Alicia's Post

Figure Skating

By: Alicia

Did you know that Jan 23, 2010 was the U.S. Figure Skating Championships? Rachel Flatt won first place in this competition with a score of 200.11 points. Mirai Nagasu took the second place who scored 11 points behind Flatt. Third place went to Ashley Wagner. The Olympic silver medalist, Cohen, did not perform well and fell to fourth place. Cohen said "It wasn't the skate that I wanted, but it was how I could appreciate the challenge and obstacles I overcame."

        Among the winners, Ashley Wagner was the only U.S. woman to make the Grand Prix final last month and the bronze medalist at junior worlds. In 2009, she won five competitions, one 2nd place, two 3rd places, and two 4th places.

        The Olympic team was to be named by the selection committee later.  They will consister the results from the U.S. Figure Championships, Grand Prix final, worlds, and junior worlds competitions. Who do you think will make the U.S. Olympic team?

Rohan's Post

Budget Cuts

By: Rohan

      Since taxes have gone down, public schools have been having a hard time earning money. Schools have been earning little, none, or negative amounts of money. They owe more money than they earn. Portal owes a few million dollars. Next year a hundred teachers in CUSD will be fired.
      President Obama made a new law, which is that every parent can put their kid(s) in any school they want. He did this because kids are being sent out of school and can’t come back in, thanks to budget cuts. Because of this, schools that aren’t performing well can have fewer students. They may have to close, sending the remaining students to find another school. Schools that are good (like Portal) will have many students because parents will want to put their kids in, and it will make it harder for them to manage. Due to this, Portal actually has more than five hundred people on the waiting list. Do you think money should come out of education or from somewhere else in order to fix the state budget? Why? Would it be fair ?

Agrima's Post

 Australian Open

By: Agrima

 

  After Maria Sharpova's (seeded 12th place in the tennis ranking for women) defeat in the first round, Svetlana Kuznetsova (third-seeded) became the first tennis player to get into the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Anastasia  Povlyuchenkova. This event happened on Wednesday, January 20th. Kuznetsova is a 24 year old tennis player who has done the Grand Slam Single Championships twice. Kuznetsova has a chance to reach the No.1 ranking for women tennis players for the first time if she can win the Australian Open title. Last year she lost to current women tennis champion Selena Williams after being a set-up and a break. She says that she is more confident this time and is very excited. "You have a new goal each time, and that's what makes it exciting" she says. Kuznetsova feels that this time she will probably get the title of the Australian Open. Imagine you're in the Australian Open. What goal would you set up for yourself, and why?

The Tortoise and the Solar Plant

Use the story "The Tortoise and the Solar Plant" on pg. 6 of your TFK to answer this question. Should three solar-powered plants be built in the desert tortoises' habitat? Be specific when explaining your point of view.

Savita's Blog

Earthquake in Haiti 

By: Savita

If you have heard the news, there was an unexpected earthquake in Haiti. Haiti is a country in the Hispaniola Island, which is the second largest island in the Caribbean. The epicenter of the earthquake was 15 miles from PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti. It happened on Jan 12, 2010 4:35 pm local time. It was followed by many small after shocks. The magnitude of the quake was 7.0. It was a powerful hit to the country. Thousands of people have died because of the earthquake. Can you believe they don’t have firefighters in Haiti to help them out? Buildings collapsed and one of hospitals had fallen down. Haiti is a very poor nation and it needs help now. Our country is sending doctors and medicines to help them. There is an organization named Red Cross that is also helping people in Haiti.We can do several things to help them. We can pray for them, donate money or supplies. We need to support them. What is one thing you will do (or could do) to help the people of Haiti? Should the U.S. help out this country? Why or why not?