Spring School Hairstyles #amazeballs

It's humid outside, and with it raining all the time we are getting tired of using to much heat on our hair! We are stressed out as it is with the STAAR coming soon,  so we don't have time to do some elaborate hairstyle that takes an hour. In honor of the spring season and a tribute to help our stress, we've found some easy quick hair-dos for you to do.

The first look is this flower-bun combo that is super cute and looks like it took lots of effort! To start you want to braid to where you have two folds on the left side. Hold the bottom of the chain firmly with your right hand, and with the other pull a little bit of the hair out of the left folds. These will be the petals of the flower braid. Continue doing this until you have reached the bottom of the hair and secure with a small elastic. Then take the end of the braid and begin to wrap it in a circle, with the petals on the left sticking out like a flower. Secure with as many bobby pins as needed, and there you have it! This cute little flower can be worn out and about causally, or dress it up with a fancy outfit. Either way, its easy, quick, and fun to look at. Check out our video here!

Next is this waterfall braid that is super trendy right now. To do the waterfall braid, you'll need to know how to French braid pretty well. Start at the crown of you hair, choosing which side you want the braid to be on, and start to French braid. Then, drop the bottom piece of hair and while still holding the other two strands, pick up another piece that is fairly close or behind the piece you drop. Continue doing this, dropping the bottom piece and replacing it back into the French braid, until the braid is ended at it's desired place. It will take a while to master this braid, but once you have, it is super stylish. Check out our video here!

The final look is the princess headband, or at least that's what we call it. For this hair tutorial you will need a head band and some booby pins. The first step to making this hair style is to pick out a head band that matches your hair color pretty well. Then, put the head band on top of your hair like a crown, almost. Take the front section on one side of your hair and wrap it above and under the head band one time, letting the remainder fall into the middle of the hair. Repeat on the other side, and then keep going back and forth from side to side wrapping the hair around the headband, and eventually you'll have a big chunk of hair in the middle. Take the remainder hair and twist it around the head band all at once, shoving any excess hair down into the head band. Secure as need with bobby pins, and the you're done!  This one is a little fancier than the rest, but you could wear it however!

Places to go over Spring Break!

If you're like us, you're probably super excited to have no school for a week, but once you get home, you have no idea what to do. Suddenly, the amazing Spring Break you imagined turns into watching T.V. all week. Spring Break shouldn't be a time for sitting on a couch, bored out of your mind. So, we found tons of places you can visit to turn your Spring Break back into what it should be, fun.
Road trips are a great way to spend your time during Spring Break. There are many places in Texas that are quicker to go to than trips around the country. For example, you could drive to a beach down on the Texas coast or visit a lake. If you want to go to a place with animals, you could go to a state zoo, aquarium, Sea World in San Antonio, or Fossil Rim in Glen Rose. Historical landmarks in Texas, like the Alamo, also make for a good road trip stop.
You can also stay close to home and still find cool places to visit. There are many local spots that you can spend a day of your Spring Break at. Destinations like a museum, a movie theater, the mall, and an amusement park are all sites that you can normally find close to you, therefore not having to travel very far.
 All of these spots can provide you  
entertainment during your Spring Break. They're enjoyable without really costing that much. So, say goodbye to the Spring Break couch potato disease because you'll have fun planned to last a whole week.  

JB project

Justin Bieber is one of the most loved, yet hated, pop stars today. In recent years, he has undergone many ups and downs within his career and personal life, and for a short while, Justin’s bad choices led to nothing but negative publicity. However, that is in the past.  Even though Justin made some bad decisions and developed a bad boy reputation for himself, he is making a comeback and is working his way back to the top.

From spitting on his fans to going to jail for street racing while intoxicated, Justin took his quick rise to fame and fortune for granted and risked ruining his career because of it. On top of it all, there was a lot of talk that he was on drugs and based on his actions, most people have no doubt that he truly was.

Soon after Justin started to receive hate for the bad choices he was making, he decided to clean up starting with an apology. In January 2015, after being on Ellen and apologizing there, Justin posted a video online of him sincerely apologizing for his actions. Not everyone accepted the apology or believed he had changed. Multiple apologies later, in late 2015, Justin released his new album, Purpose, which quickly rose to number one. The album beat the record previously held by the Beatles and Drake for having the most simultaneous Hot 100 Hits at one time on the chart.  He had 17 songs from his new album all topping the charts at the same time, marking the most titles that any artist has placed on the chart in a single week.

Justin Bieber is truly making a comeback, something most people doubted was possible. He continues to perform at sold out concerts and entertain his fans on his new world tour.  It is evident; Justin has truly found his “Purpose.”

Social Experiments

Let’s be honest, we sometimes don't wash our hands when we are done with the restroom. Some people don’t know how important hand washing is.  Just because we are too lazy to wash our hands, we can get ourselves and others sick. We conducted a little experiment here at CTMS to see how many people actually wash their hands after they go to the restroom, and the results were very interesting.
Most people don't think hand washing is that big of a deal, but they don't know how easily germs are spread. For germs to spread, all they need to do is make contact with another object/person. People don't realize how much they touch their own eyes, mouth, or nose, and how much germs are spread within school desks, books, pencils, and lunch tables. "Removing germs through hand washing helps prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections and may even help prevent skin and eye infections." says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Also, not using soap is like not washing your hands at all. Soap can cut the germs on your hands, but not using soap doesn't kill any of the germs.
The experiment, though, was interesting. We watched 20 people go in and out of the restroom, and 30% didn't wash their hands; 30% is a big percentage of people. If there are around 1,100 people in the school, then that means 330 of those people don't wash their hands. Imagine how many of those people are your friends, who you high five, hug, or come in contact with every day. Now, we’re not asking you to go and never make contact with any other human ever again. We're just asking that you take 20 seconds to wash your hands.  Those 20 seconds can save you from missing a week of school for sickness because we all know that if you miss one week of school you will probably start failing four classes and will have a mountain of homework the next day.
The moral of the story is: take 20 seconds to wash your hands with soap. It'll help you, your friends, and the school to be cleaner and healthier. Don't be lazy about it, hand washing is important.

Book reviews

Reading books is a great way to open your mind to new ideas. In our endeavors to complete the Tales of the Trail challenge, we recently read two great books, Matched and Stung.

Matched, is a dystopian novel created by Ally Condie. This is the first book of a trilogy.  In this story, “Cassia has always trusted their [society’s] choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.” (goodreads.com) After reading this book, Ally Condie became one of my favorite authors. Her stories are unique and different than other books I have read. I would rate Matched five out of five stars. My love for this book started when a friend recommended it to me and now I am recommending it to you!

The next book being reviewed is Stung by Bethany Wiggins. Ms. Kysar recommended this book to me, and I’m glad she did.  Stung is a dystopian novel set in a futuristic society. This is the first book out of a two book series. In Stung, “There is no cure for being stung. Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she awakens, her world no longer exists. Her house is abandoned and broken. Her neighborhood is barren and dead, and there is a tattoo on her right hand…a tattoo Fiona doesn’t remember getting but somehow she must conceal at any cost.” (goodreads.com)  Bethany Wiggins is my favorite author because of how she introduces the topic of the world being in total chaos and explains every little detail.  I would rate Stung four out of five stars because of the constant action and suspense on every page.

Stay tuned for two more book recommendations next month!

"Matched (Matched, #1)." <i>Goodreads</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2016. &lt;http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7735333-matched&gt;.

Wiggins, Bethany. "Stung (Stung, #1)." Goodreads. Walker Childrens, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.

 

      

Student Spotlight with Kiersten Sues!

 

We're back for another student spotlight with Kiersten Sues, a 6th grader with the amazing ability of archery. Archery is a sport where people shoot with a bow and arrow at a target. It's a challenging sport in more ways than one, and Kiersten manages to keep up with every single challenge.

About a year ago, Kiersten started to develop an interest in archery due to the fact that most of the people in her family compete in the sport. From there, Kiersten found she had a talent in archery and decided to pursue it. Now, she travels around the country and competes in competitions.

Occasionally, Kiersten misses school for a week at a time for these competitions. Of course, she goes to school and has homework like everyone else. When Kiersten's gone, she takes her work with her to stay caught up with the rest of the class.  "Education is first because without education I can't do archery in the first place. So, I have to put my schoolwork first, and if I'm traveling, I get all my assignments early and just travel and [work on] school at the same time."

Although there is the downside of having to keep up with school while traveling or competing, Kiersten sticks with archery because of her passion for the sport. She told us that she loves, "the challenge of it. Archery isn't really something I guess anybody can do, and it never runs out of challenges. You can always find something else to do."

Even though archery presents many challenges, Kiersten loves the challenges, and is fearless in facing them. Kiersten truly has an amazing talent, and it's one that she won't give up.

 

Why McDonald's is Bad For You

Everyone thinks that fast food restaurants are bad for you, and McDonald's is one of the worst. From our research we found out many abnormalities in the way they make their food. From pink slime to non-decomposing burgers, McDonald's might be the worst fast food chain in America.

  At McDonald's there are many items to watch out for starting off with old food. “While everyday cooked food at home will perish after a certain period of time, McDonald's burgers retain its fresh appearance for a very long time. This can trick many if the customers because of how long their food can last all because of the added preservatives they put in the food! The use of excessive preservatives is harmful to your health which McDonald's seems to overlook for gaining more and more profit. Next time, you eat a burger at McDonald's, make sure that you are having one that is recently made and not days before.

“The harm that such ingredients can do to your health can be mapped statistically as dangerous. Your Coke, French Fries, Mexican wraps, Chicken Nuggets and Burgers may seem appetizing but they are a deadly mix of processed oil and calories. Until and unless you are ready to run 7 miles straight after your feast, you must drop the idea of fast food at McDonald's altogether.’’
 Those are just some of the many reasons as to why McDonald's is bad for you. So the next time you want to go to McDonald's remember all of these things that come in to play when you eat there!




, Chandrima. "10 Reasons Why You Should Not Eat Food at McDonalds - Listovative." Listovative. N.p., 27 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.

  

ANIMAL ABUSEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#blessed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#swag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#yolo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😠😠😠😠😠😢😢😢😢😤😤😤😣😣😣😣😈😈😈😈🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼

When commercials like the one for American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) come on, most people try to forget about the suffering animals by muting the TV and/or turning away. However, turning away from the TV and ignoring the fact that every 60 seconds an animal is abused doesn't put a stop to the tragedies that happen in everyday homes to animals.

So, what is animal cruelty? Sometimes called animal abuse, or neglect, animal cruelty is when someone hurts an animal or does not care for an animal responsibly, like not giving a dog or cat food and water. It is against the law in all 50 states to be cruel or harmful to animals, even your own pets. Another example would be animal hoarding, which is when a person has more pets than they can take care of.  This usually leads to neglect and too many health issues to count. It’s a fact that 64.5% of animal abuse happens to dogs, but other than dogs it can cants and horses are other animals known for being widely abused or neglected.

Of course it's not only just limited to horses, cats, and dogs; animal abuse can be done in farming areas on livestock and other animals due to product testing on the animals. Each year 150,000 horses are killed for human consumption, not to mention some livestock are abused for their shows or competitions.

Some people even try to take their anger out on their pets by abusing them physically. "Studies have shown that violent and aggressive criminals are more likely to have abused animals as children than criminals who are considered non-aggressive." say the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). At a fur farm, animals can have the skin ripped off their bodies while still alive, prior to much more abuse. There were also many rumors going around that the infamous UGG boots also abuse sheeps for their wool.

Even if there are laws against animal abuse, the only way to completely end it is if we all get together to stop it.  There are tons of ways to stop animal abuse; all you need to do is Google "animal abuse" and a million amazing websites will come up with solutions to stopping animal cruelty. Some will include donating money monthly or annually to organizations fighting for animals, and some will give you helpful tips. If you see or hear about anyone hurting an animal, don't hesitate to tell someone or report it to the authorities. Remember, turning away from the TV doesn't help the animals that suffer every 60 seconds.

Cites:
"Animal Cruelty Facts and Statistics." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"Animal Cruelty and Domestic Violence - Animal Legal Defense Fund." Animal Legal Defense Fund Animal Cruelty and Domestic Violence Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"ASPCA." ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"PAWS - People Helping Animals." Animal Cruelty » PAWS. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"Animal Abuse and Human Abuse: Partners in Crime." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"Animal Cruelty - Animal Rights Action." Animal Rights Action. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

The Story Behind the Eiffel tower

 The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world and the icon of the city of Paris. Not only is the Eiffel Tower a beautiful place to visit, but it also has a long history behind it. There's more to the tower than the eye can see which makes it more unique than other landmarks around the world.

   On March 31^st, 1889, a 98,425 foot tall tower was completed, the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was named after and designed by Gustave Eiffel. Until the construction of the Chrysler Building, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world. It was first seen at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris as an entrance arch after being rejected to be placed in Barcelona, Spain. At the time, French citizens disliked the tower because they thought it was a waste of money, space, and resources. Therefore, the tower was only supposed to stay standing for 20 years until it was repurposed as a radio antenna. This helped bring in French television signals which helped serve the beginning of French television. After that, Parisians started to accept the tower.

  The Eiffel Tower also played a big role in World War I. During the war, it intercepted German radio signals and also acted as a communication relay for the French. Then in World War II France was overtaken by Germany. Hitler wanted to hang the Nazi flag from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Citizens cut the lift cables so the Nazi regime would have to climb the 1,665 steps to reach the top as a sign of rebellion.

   Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited places in world. It holds some of the most unique history in Paris, France. Even almost 127 years later, its history and beauty never ceases to amaze the people of France and its visitors.

Delp, Valorie. "History of the Eiffel Tower." LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.

"Eiffel Tower Facts: 20 Facts about The Eiffel Tower." Fact Slides. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
ParisCityVisions. "A History of the Eiffel Tower." A History of the Eiffel Tower : Pictures and Key-figures. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
"10 Interesting Facts about the 126 Year Old Eiffel Tower." MSN. N.p., 21 Mar. 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
"When Did the Eiffel Tower Open to the Public?"< i>The Telegraph</i>. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.& lt;http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/parisandaround/11505668/Eiffel-Tower-facts.html&gt;.
"The Major Events." <i>History of the Eiffel Tower: Events, Achievements, Records, Anecdotes</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.& lt;http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/everything-about-the-tower/the-major-events.html&gt;.
"20 Interesting Facts About the Eiffel Tower | Best Picture Blog | Page 11." <i>Best Picture Blog</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.& lt;http://bestpictureblog.com/20-interesting-facts-about-the-eiffel-tower/11/&gt;.