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Spring Break Fun

3/25/2021

By Penelope K. & Silas P

Do your parents want to go somewhere but are having trouble deciding where to go? It’s okay we have some places you can go.

Do your parents want to go somewhere but are having trouble deciding where to go? It’s okay we have some places you can go!

1. Assateague Island. Are you a horse lover? At this place you might even spot a horse! Ocean city is less than 10 miles away from Assateague Island.

2. Have you heard of the Trash Wheels? Well there are three Trash Wheels! Professor Trash Wheel, Captain Trash Wheel and Mr. Trash Wheel.

3. BMA. The Baltimore Museum of Art is a fun experience there you will see paintings and sculptures of many artists.

4. Mt. Vernon. This is a great place to learn and discover new things about George Washington. You can even see George Washington’s bedroom and his study.

Oh, your parents don’t want to go on vacation? That’s fine, we have some fun things to do around the house.

1. Read. Are you bored? Don’t have anything to do? Try reading a book. They’re amazing and interesting and wonderful! One of my favorite books is Percy Jackson, written by Rick Riordan.

2. Roblox. It’s a game for iPads, computers, and the XBox. It has millions of games made by people just like you (but they know how to code).

3. Try watching something. Movies and shows can be amazing… or terrible. My personal favorite is Steven Universe, by Rebecca Sugar.

4. Minecraft is a fun blocky game, people call it bad graphics, but the truth is, Microsoft wants Minecraft to look that way. Whether you want to build creatively, or try to survive the zombies and skeletons, this game is fun either way.

5. Board games are always a fun thing to do with your family. It can help you bond with your loving family. Doesn’t that sound nice?

Top Three Trails in Maryland

3/25/2021

By Penelope K.

A great way to celebrate Maryland Day on March 25 is to hike one of the many scenic trails in Maryland. One great hiking spot in Maryland is the Billy Goat Trail. This hike is located in Potomac, MD. There are three sections. Section A has near-vertical rock scrambling and ledges for about 2.75 miles long. Section B has some moderate scrambling for approximately 1.4 miles. At last, Section C is roughly 1.6 miles long with a light walk through the woods.

Another great hiking spot is Cascade Falls. You will find this hike in Patapsco Valley State Park, Howard County. This hike is a 2.3 mile walk in the woods to a small waterfall and a swimming hole.

Lastly, another great set of trails in Maryland are the Prettyboy Reservoir trails located in Hampstead, Maryland. On these trails, you can hike, walk, fish and walk your dogs. Go outside and have fun!

Happy Maryland Day!

3/25/2021

By Silas P. & K.B.S.I

(These facts were provided by 35 interesting facts about Maryland)
Since the 25th is Maryland day, we’ve compiled a few facts about Maryland. Enjoy!

Maryland was originally the capital of the United States of America
Maryland is the 7th state of the United States of America.
Maryland was granted statehood on april 28th of 1788.
Maryland’s state crustacean is the blue crab.
The first successful passenger balloon flight in the United States took place in Baltimore on June 24, 1784.
Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland.
Baltimore is home to America’s first dental college.
Maryland Ranked 9th in popularity.
The first long-distance telegram was sent to Baltimore.

Maryland holds the honors as the first state in the nation to designate a state exercise. Walking became the State Exercise of Maryland on October 1, 2008.

Hampton Hosts Online Read-Aloud

2/25/2021

By Penelope K. & K.B.S.I

Hampton Elementary School performed a read-aloud on Google Meets for “Hampton Reads” on Wednesday, February 24th, at 7:00 p.m. When students logged onto the Google Meet, Mrs. Francis, who was the reader last night, greeted them. She introduced the book called The Boy Who Loved Math: Improbable Life of Paul Erdos. She chose the book because she loves math and loves teaching math and also because she felt that he was not well-known as a mathematician now, but that he had a remarkable life. The story was about the mathematician, Paul Erdos, and how he fell in love with math. When he was younger, Paul really liked numbers; he could instantly tell how many seconds someone was alive just from the time and date they were born. Although he was a smart boy when it came to math, he wasn't great at being independent because his mother did everything for him. As an adult, he had many friends to help him. In thanks he helped them with their math problems. As Mrs. Francis read the story, she stopped to ask the students questions such as “what is the next prime number?” and “what are you passionate about?” Students had the opportunity to unmute and share their thoughts. Next Mrs. Francis read a few amusing facts from a book called “Weird But True.” For example, “there are 32 trillion trees in the world” and “prairie dogs say hello with kisses.” If students are interested in joining another read-aloud, they can join “HamptonReads” on Google Meets at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights.

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

1/28/2021

By Amany M., Harper M., & Silas P.

It seems that so many people make New Year's Resolutions, but they seem to have trouble keeping them. Read below to see how a few of our reporters worked together to help you determine how you can make your New Year's Resolution a SMART goal.

Specific:
Measured
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound

This is how you keep track of your new year resolutions.

Specific: If you want to be a good soccer player then you should make sure to make a specific goal like win the soccer tournament, as suppose the goal of playing soccer because you won’t know when that’s accomplished.

Measured: If you want to run a 5K you should start with a 0.5K, a 1K and so on.

Attainable: You have to make the new year resolution possible.

Relevant: It has to make sense given the current situation.

Time-Bound: For time-bound you have a certain amount of time to complete your goal.

In conclusion, these will help you keep your new year’s resolution.

Virtually Celebrating MLK Day

1/17/2021

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/.

Winter Break Book Recommendations

12/23/2020

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.

Amany 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).

K.B.S.I.

Book 11

ATTACK ON TITAN

When man eating tians first appeared in 100 years ago humans found safety behind three huge barriers called the three walls Maria, Rose,and Shina Shina was the wall rich and wealthy people lived the giants stopped in their paths but the walls fell when a 60 meter titan and came destroyed the wall. It started to flood with titans the humans thought they lost Only 25,000 people left… Our protagonist, Eren jaeger's, mother was devoured by a titan. He vows to end the titan's life; he swore he would kill them all!!! He joins the scouts to take the back what was originally theirs…

  I suggest this to 15 and over due to the language violence. The genre is anime the manga and show is from isyama hajime

You get this book from amazon and Walmart.

Hampton Helps for the Holidays

12/21/2020

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.

COVID-19 Break

3/26/2020

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.

March 26th, 2020

3/26/2020

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!