Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Twilight Book Series Reviews

We are reviewing the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. Out of a total of five stars, each book of the Twilight series received four stars because they are full of suspense.

Twilight- This is the first book in the series. In this book, seventeen year old Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Charlie. As she tries to fit in, she discovers a family, the Cullens, who act differently than everyone else. After Edward Cullen saves her life, she discovers that there is something else that they are not telling people.

New Moon- This is the second book in the series. After Edward leaves, Bella turns to an old family friend, Jacob Black, for comfort. When he starts acting differently, she starts to wonder if this town is really what it seems to be.

Eclipse- This is the third book in the series. Edward is back with Bella, and Jacob, being a sworn enemy of Edward, is avoiding Bella. When Edward proposes to Bella, she has to decide whom she wants to be with.

Breaking Dawn- This is the fourth book in the series. Bella finally marries Edward and she then becomes part of the secret that the family has been trying to hide.

Written by: Amy and Kailey

Fun in P.E.

Right now in our eighth grade we are playing a game called hockey! Hockey consists of two rovers, two guards, two forwards, and one goalie on a team. The guard tries to stop the puck from reaching the goalie box. The guard can only go to half court on his goalie’s team. Now I’m going to tell you about the forward. The forward tries to hit the puck into the enemy goal. Unlike his team’s guard and goalie he is on the other side. Now the goalie guards the goalie box keeping the other side from scoring. The rover is the only person who can cross the half court line. He can be like a guard and stop it from reaching the goal, or he can be a forward and try hitting it into the enemy goal.
The rover is a mike of the forward and the guard.

That’s what we are doing right now, but soon we might get to go outside for P.E. and play kickball, football, and run around on the track and get to be able to enjoy the fresh air!J

THE END
Jack and Jeffrey

Jokes

Just looking around
A blind man walks into a store with his seeing-eye dog.
All of a sudden, he picks up the leash and begins swinging the dog over his head.
The manager runs up to the man and asks, "What are you doing?!!"
The blind man replies, "Just looking around."


Cross eyed rotweiler
A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet. "My dog's cross-eyed. Is there anything you can do for him?"
"Well," says the vet, "let's have a look at him" So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes then checks his teeth.
Finally, he says "I'm going to have to put him down."
"What? Because he's cross-eyed?"
"No, because he's really heavy"

Poison Bite
First snake: I hope I'm not poisonous.
Second snake: Why?
First snake: Because I just bit my lip!
~ By Creighton

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Optical Illusion

An optical illusion is a type of illusion characterized by visually perceived images that are deceptive or misleading. Information gathered by the eye is interpreted by the brain to give the perception that something is present when it is not. There are physiological illusions and cognitive illusions. Optical illusions can be a natural consequence of specific optical tricks that show particular assumptions in the human perceptual system. Can you see anything unusual about the tiger? Click the website to see the picture of the tiger: http://www.illusionking.com/the-hidden-tiger-illusion/
By Jacob and Phoenix

Quarter Holiday

The OAMS Student Council decided to have our third quarter holiday at King’s Pointe in Storm Lake on April 8. We have also decided to have an eighth-grade “Drug Free” lock-in at the school on April 17 chaperoned by Katie Bergman.

Lexi and Alex

Age of Empires 3

This game is an RPG (role-playing game) of strategy. It takes place in the Medieval Era.
You can choose a country from the following list: Britain, Istanbul, Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Germany, France, or Russia.
The following Native American tribes can fight with you: Aztecs, Carib, Cherokee, Comanche, Cree, Incas, Iriqouis, Lakota, Maya, Nootka, Seminole, and Tupi.
The cheats of the game: Tuck tuck tuck is the cheat where you get a monster truck; Medium rare please gives you 10000 food; give me liberty or give me coin gives you 10000 gold; and Nova & Orion gives you experience points for your army.

Ronnie and Christian

Movie Review

The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight came out July 18, 2008. The main actors or actresses are Christian Bale (Batman), Heath Ledger (Joker), Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Maggie Gyllenheal (Rachel Dawes), and Gary Oldman (James Gordon). The movie is about how the Joker comes in to Gotham and tries to kill Batman, and Batman has to try and stop him from killing a lot of people. It’s a great movie for kids and most of them will like it. If you ever want to watch a movie, we suggest The Dark Knight.

Danny and Tyler

Amazing Games

Mario Kart
Mario Kart is an awesome game for everyone.
It contains all the old school Nintendo characters and a few new ones. It is for Nintendo Wii and DS. It offers the cleanest video game experience in this age. Mario Kart is rated E for everyone and is a great family game. We rate it * * * *

Alan and Nate

Book Reivews

This time we are reviewing the Battle of Jericho and James Patterson’s series Maximum Ride. We reviewed four of the books, but he has just come out with a fifth Maximum Ride book called Max. The ratings are out of five stars.

Battle of Jericho- this book received five stars because it is full of action, has strong male characters, and teaches a lesson about peer pressure and what happens when the line between fun and games and life and death is crossed. Sharon M. Draper wrote the Battle of Jericho. In this book Jericho, his cousin Josh, and their best friend are asked to join the elite group called, “The Warriors of Distinction.” They start out as pledges doing various good deeds for the teachers, but soon the group turns out to be something that nobody thought they would be--forced to keep secrets and do various illegal activities. Jericho and his friend begin to question whether being in this group is worth the trouble if they get caught, but Josh is persistent and persuades them to stay. All is looking good, but on the last night before the pledges are officially members of “The Warriors of Distinction”, something so terrible happens it changes the life of Jericho.

Maximum Ride-Angel Experiment-this book received five stars because the kids in the book you can feel for even though they are different and have wings. You still feel like they are a part of you. It also keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. James Patterson wrote the Maximum Ride series. It is about six kids all 14 years or under named Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, The Gasman, and Angel, that were raised in dog crates in a science lab that they call, “The School” They were infused with avian genes while they were still in their parents’ wombs. Thus they have wings, can fly, and each have special powers. After they break out of “The School,” they start living by themselves, but when Angel, the youngest, gets kidnapped it’s up to Max and the others to get her back.

Maximum Ride-School’s out Forever-this book received five stars for the same reason as the first book. In this book, Max and the others are searching for their real parents. See what happens when one of them gets dangerously close to finding his/her parents. Also one of the kids is certain they have something implanted in his/her skin. Even though the chances are slim that if the mysterious item is taken that he/she will survive, the kids are divided whether to take it out or not. Plus killers are hunting Max and the others. And some unknown force keeps telling Max that she needs to save the world. But how?

Maximum Ride-Saving the World and other Extreme Sports-this book received five stars because it is very action packed and you never know what they are going to do next. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, The Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to beat the forces against them, but how can they work together when they are torn apart and living halfway across the globe from each other?

Maximum Ride- the Final Warning-this book received five stars for the same reasons as the first three. In this book the kids are in Antarctic helping to inform people about global warming, but some of the scientists there are trying to use them for something totally different. Plus Angel is missing again. Find out what happens in this thrilling book.

Written by: Amy and Kailey

Monday, March 23, 2009

Severe Weather

Severe weather
Severe weather is very bad; it can be dangerous death traps. There are many types of severe storms: tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and severe thunderstorms. Tornadoes are very dangerous because the can come out of nowhere and maybe the siren won’t go off. Tornadoes can kill you, and that’s why you need a NOAA weather radio. What’s the difference between a TORNADO WATCH and a TORNADO WARNING? A TORNADO WATCH is issued when the conditions can produce tornadoes. A TORNADO WARNING is issued when a tornado has been spotted or radar has seen rotation.

TORNADO SAFETY
• Go to a basement or in a closet.
• Put as many walls between you and the outside.
• Wait for an all clear before coming out.

That’s why Odebolt-Arthur Community School holds tornado drills and fire drills. We have these drills to help us get ready in case a fire or tornado breaks out and comes here. In case a tornado watch has been issued in an area near the school or in the county of the school, monitor emergency stations or NOAA weather stations. Bring all people inside buildings. Review tornado drills procedures and the location of a safe area. Review “drop and tuck” procedures with students. In case a tornado warning has been issued in an area near school or a tornado has been spotted near the school, shut off all gas, move staff and students to a safe area, and make sure the teachers take attendance to see if all the students are there. Remain in the safe area until the warning has expired or until an all-clear signal is issued.

In the event a fire, smoke from a fire, or a gas odor has been detected, pull the fire alarm. Follow the normal fire drill route. Some causes of fires include little kids with lighters, bad electric wiring, and gases.

Hurricanes are destructive because of heavy winds, hail, tornadoes and heavy rains. Thunderstorms have hail, bad winds, lightning and very loud thunder. Thunderstorms can knock the power out for a very long time. There are also snowstorms and icestorms. Icestorms make the roads very bad and really icy. They may also knock power lines down and snap tree limbs off the tree. If you are driving during these conditions, DRIVE SLOWLY, and watch out for downed trees and power lines. Snowstorms can be blizzards with lots of snow and heavy winds. If you go out during a blizzard, make sure you have a winter survival kit with you at all times. Have a red shirt on your car somewhere so police can see you.
~ Evan and Britney

Amazing Games

Rock Band2
IGN (a gaming website) voted Rock Band 2 to be the best family game. It is the sequel to the multimillion hit. Rock Band 2 contains more than 500 songs after downloading some songs. It is also the only game to contain AC/DC songs. It was developed by Harmonix. Rock Band 2 is a great game to play with the family. Out of 5 stars, we rate it * * *

Created by Alan and Nate

T.A.G.

T.A.G is an extra curricular program for students who received over 90% on their overall score on ITBS. T.A.G. stands for Talented and Gifted. This year, the new T.A.G. teacher is Mrs. Bergman. In T.A.G., we do activities that challenge the mind and help students learn responsibility. Here is a list of what the middle school is currently working on:

6th- The sixth grade T.A.G. students are Taylor, Jacee, Alex, Amanda, Beth, Jessica, and Emily. They are currently working on individual Power Point presentations. Every T.A.G. class they have to answer random trivia questions also.

7th- The seventh grade T.A.G. students are Grace, Levi, Hunter, Amber, Maggie, Taylor R, and Lauren. They are currently working on making a mini golf course where they have to make a design, make the model, and be able to explain how it works. They are also working on individual projects also.

8th- The eighth grade T.A.G. students are Amy, Kailey, Cailin, Lexi, Danny, and Alan. They are currently planning their eighth-grade overnight trip. They are planning on going to Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are also writing books and making games for elementary students in OA and doing computer challenges.

Written by: Amy and Kailey

Art

The eighth graders are completing a sketch in a clay slab. We could either choose to make a bowl or a hanging sculpture.
~Royce and Jake

Book Reviews

We are reviewing the trilogy of Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. All books are rated out of 5 stars.

Uglies- This book received 4 stars. It received four stars because it is hard to get into in the beginning. But once you do it is very good and keeps you wondering what will happen next. This book is set in the future where the communities make all their kids “ugly.” And when they turn sixteen, they have a surgery to make the kids “perfect.” Then the kids go live in a different part of town that no one but the “perfect” kids can go in. But when Tally turns sixteen the town officials make her find her friend Shay, who ran away before she got her surgery.

Pretties- This is the second book in the trilogy. It received four stars for the same reason as Uglies. In this book Tally and Shay have both gotten their surgery and are living with the other pretties. But as they live there longer they start to uncover many secrets about the town and the surgeries.

Specials- This book is the last one in the trilogy. It also received four stars for the same reasons as Uglies and Pretties. In this book Tally and Shay have received a different surgery and special abilities. The town officials call them and the others like them the Specials. Tally and Shay are the leaders of their own group of Specials called The Cutters.

Written by: Amy and Kailey

Physical Eduation (PE)

The 8A class just finished a badminton tournament, with the winning team consisting of Royce and Amy. Next, we played floor hockey. Currently we are playing whiffle ball.
~Royce and Jake

OA-MS Sports

The OA-MS football team completed the season with a 1-3-1 record.
The OA-MS eighth-grade basketball team finished with an 8-1 record.
~ Royce and Jake

Monday, March 9, 2009

Families

Families
At the beginning of the school year, the incoming sixth graders are assigned to the already existing “families” that consist of seventh and eighth graders from the previous years. There are a total of seven families led by seven different teachers. The family names and leaders are- Mrs. Fineran’s Spectrums; Mrs. Schmidt’s Centaurs; Mr. Walsh’s Shooting Stars; Mr. Allen’s Halley’s; Mr. Hofmeister’s E.T.’s; Mrs. Falck’s Titans; and Mr. Sturgill’s SuFaper Sonics. The families meet every Wednesday from 3:10 until dismissal. During family time, we do different activities such as going to the gym, playing board games, community service, or free time.

~ Cailin, Kara, and Laurel

Middle School Girls Dance

Jann Murphy has choreographed a hoops routine for the seventh and eighth grade girls. They will be performing at the Odebolt – Arthur Spring Dance Show and the BCIG Spring Dance Show. They will be performing to “Hey Mickey”. Dates for the shows will be announced later.
Lexi and Alex

Fishing Jokes

Safe to swim here?
While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting and old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, "Are there any gators around here?!"

"Naw," the man hollered back, "they ain't been around for years!"
"Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming leisurely toward the shore.
About halfway there he asked the guy, "How'd you get rid of the gators?"
"We didn't do nothin'," the beachcomber said.
"The sharks got 'em."

Fish cost a fortune
Two Virginia rednecks go on a fishing trip. They rent all the equipment - the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. I mean they spend a fortune!
The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch anything. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until finally, on the last day of their vacation, one of the men catches a fish.
As they're driving home, they're really depressed. One guy turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred bucks?"
The other guy says, "Wow! Then it's a good thing we didn't catch any more!"
I marked the spot
Two friends rented a boat and fished in a lake every day. One day they caught 30 fish. One guy said to his friend,
"Mark this spot so that we can come back here again tomorrow."
The next day, when they were driving to rent the boat, the same guy asked his friend, "Did you mark that spot?"
His friend replied, "Yeah, I put a big 'X' on the bottom of the boat."

The first guy said, "You stupid fool! What if we don't get that same boat today!?!?"

Did you see that?
Two guys are out hunting deer. The first guy says, "Did you see that?"
"No," the second guy says.
"Well, a bald eagle just flew overhead," the first guy says.
"Oh," says the second guy.

A couple of minutes later, the first guy says, "Did you see that?"
"See what?" the second guy asks.
"Are you blind? There was a big, black bear walking on that hill, over there."
"Oh."
A few minutes later the first guy says: "Did you see that?"
By now, the second guy is getting aggravated, so he says, "Yes, I did!"
And the first guy says: "Then why did you step in it?"
Catching many fish
A fisherman returned to shore with a giant marlin that was bigger and heavier than he was. On the way to the cleaning shed, he ran into a second fisherman who had a stringer with a dozen baby minnows. The second fisherman looked at the marlin, turned to the first fisherman and said, " Only caught one, eh?"

~ Creighton and Harlee

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

computers

The eighth grade students are working on creating sports movies using the iMovie program. Each student watches the movie then edits it by cutting and deleting clips. Movies are completed by adding music and by exporting into a quick time movie.
8B

Monday, February 23, 2009

What is Blogging?

An online journal that keeps people updated.

Blogging

8th Grade Computer class learns how to blog.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

OAMS Basketball

The middle school basketball team wrapped up its season on Thursday, January 22, 2009.

The 8th grade boys went 8-1 for the season while the 7th grade team completed a 4-4 season.