.

Last weekend my indoor field hockey team and I traveled to Virginia Beach,VA for the National Indoor Festival. My team, Bull City, won our bracket. We won our first game 4-0, our second game we tied 4-4, our third game we won 5-1, our fourth game we won 15-0 an dour fifth game we won 3-0. NIF is one of the few indoor field hockey tournaments my team when to.

https://bullcityfieldhockey.com/

This was my second season playing indoor Field Hockey and also my second time at NIF.

https://longstrethsports.wordpress.com/2021/09/27/outdoor-vs-indoor-field-hockey/

I love indoor fired hockey so much. Indoor is very skill based so the players get to use their stick skills and improve their close up field hockey skills. Even though indoor field hockey really exercises your stick skills it doesn’t exercise your long distance passing/hitting and strength. Since the indoor field hockey season is over now I will be transitioning back to outdoor field hockey this will be challenging because I will have to get used to hitting lifting and strongly passing again. But I love field hockey so the hard transition will be worth

Thank you for reading!

https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-parks/2023/08/21/2024-warrior-games-to-be-held-at-espn-wide-world-of-sports-complex/#//

This past weekend I had a Field Hockey tournament in Orlando, Florida. This was called the Sunshine Showcase Tournament. This was held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/11/18/uxbridge-captures-third-straight-div-4-field-hockey-crown/

I am on a U14 (under 14) Field Hockey team. The tournament lasted three days. My team played 6 games, 2 each day. We played 11 v 11 on a full sized field. This tournament was different for us because most of us usually play on turf. It was also very hot for December, compared to the colder temperature in North Carolina.

https://endeavor.moffitt.org/archive/uv-rays-in-winter-the-other-side-of-the-sun

The warm weather may have been painful on the field it was nice to swim in an outdoor pool for the first time in months.

https://blogs.rochester.edu/thegreendandelion/2022/06/what-type-of-pool-is-best-for-the-environment/

For the tournament I played defense and a little bit of midfield. I love Field Hockey and had a lot of fun.

In LA recently we have created comics based on wisdom tales we read. These were short stories with different morals and lessens. We chose one of the stories we read and made comics out of them. I chose the wisdom tale: The Stolen Axe. This story’s moral is to not make assumptions.

Screenshot by me

Screenshot by me

Making comics was really fun. In was a more hands on activity than some other projects so it was more interesting. I loved making this and I hope to do it again soon. Have you ever made a comic?

This trimester for school I am in chorus for explorations. Explorations are the fine art classes the 5th and 6th grade rotates through, three every year. This helps them decide what they want to do for electives in 7th and 8th grade. In chorus we are learning many different songs. Three white horses, land of the silver birch, my paddle, up above my head, sound of silence, and ain’t no mountain high enough.

from Unsplash

In chorus we start with a warm up. in these warm ups we usually warm up be stretching muscles that are needed to sing and we do various voice warm ups.

from Unsplash

after that we play different games like monarch of the mountain, where you say your pattern and say someone else’s pattern and they say their pattern then someone else’s and when someone messes up the go to the bottom of the mountain, one part of the circle.

from Unsplash

Chorus is fun! It lets you stretch your creative wings and play with new ideas. We use songs that we learn and sing them in all kinds of ways. Do you like singing?

For winter break this year my family and I went to Mexico. We stayed there for 6 days and had so much fun.

From unsplash

While we were there we traveled on a boat into the ocean and caught fish to eat for lunch. We caught a tuna and a marlin. We left at 7:30 that morning so we were all very tired.

From unsplash

We stayed in Cabo San Lucas and the ocean was very beautiful! We could see whales from the pool! Cabo San Lucas has a long history too. It was first inhabited 13,000 BCE by the Pericú. The Pericues were taller and stronger than the average mainland Mexican. Their society possessed “modern” technology using wooden rafts and double – bladed paddles.

From unsplash

While we were there, we went swimming with whale sharks! We traveled on a boat through the sea of Cortez. Whenever we found a shark we would jump into the water a swim.

From unsplash

I had a really fun time in Mexico and hope to go back as soon as possible.

https://cabodiscounttours.com/a-brief-history-of-cabo-san-lucas-and-3-things-you-need-to-see/#:~:text=Cabo%20San%20Lucas%20is%20a,Paz%2C%20captained%20by%20Hern%C3%A1n%20Cort%C3%A9s.

https://www.visitloscabos.travel/blog/post/8-facts-pericues-tribe-populated-los-cabos/#:~:text=Although%20the%20oldest%20Pericues%20remains,Spanish%20first%20arrived%20in%201534.

Do you love thanksgiving? Well I do!

In the United States thanksgiving is a national holiday. It is celebrated with parades, competitions, and amazing food. Here’s some history about it!

from Unsplash

In 1621 the first thanksgiving was celebrated with the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag had a harvest feast. But thanksgiving wasn’t celebrated as a national holiday until 1863, during the civil war, when president Abraham Lincoln declared that there would be a thanksgiving every year in November. Even though this holiday seems like a time that everyone is being king  to each other. Many Americans believe thanksgiving is a celebration  created to disguise the true relationship between the Wampanoag and the colonist, oppression and bloodshed.

from Unsplash

These days, parades are a huge part of Thanksgiving. The most iconic would probably be the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade with was created in 1924. The parade usually has about 2 – 3 million visitors and multiple news stations, along its 2.5 mile loop. Marching bands, musical snippets, and giant balloons are just a fraction of the things shown at the parade.

from Unsplash

Here are ten of the most popular Thanksgiving foods.

1. roast turkey
2. stuffing
3. mashed potatoes
4. green bean casserole
5. corn casserole
6. sweet potato casserole
7. honey glazed brussel sprouts
8. cranberry sause
9. pecan pie
10. pumpkin pie

from Unsplash

I know lots of people celebrate Thanksgiving in America. But what about all around the world?

How many countries celebrate thanksgiving around the world? Here’s a small list of some of the countries.

• America
• Canada
• Brazil
• Germany
• Australia
• Switzerland
• The Netherlands
• Grenada
• Japan
• Liberia
• South India
• Ghana

Many countries celebrate thanksgiving but not all in the same way.

Germany’s equivalent of Thanksgiving harvest is called Erntedankfest which means,“harvest festival of thanks”. In Japan they celebrate Kinro Kansha no Hi, a holiday where people send thank you cards to policemen, firefighters or other municipal workers.

Now you know that Thanksgiving is celebrated all around the world!

from unsplash

Maybe next Thanksgiving you can think about other people’s Thanksgivings and how they’re celebrating then.

https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

https://www.sidechef.com/collections/1624/top-10-thanksgiving-foods/

https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a41507294/what-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/

What is Halloween? Halloween is holiday that is celebrated on October 31st every year. Halloween originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would wear costumes to ward off evil sprits. Samhain was turned into All Saints Day by Pope Gregory the 3rd. All Saints Day was designated to November 1st. the night be for All Saints Day was called All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Due to the fact that All Hallows Eve was during the harvest people feasted and warded off evil spirits with costumes, which led to common Halloween traditions like Trick to Treating and dressing up in costumes. Halloween may send some people the image of kids running through the streets collecting candy in bags and wearing crazy costumes. but Halloween is celebrated in so many different ways. For example in Italy different traditions are celebrated in different regions, in Sicily the deceased rise from the dead and present gifts to well behaved children.

(From Unsplash by Karsten Winegeart)

In Ireland, where Halloween was created, people can celebrate halloween by trick or treating and then going to Halloween parties, at these parties people tie apples on strings and hand them and people see if they are able to take a bite out of then apple that is called “snap apple” they can also bob for apples, parents may also arrange treasure hunt with candy or sweets as the “treasure”. a traditional Irish food eaten on Halloween is Barnbrack fruit cake like thing that can tell the persons future based on what they find in it, like a fortune cookie. children are also known to play tricks on their neighbors, like the “knock-a-dolly’ a prank where kids ring the door bells and run away before the door is opened.

(From on slash by Simone Pellagrini)

Now let’s talk about candy!

Here’s a list of the most popular candy per state.

• Alabama: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Alaska: Snickers
• Arizona: Skittles
• Arkansas: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• California: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Colorado: Original M&Ms
• Connecticut: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Delaware: Starburst
• Florida: Milky Way
• Georgia: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Hawaii: Original M&Ms
• Idaho: Snickers
• Illinois: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Indiana: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Iowa: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Kansas: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Kentucky: Butterfinger
• Louisiana: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Maine: Kit Kat
• Maryland: Milky Way
• Massachusetts: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Michigan: Starburst
• Minnesota: Skittles
• Mississippi: Kit Kat
• Missouri: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Montana: Hot Tamales
• Nebraska: Milky Way
• Nevada: Kit Kat
• New Hampshire: Original M&Ms
• New Jersey: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• New Mexico: Kit Kat
• New York: Kit Kat
• North Carolina: Snickers
• North Dakota: Skittles
• Ohio: Original M&Ms
• Oklahoma: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Oregon: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Pennsylvania: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Rhode Island: Snickers
• South Carolina: Kit Kat
• South Dakota: Kit Kat
• Tennessee: Skittles
• Texas: Starburst
• Utah: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Vermont: Hot Tamales
• Virginia: Kit Kat
• Washington: Skittles
• West Virginia: Kit Kat
• Wisconsin: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
• Wyoming: Original M&Ms

What your favorite candy? Does it match up with any of the states?

Anyways halloween is about traditions, candy, and of course fun! so I hope you have an amazing Halloween this year and every year after that!

Happy Halloween!

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween

https://www.realsimple.com/most-popular-halloween-candy-6755282

Over my school fall break I traveled with my family to Disney land in Orlando, Florida and universal in Orlando, Florida. we spent two days in Universal and two days in Disney Land.

from unsplash (magic kingdom castle)

In Disney we went to animal kingdom, magic kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood studios, and Tomorrowland. In Magic Kingdom we when on The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Tron, The People Mover, Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Carousel Of Progress, and The Haunted Mansion.

from Unsplash (the Epcot ball)

In Epcot we went on Space Ship Earth, Test Track, Soaring Over California, Frozen ever after, Guardians of the galaxy: cosmic rewind, and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. while we were at Epcot it was the international food and wine festival, where there are stands with food Fromm all around the world.

from unsplash (rocks in the animal kingdom)

We also went to animal kingdom where we went on the Na’vi river journey, the avatar flight of passage , and exhibition Everest. Animal kingdom was pretty cool because of the rocks that appeared to be floating they really tied the whole theme together.

From Unsplash (tower of terror)

Finally we when to Hollywood studios there we when on the tower of terror,  the rock ‘n’ rollercoaster, Star Wars rise of the resistance,  slinky dog dash, and Mickey and Minnie’s runaway railroad. By far my fav orbite ride from Hollywood studios was Star Wars rise of te resistance because it wasn’t just a roller coaster it was an experience, you would ride a little walk a little and stand a little.

Next is universal!

From unsplash (diagon alley)

universal was amazing we when goin so many rides! We when on flight of the hippogriff, harry potter and the forbidden journey,  harry poter and te escape from gringots, the  hulk,  hagrid’s magical creatures motorbike adventure, the Simpsons ride,  Hollywood rip ride rock it,  Jurassic world’s velocicoaster, skull island: reign of Kong, transformers, Jurassic park, race through new your starring jimmy fallon, the hog warts express, fast and furious, and despicable me minion mayhem.

From unslash (the velocicoaster)

I loved being in Disney and universal and hope to go back there soon!

Have you ever been to Disney or universal? If so whats your favorite ride or expiriance?

From unsplash (tron)

I love Field Hockey! I’ve been playing for two years and I’m playing in my third season with Bull City. Bull City is the Field Hockey team I play with.

(A screen shot from the Bull City website)

I love going to practice and playing with my team. I also love going to Field Hockey tournaments and play days. I have a purple pro bow Osaka stick.

(Taken by me)

During tournaments I usually play defense. I like playing in games because I can just have fun but I still learn new things about the game and improve my stick skills. I love field hockey and you should try it too!