ISSUE II OCTOBER 2012

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING

IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER,

PANTHERS!

UPCOMING EVENTS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12

END OF THE 1ST QUARTER

OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 2

REGISTRATION FOR MOCK

ELECTION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31

HALLOWEEN RALLY &

COSTUME CONTEST

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

MOCK ELECTION

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12

NO SCHOOL

NOVEMBER 13-16

SPIRIT WEEK

Tuesday: Twin Day

Wednesday: Sports Day

Thursday: Rainbow Day

Friday: Pajama Day

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14

STAFF VS. STUDENT

VOLLEYBALL GAME

NOVEMBER 21-23

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

J.L. Stanford Middle School

480 East Meadow Drive

Palo Alto, CA 94306

(650) 856-5188

jls.pausd.org

JLS TIMES

The 2012 Presidential Election

Eric W. and Ling Y.

On November 6, Americans will face a

choice between two candidates as our

next president – Barack Obama and

Mitt Romney.

Barack Obama was born on August 4,

1961, in Hawaii. His father was from

Kenya and his mother was from

Kansas. Obama graduated from law

school and was the first African-

American president of the Harvard

Law Review. After college, Obama

moved to Chicago, where he worked

with churches to rebuild communities

destroyed by the closure of local steel

plants.

On November 4, 2008, Obama was

elected the 44th President of the

United States, beating Republican

candidate John McCain. He was

officially sworn into office on January

20, 2009. President Obama is running

in the 2012 elections against

Republican Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney, the former governor of

Massachusetts, is this year’s

Republican candidate for the

presidency. He was born on March 12,

1947, in Detroit. Raised in Michigan,

the presidential candidate graduated

from Brigham Young University in

1971. He also earned degrees from

Harvard Law and Business School.

The 2012 election is Romney’s second

attempt to win the presidency. He ran

in 2008, but was defeated by

Republican candidate John McCain.

Panthers, please remind your parents

to vote on Tuesday, November 6!

First Daughters & First Dog

Zahavah Z.-K.

Malia: She is 14 and her birthday is on

July 4. Malia is nearly as tall as her

parents. Obama shared, “Even though

she’s 5’9”, she’s still my baby.” Her

favorite activities include soccer,

dance, and drama.

Sasha: She is 11 and her birthday is on

June 10. “Sasha” is short for Natasha.

She is the youngest child to reside in

the White House since John F.

Kennedy, Jr. Her favorite activities are

gymnastics and tap dancing.

Bo: Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog, was

born on October 9, 2008, in Texas. He

was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.

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ISSUE I1 PAGE 2

Mr. Creighton’s Trip to Thailand

Neelay J. & Ling Y.

In September, Mr. Creighton, an eighth grade JLS

physical education teacher, traveled to Thailand to coach

the Junior World Wrestling team. He also learned new

training techniques to implement in his physical education

program.

Before Mr. Creighton came to JLS six years ago, he

worked at Aptos Middle School and San Mateo High

School after earning his teaching credentials at the

University of Nebraska. Since his father was a wrestler

and loved the sport, Mr. Creighton has participated in

wrestling most of his life. In college, after being inspired

by wrestlers at a NCA Tournament, Mr. Creighton

became the undefeated state champ and, eventually, the

1998-1999 NCAA national champion. One of the most

treasured honors awarded to Mr. Creighton was being

inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

While visiting Thailand, Mr. Creighton enjoyed

experiencing a new culture and meeting smart, creative,

and accomplished people from around the world. For

example, one of the athletes he met was Brandon Slay, a

2000 Olympic champion. Mr. Creighton also enjoyed

watching athletes train for the international competition.

He learned new techniques and strategies by observing

and interacting with the coaches and athletes.

Mr. Creighton created many goals before leaving for

Thailand. To better serve his athletes and students, his

number one goal was to learn new training methods

because he wanted to come back a better teacher and

coach. Everything Mr. Creighton learned at the

international competition connects to his physical

education curriculum and wrestling program at JLS. For

instance, what he learned addresses many physical

education state standards related to gymnastics, tumbling,

self defense, kinesthetic awareness, and flexibility. This

information also connects to the self-defense unit Mr.

Creighton teaches at JLS. !

Mr. Creighton’s Personal Mottos:

• “Never say can’t!”

• “I don’t live to eat, I eat to live.”

• “Train for your life every day.”

• “Win with humility. Lose with dignity. But darn it,

don’t lose!”

Mr. Creighton in Pattaya, Thailand.

Mosquitoes & West Nile Virus

Neelima V.

Hey, JLS Panthers, we just escaped the West Nile virus

(WNV) at its climax. Why did WNV spread in the first

place? This was because of an increase in the mosquito

population. According to Palo Alto Patch, a Baylands

cleaning project caused the increase in population. Since

the saltwater was forced to diminish, mosquito eggs,

which were dormant for almost forty years, resurfaced

and hatched during the restoration. These mosquitoes can

fly almost five miles without taking a break, spreading

WNV far and wide.

To protect yourself from WNV, clothing can help reduce

mosquito bites. For example, when weather permits, wear

long-sleeve shirts, long pants, and socks. Second, apply a

mosquito repellant to ward off mosquitoes. Third, don’t

leave stagnant water in places like planting pots. In

addition, clean your pool because any kind of stagnant

water is a perfect habitat for mosquitoes to lay eggs.

Usually it is hard to know if you have WNV, but look out

for the following symptoms: fever, headache, body aches,

swollen lymph glands, rash, or eye discomfort. See a

doctor if you notice any of these symptoms.

Remember Panthers, try to stay away from canals and

parks filled with mosquitoes, keep indoors at dawn and

dusk, and be safe and healthy.

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ISSUE II PAGE 3

Things to Consider this Halloween:

A Step-By-Step Process of How to Get the

Biggest Haul

Tara M.

1. The night before Halloween, remember to go to

bed early. This is your last opportunity to sleep

before the inevitable candy-induced coma!

2. Once you get to school, find a good friend who you

can completely brag to about your costume.

3. Go to the sundial court at lunch, where you can

find students showing off their costumes on the

runway. On Halloween, it’s all about being who

you aren’t, so don’t be afraid to make your way

down the catwalk!

4. Once the dismissal bell rings, get home FAST!

5. Stand in front of the front door until the sun goes

down. If you’re not in it for the candy (who isn’t?),

there are enough haunted houses to go around.

6. There is a very simple logic for house-hopping on

Halloween. Go to:

• the houses with Halloween decorations.

• the houses where your friends live.

• the houses in your neighborhood.

Remember to stay safe, Panthers, and only visit

safe and familiar houses or neighborhoods.

7. Check your candy haul. Even if your bag is

overflowing with sweet treats, keep trick-or-

treating!

8. Before you go to bed, don’t forget to hide your

candy from your siblings...and parents!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, PANTHERS!

Halloween Jokes

1. Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?

2. What do skeletons say before they begin dining?

3. What do ghosts serve for dessert?

4. What was the witch’s favorite subject in school?

Answers:

1. He didn’t have the guts.

2. Bone appetit!

3. Ice scream

4. Spelling

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ISSUE I1 PAGE 4

Spooky Halloween Recipes

Riya G.

Tired of making the same holiday desserts?

Try making something new this Halloween!

Halloween Layered Fudge

Ingredients

! 1 teaspoon butter"

! 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate

chips"

! 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed

milk, divided"

! 8 ounces white candy coating"

! 1/4 teaspoon orange extract"

• 2 to 4 drops orange paste food coloring

Directions

#$ Line an 8-in. square pan with foil;

butter foil and set aside. "

%$ In a microwave-safe bowl, heat

chocolate chips and 1 cup milk on high

for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until

mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared

pan. Chill for 10 minutes. "

&$ Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl,

melt candy coating with remaining

milk; stir until smooth. Stir in extract

and food coloring. Spread over

chocolate layer. "

!" Chill for 1 hour or until firm. Using

foil, remove fudge from pan. Cut into 1in.

squares.##

#

Yield:#about 2 pounds

Sweet Bones

Ingredients

• 6 large egg whites

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Put egg whites and sugar in the

heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set

bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Whisk constantly until sugar is

dissolved and mixture feels warm to

the touch, approximately 5 minutes.

3. Return bowl to mixer, and fit mixer

with the whisk attachment. Beat on

high speed until very stiff peaks form,

approximately 8 minutes.

4. Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted

with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, such as

a Wilton #1A. Pipe bone shapes, each

5-6 inches long, onto two baking sheets

lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake until crisp throughout,

approximately 1 hour. Let cool

completely on a wire rack.

Yield: about 18"

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Halloween-Layered-Fudge

http://www.marthastewart.com/342498/sweet-bones

!

JLS TIMES STAFF

Co-Editors

Neelay J.

Tara M.

Newsies

Rachel B.

James C.-D.

Riya G.

Michael J.

Neelay J.

Catherine K.

Grace L.

Naemi L.

Jessica L.

Nicole L.

Miranda L.

Yael L.

Tara M.

Matthew S.

Sophie S.

Neelima V.

Eric W.

Ling Y.

Nancy Y.

Lauren Y.

Zahavah Z.-K.

Faculty Advisor

Mrs. Coluzzi