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Virtually Celebrating MLK Day

1/17/2021

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Since COVID-19 has prevented typical holiday celebrations this year, two of our reporters, Penelope K. and Zoey Marie, found a few virtual celebrations to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Take a look at celebrations they found below.

                                                                          By Penelope K.
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is on Monday January 18, 2021. There are several ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Two ways to celebrate are the 5th Avenue Theatre  rally and the Arlington and Encore Stage and Studio tribute.

The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington presented their annual Dr. Martin Luthur King, Jr. rally virtually this year. This rally was led by students from the Kent School District. This year the rally was live streamed on Facebook on January 15, 2021 at 3:00pm. I watched the rally and especially enjoyed the talented performers and speakers. It included musical performances, community speakers and student reflections about Dr. King’s work, life and legacy. I think you will enjoy the music and the performances too. 

You can find the Facebook link to watch the rally here:   
https://www.facebook.com/53497308832/videos/389719818919904 
You can read more about 5th Avenue Theatre and the Dr. King rally here:
https://www.5thavenue.org/education/theater-careers/mlk-rally/

                                                                  By Zoey Marie
Arlington and Encore Stage and Studio present a virtual experience honoring Martin Luther King. It is called the MLK Tribute. Music, dialogue, dance, and more are included as the online tributes. They have many specific options, so you can choose freely. It starts January 17 for free. You can find it at https://arlingtonparks.us/mlk-tribute/. For more information, go to https://parks.arlingtonva.us/events/2021-mlk-tribute-virtual/ or https://parks.arlingtonva.us/mlk-tribute/.



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Winter Break Book Recommendations

12/23/2020

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By The Hampton Herald Staff


In celebration of winter break, a few of our staff members wanted to share book recommendations that they have for Hampton students to read over winter break.

Penelope K.

Book 1
Wonder by R. J. Palacio 
Genre - Realistic fiction
You can get Wonder by R. J. Palacio at the library, Amazon, bookstore, or any store you can buy books.
     R. J. Palacio’s Wonder is about a boy named August Pullman who has facial deformities that had stopped him from going to school until now. Aggie becomes the hero in this story as he faces new and different challenges when he begins fifth grade. This story is about accepting others and being kind. “Choose Kind.”     I recommend Wonder to elementary and middle grade students who like realistic fiction because it is an inspiring and relatable story about a boy in fifth grade.

Book 2
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Genre - Fiction
You can get The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate at the library, Amazon, bookstore, or any store you can buy books.

Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan is about a gorilla named Ivan that lives in a cage in a shopping mall with other animals. Ivan is a chill gorilla that likes painting. This story talks about Ivan’s relationship with Ruby, a baby elephant that is new to the shopping mall.  I recommend Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan to readers who love animals and who like to read stories about friendship.

A​many A.

Book 3
  The Wizard of Oz                             
 By: L. Frank Baum 
Genre: fantasy                                           
 Five friends go on an adventure to visit the wizard of oz to make their wishes come true. In this adventure they have some problems. Read this book to find out more.
                         
 Who would enjoy the book/ Ages
 :                                            3-10                                                                  
 Where to get the book
 :           Towson Library, maybe your school library or a library.  

Book 4
Guest
​
Author: Mary Downing Hahn​ 
 Genre: fantasy​
 Two children go on an adventure to the Kinde Folke to get there brother back, but on their way there they meet more people and they have somethings they have to get through.​
Ages: 4 or more​
Where to read/ get the book:​ Library, school library, and library


Silas P.

Book 5:
    I would recommend the Percy Jackson series. It’s about a demigod named Perseus Jackson in a world where Greek gods are real, but so are the Greek monsters. It’s violent so second graders and under should wait. It’s author is Rick Riordan.

Book 6:
My second book is Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior. It’s about a villager in Minecraft named Runt who wants to be a warrior, will he be able to complete his dream? This book is good for any elementary student who likes Minecraft. The author’s pin name is Cube Kid (Erik Gunnar Taylor). They are both fiction.


Harper M.

Book 7:

“Blossom The Flower Girl Fairy.” by Daisy Meadows.
It is fiction. It is about these girls Kirsty and Rachel. They team up with fairies to try and stop Jack Frost. This time he steals Blossom’s stuff to have the wedding go smoothly. So Blossom, Kristy, and Rachel team up to try and stop Jack Frost. I would recommend this book to people who love reading about magical things. Also, I would rate this book an 8 out of 10. You can get this book at a library.


Book 8: 

“Allies” by Alan Gratz.
This book is historical fiction. This book is about D-day. It is all about these people who try to survive. There are many adventures in this book. I would recommend this book to people who love adventure. You can get this book on line or the scholastic book fair.

Zoey D.

Book 9

The book series I recommend kids to read is the Wayside School series by Louis Sachar. The genres of the books are humor and fiction. Each book is about the crazy things that happen at a three-story tall elementary school called Wayside School. From the teachers, students, cafeteria ladies, and more who work there, the story is a must-have comedy for kids (I know, I sound like a person in one of those Scholastic Bookfair ads). Any kid that loves whacky stories will love this book. You can find one at a nearby convenience store such as Target or a bookstore such as Barnes & Noble in Towson, MD.

Book 10

Another book that I find interesting and other kids may as well is Jack: The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff. The genre of the book is Fairy Tale. It is about a boy named Jack, known for trouble and adventure around the farm he lives in following a giant along with his sister Annabella to the giants’ huge world in the clouds. Going from pockets to kitchens, they have more fun than humanly possible to imagine without getting very hurt (Seriously, I advise you to refrain from imagining. Results include serious injuries such as brain damage, constant headaches, ringing ears, and refrigerator [don’t ask]). Though the journey isn’t for giant spoons or swimming in food, but to retrieve something he has ownership of. I believe that the age demographic that would enjoy the book most is 8 - 12 years old. That is because that is the information it says on Barnes & Noble's Website, and let’s just be honest, they know better than me. You can find the book at a Barnes & Noble, Target, or Walmart near you (assuming you’re in Towson, Maryland). 




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Hampton Helps for the Holidays

12/21/2020

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                                                                                          By Hampton Herald Staff

    Hampton Elementary is helping people in need this holiday season.  Each year Hampton Elementary holds a food drive, and this year they continued the tradition despite the unusual circumstances.  In previous years, students at Hampton brought the food to their computer lab and then the student council sorted it into separate bags.  This year, families were asked to donate a complete bag filled with all the things people would need for Thanksgiving dinner.  People drove to Hampton to drop off the filled bags.  Hampton staff members and  PTA members took the bags to the Assistance Center of Towson Churches where people in the area came to pick them up.  Some people misunderstood and thought that Hampton was giving out food.   However, because of the amount of donations, Hampton staff were able to provide food for those people.


       Another way that Hampton helps support people in need during the holiday season is by donating gift cards to Walmart and Target.  Mrs. Allison Dyer, a counselor at Hampton, said that she likes to use gift cards so that people can have the experience of shopping for their families.  The PTA called this initiative the Holiday Wish List Drive, and it was conducted entirely online this year.  According to Melissa Heick-Rodola, the PTA’s Community Outreach Coordinator, the Hampton school community made over $2,000 in donations.  In addition to those donations, a Towson area church also contacted Mrs. Dyer and offered to donate extra gift cards to Hampton families in need.

    The Hampton school community has always been willing to help.  Mrs. Dyer said that there has always been some type of food drive since she started working at Hampton. Originally it started as a canned goods drive and has evolved into creating food bags for the Assistance Center of Towson Churches.  Mrs. Dyer said that Hampton has never had a year when they didn’t have something to donate.  This year more than ever, Hampton wanted to make sure that families and members of the community had people taking care of them.

    “It’s really important for those of us who can to work together to help people out,” Mrs. Dyer said.  Members of the Hampton school community have taken that message in stride.   Lots of families have been contacting the school this year to see what else they can do to help those need.
  
​ 
If our readers are looking for ways to continue to help Hampton families and the Hampton community, joining the PTA or following them on social media are great ways to keep up-to-date on opportunities to help.

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COVID-19 Break

3/26/2020

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                                                                                   By: Max L.

This is the weirdest year since 2018-2019 because of the Coronavirus. One reason is that everything is shutting down. Another is that now everything is now homework, which is not what I like at all. But on the bright side you are at home. And I know that a lot of people say they’re bored, but I'm kind of used to being home and free so in my opinion it’s way better. Finally, I'm even happier because there is still 4 more weeks to come. In conclusion, I like the COVID-19 break. 
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March 26th, 2020

3/26/2020

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                                                                              By: Katie C.

Most kids don’t even want to do their schoolwork for the two weeks off. But, I don’t mind it! I am having more fun than I thought I would have. I sort of enjoy the schoolwork, and my mom’s take on homeschool during this crisis. 
    My mom is making school fun with her take on homeschool. She does fun experiments with my brother, sister, and I. One of my personal favorites is the taste test. We would close our eyes, and pinch our nose, and then my mom would give a bite of food. Sometimes it would taste different, and other times you couldn’t even taste anything at all! The jalapeño surprised me the most. You couldn’t taste the spice! Another experiment was one where my mom put water and pepper in a bowl, and soap in another. You would dip your finger in the soap bowl, and after that, you would lightly touch the surface of the water in the bowl with water and pepper in it. The pepper would spread out to the sides of the bowl! That was to teach us why washing your hands is so important. Especially in this coronavirus. 
   Another thing my mom does while we are at home is, she takes us on virtual field trips to anywhere. From the green rolling hills of Ireland, to the fancy halls of the Louvre Art museum in France, these virtual field trips are fun!  
     I really like how my mom “homeschools” my siblings and I during these two weeks off due to the coronavirus! She makes schoolwork fun, and learning fun at home! ​

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Read Across America

3/5/2020

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Career Day

2/20/2020

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On Friday January 31st we had parents of students at Hampton Elementary come into the school and share their careers with the students. Each grade had their own presenters, one for each class. 
 
Students would then rotate from class to class to enjoy each presentation. The presenters included: Ms. Garrison: Physical therapist, Ms. Nee: Veterinarian, Mr. Wilson: playground designer, Ms. Garner: child phycologist, Mr. Critz: project manager/engineer, Mr. Lotz: Mechanical Engineer, Mrs. Alston: credit business owner, Dr. Katsikides: Research scientist – transport/driverless cars and trucks, Ms. Johnston: child psychologist, Ms. Heick–Rodola: Dance teacher/director, Mr. Racosky: Aux. Police officer, Ms. Hammond: Career counselor/Business owner and artist, Mr. Alvarez: chair of engineering department at CCBC MD, and Ms. Jung: pharmacist. 
They all made presentations for the students. Some included Power points and videos. Mr. Lotz had a PowerPoint to share his job and what he does. He told us important notes about the job such as the different fields within engineering and what to do if you are interested in engineering. He also passed around real products from his career. It was a cool and interesting presentation! 
 
Another person we saw was Mrs. Alston, who was a credit repair company owner. She did a fun skit we got to participate in to explain what she does. She said if we were in debt, where we owe the bank money we borrowed and can’t pay it back, we go to a credit repair company and they help us give the bank’s money back. Her presentation was unique and fun! 
 
Someone had to plan the fun Career day for us! That someone was our school counselor, Mrs. Dyer. She told us the steps she took in planning Career Day.  
 
Step One: Send home letters with all the students explaining Career Day. 
 
Step Two: Send permission slip with students' grades and what they were going to  
 
Step three:   Create a schedule and tell volunteers where to go and to email presentation to her to check it and make sure it is ok and appropriate to share 
 
Those are the steps. We also got other interesting information from Ms. Dyer. This was our fourth Career Day.She had learned from mistakes in the past years, such as trying very hard and overachieving the first year and making it slightly better the next year. Mrs. Dyer was glad there were many volunteers for our fourth annual Career Day. There were 16 volunteers, but one got sick and couldn’t come. Mrs. Dyer had to put plan b into action, she had a backup volunteer who was able to come in. 
 
We are all so glad that this year’s Career Day was a huge success. 
 ​
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Hampton's Geography Bee

2/20/2020

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On January 31st, 2020 Mr. Wade, a 4th grade teacher held the Hampton Geography Bee. There were 16 contestants. The contestant's names were Zane, Henry I, Sean, Patrick, Penny, Cara, Carly, Sadie, Sara, Chris, Saanvi, Ryan, Marcel, Jacob, and Kaylee. 
The first Geography Bee here at Hampton was in 2018 and since they liked it so much, they did it again this year. In 2018 the tie breaker went on for about 20 questions. This year one of the options for the tiebreakers contained numbers. This would help determine a clear winner of the Geography Bee. "We learned from the mistakes from last time. This year I was more prepared.” said Mr. Wade. 
 
Each contestant took turns standing up and answering their question within fifteen seconds about the geography of the United States of America. The contestants were handed a picture with three choices, circled their answer, and held it up when the time was up. Mrs. Kaiser, the school principal, had the role of scorekeeper and kept the score during the Geography Bee. A contestant was to be eliminated when they had made two incorrect answers during the first round of the geo bee. In the final round, the two remaining contestants were given a question and wrote down their answer on a doing tested white board. The winner of the Geo Bee was Kaylee, a fifth grader. 
 
If you are interested in geography and culture, Mr. Wade has advice for you to keep learning about that field. “Read a lot-- not just fiction, but nonfiction. Nonfiction about other countries and cultures.” Also, you can get a lot of information from maps. We are still waiting to see Kaylee’s results, but in the meantime keep hoping for Kaylee to get in the State bee.    

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Acrobat Assembly

1/17/2020

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                                                      By Molly F., Zahra A., Carly C., & Katie K.

On Wednesday, December 11, 2019 Hampton Elementary had an assembly with Chinese acrobats. There were two girls and two boys ages, 14, 16, 20, and 21. 
 
They had many tricks and routines including, flexibility tricks, balancing while moving, and gymnastics! They did partner tricks as well such as lifting and flipping each other. One of the girls did a dance with fans and balanced them on parts of her body. She also did this with candelabras. In addition, the men did pole dancing where they pulled themselves onto a large pole and used their strength to move around and stay up without falling. The two girls and men both did a gymnastics duet and were both very flexible. They were perfectly in sync and could support each other’s weight. These performances were amazing! 
These acrobats were very young and have been training for performing almost their whole lives. “We have been training everyday” Said the announcer. They have been doing it for 14 years! 
We also asked the PTA some questions about preparing the assembly. First, we asked them how they got the idea to have a Chinese Acrobat assembly. “I was trying to book something entertaining. Something FUN! I wanted a special treat for students and faculty to enjoy before winter break. I also thought it would be something interesting since most students have never experienced a performance like this, said the PTA’s Cultural Arts Chairperson, Melissa Randola.   
Next, we asked them how they got in contact with the organization. “The name of the organization is The Bureau of Lectures and concert artists.  I personally contacted them via email and phone. I also sent items through the mail,” Randola said. 
Finally, we asked them if it was difficult to plan an assembly and what goes into planning the assembly? “I don’t think it is difficult. It is very exciting. Here is how I plan an assembly:  
1) Check with Ms. Kaiser for available dates and what our budget is for the assembly.            
2) Book the assembly. Mail a contract and down the payment. 
3) ‘’Get prepared by setting up the dressing room, a microphone, sound system, etc. 
4) ‘’Greet the assembly guests. 
5)After the assembly I send a thank you note with feedback about the assembly. I also include their final payment.” 
 
Thanks to the PTA to make it possible. This assembly was a big success for Hampton. I think that all the students really enjoyed having something like this to experience!  ​
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Winter Concert

1/2/2020

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                                                                            by Connor Y. & Nick F.

The fourth-grade musical December Nights, December Lights told about different types of holidays that are in December and how people celebrate the holidays. The musical was a great musical. The fourth grade sang “December Nights, December Lights,” “Light the Candles,” “La Fiesta de la Posada,” “Light the Kanara for Kwanzaa,” “Holiday Lights,” “One Candle Lights the Way,” and finally again to closeup the play they sang “December Nights, December Lights Finale.” 
The fifth-grade band and orchestra performances were amazing. The band is made up of baritone, Saxaphone, trumpet, tuba, trombone, clarinet, drums, and flutes. The band worked hard for two months practicing and getting better at their instruments for the right tune. For the opening, the band played “Hot Cross Buns,” followed by “Inception,” and lastly for the closer “Jingle Bells.” The orchestra was made up of Violins, Violas, Cellos, and a double bass. The orchestra spent time and hard work to perfect the way they played. They worked and worked for two months straight practicing until they were great at their piece. The orchestra first played “Jingle Bells,” then the “Two Terrific Tunes” (also known as Lightly Row and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star), and finished it off with “Fiddlers Hoedown.” ​

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