nirrimi photography

Wouldn't it be great to be seventeen and already have a career? Nirimi Hakanson is a blossoming photographer who started off taking pictures of her sister and "never stopped." Visit her website at http://nirrimiphotography.carbonmade.com/. Here's one of her pictures.

Six Flags by Sophie J.

Last weekend the 7^th and 8^th grade chorus, along with the orchestra, Treble Chorus, and Acapella Chorus from CMS went to Six Flags for Music in the Parks. It was a very eventful trip, complete with two sixth graders getting “lost” and a bus hitting a truck! One of the chaperones got confused and forgot that she told two girls to go on a different roller coaster than the other people in the group. She started panicking and her group searched the park for the two girls, only to find out that it was just a misunderstanding. But all in all, it was a ton of fun. Concord won 5 trophies and a medal, and the Acapella Chorus won best chorus of the day! At 6 Flags everyone had a great time riding roller coasters like Batman and Bizarro. At the end of the long day was the award ceremony where one of the members of the 7^th and 8^th grade chorus, Mickey V-H, won a medal for best soloist of the day. On the bus ride home, when the busses were still in the Six Flags parking lot, bus number two backed into a pick-up truck, but nobody was hurt. By the end of the day everyone was exhausted, but we all had a great day.

Annie Review by Isabel F. with help from Sarena S.

The overture may have lasted a little long, but the CMS production of Annie was nothing if not amazing. I saw opening night and the closing Sunday matinee, and both were equally impressive. Vocals were strong, dancing was exciting and the actors did a great job of tying the audience into the emotional aspect of the show. This could sound cheesy, but I think people will understand when I say I felt chills when the orphans sang “It’s a Hard-Knock Life.” Their faces were animated and you felt like this privileged group of Concord kids transformed into plaintive and deprived orphans. It was kind of ironic, how convincing the orphans and the Hooverville-ites (hobos) were in their “Depressed” states.

The ensemble worked hard to create the mood and pulsing background of this production, while the leads brought feeling and skill to every detail. Annie was played by Ana F-C, who showed us that a 6^th grader can do just as much as any older kid with a main role. She was spunky and tender at the same time, and really seemed to connect with the other characters, especially Warbucks, who was played by Joe V-H. He was the soul of the show, rotating from singing to dancing to acting to carrying Annie around. The original show didn’t have as many dance numbers, in fact, the only original dance number was Hard-Knock Life. Mr. Shancady and Jen Jarvis (the choreographer) changed the show a lot by adding a Rockette tap-dancing in N.Y.C.

Almost every song had some choreography, which definitely helped the scenes a lot. Elana I. was perfectly preposterous as Miss Hannigan, the evil orphanage lady who with her criminal brother and his equally immoral girlfriend, Lily St. Regis (played by Jeremy S. and Hannah S-D). Before intermission, they performed their fantastic number, “Easy Street.” In the song, this sneaky group of characters announced their plan of how to become rich. Towards the end of the play, there were several very touching scenes and songs. The audience was enamored by the heartfelt acting by Warbucks and Annie, and the comical impersonations of Lily and Rooster. When the curtain closed for the final time, there was a collective sigh as the audience and cast alike savored the last moments of Annie, CMS’ fabulous production that blew the roof off of every performance.

NJ 6th grader kills "Paparazzi"

So there's this kid named Greyson and he's insane on the piano and at singing. Watch this cover of the Lady Gaga song! WOW...

PAPARAZZI

CUPCAKE CANNONS!

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO WATCH IT!

CUPCAKE CANNONS VID

Justin Bieber: Not So Bad By Julie N. and Isabelle N.

Red Sox or Yankees? Jacob or Edward? These are huge decisions. Now there is an addition; Justin or Anti-Justin? Although many people think that Justin Bieber is all hype and has a voice that is too high pitched and inexperienced, I believe many people will follow my opinion on the celebrity. First of all, I don’t believe in criticizing celebrities. It’s no different than criticizing each other, for, as Lily said, “They’re just like regular people…” which they are, in some ways, but in other ways, they are celebrities for a reason. Sure, some got lucky. However, others earned it. Justin Bieber started his career on YouTube, just making videos for his friends and family. He was not expecting fame or fortune from these videos, all he wanted was for the people close to him to see him sing. Justin couldn’t control the number hits the videos happened to get, and the result went from tens to hundreds to thousands.

You have to admit that the base of Justin Bieber's career was not similar to those pop celebrities you see on tv and hear on kiss 108. Bieber's first step on the escalator to fame was simply raw talent. Sure, maybe he doesn't use it in some of his music videos, but he has it. And although high pitched, his voice is very pure and goes straight into the hearts of many adoring fans. The incredible looks, well, they're just icing on the cake. I'm not one of those shallow people who just goes with the opinions of the majority. In fact, there are many unnecessary haters out there. You may be one of them. See, I think that there is simply no reason to hate Justin Bieber. If you simply have to hate him, hate him quietly and to yourself. He has a great voice, mad dance skills, and natural talent. So why hate him? He's annoying? Well, what did he ever do to you? So you don't love his songs, don't listen to them. It's not that complicated. I do understand those people who just don't really like him. What I don't understand is the intense things people will say and do just to get others to hate him too. It's no different than seeing the glass half-empty.

His songs. I will admit that the quality of the lyrics is low, but Justin did NOT write them. He was given a song and asked to sing. He performed this task well and with a lot of emotion. So maybe they're not the best songs in the world, but they sure are catchy. And I feel that they are just pleasing to listen to, all very cheerful and romantic. They give you hope for you and the person you have a crush on. His songs aren't the best for interpretation, but if you just want a song to get stuck in your head and dance along with your friends, well, Justin's your guy.

So give the guy a break. He is talented and very famous even though he didn't control the fame he got; he earned it. And if you still don't like him, just keep it to yourself. What if the same thing happened to you? You posted up videos for your family, got famous, and suddenly everybody hated you for no reason whatsoever? Join the Justin Bieber team and you'll score the winning goal.

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month! If you go to Poets.org and sign up you can get a poem sent to your inbox each day for free. April 29 will be Poem in Your Pocket Day, where you can carry a verse around in your pocket, share, and trade with others.

A Poem A Day- Get Them HERE

Am I A Single Lady?

This adorable but sad video is of a little boy singing "Single Ladies" by Beyonce in the car with his older sisters. When informed that he is not a single lady, the kid has an averse reaction. :-)

SINGLE LADY DEVASTATION

Poem by Sam W.

The Last Supper before I go to bed

A Starry, Starry Night above my head

Pearl Earring clutched in my hand

I sneak out to the Café Terrace at Night, across the land

A Scream in the dark, the sound of a fight

Campbell’s Soup spilled in the fright

American Goths surround me

But a Blue Boy comes and sets me free

I Gogh back home

And paint a picture.

Saving Earth Part 2 by Isabel f. and Meg Y.

"Lindalia, we need to discuss what is happening to the earth,” stated the magnificent god Zeus.

“As we all know, we appointed you the goddess of all things made of mankind, but we have noticed you slacking on the job. The earth is unhealthy and full of pollution. What do you have to say for yourself?"

”Well, Great-Uncle Zeus, the humans have been polluting this earth for many thousands of years, and I have only been around for 3658." I squeaked. Even thought he is my great uncle, I was still greatly intimidated by him.

I shuffled my sandal-clad feet nervously as Zeus's powerful voice booms out over the council.

"Lindalia, you are to take a break from grammar corrections, and start working to repair the human habitat. I presume you are acquainted with the goddess of spring, Persephone?" I nodded quizzically. "You are to work closely alongside her during this assignment. Am I understood?" I nodded again, mutely. "The council is dismissed."

Ugh. This was going to be a nightmare. I better go find Persephone. Maybe Pan can help too. He would be really mad about this though. I scuttled out and mounted my transportation device. In 5 1/2 seconds, (rather slow, I must get Hepatitis to fix it), I was at Persephone's cloud and tripping on my toga to get to her.

"Persephone!" I screeched, "I was just at the Council of the Gods. And now we have a mission to fulfill." I quickly recapped what had occurred at the council.

"No!" whimpered Persephone, “I need to finish getting ready for spring and summer."

"Well, it will have to wait,” I stated, a little harshly. “Now here is what we have to do."

Crossing her arms in a huff, Persephone sat down on the cloud, obviously nettled at my bossiness. I continued triumphantly: "You know how for the last thousand years or so I have been slightly-just slightly- neglecting my duties as goddess of all mankind?" She nods, looking slightly-just slightly- bored out of her beautiful skull. "Well, Zeus has requested for me to reorganize my priorities, give up the grammar, and save the human environment!" I raise a fist in the air heroically. Persephone yawns." And I come into this.... how?"

"You are the goddess of spring, Persia! You grow trees, help the animals, and plant everything under the sun!" I sigh, with just as much desperation as exasperation. "Persephone, you are the only one who can help me."

" Am I really the only one who can help you? There is no other god or goddess who would suit the job just fine? What about.... my mother?"

"Persia!!! How could you say that?” I gasped in despair, knowing that she could help," Your mother hates me! Ever since I stole her seed pouch. And that was for you!"

" We were just 300 years old. She won't care. And I can ask her about it if it makes you feel better,” sighed Persephone wearily.

With an overdone flurry of colored smoke, she poofed out. "That's not good for the environment!!" I shouted in a huff.

I moved like a cheetah to my transportation device. Who am I kidding? A slug could have beaten me to it. Remembering the earthworms that flew out of my desk the last time Persephone told me to do something and I did not, I picked up the pace. Well, I was off to see Greek mother and corn (grain) goddess associated with the earth, vegetation and agriculture, Demeter.

Did I mention she is also the goddess of death?

Project Runway by Meg Y.

It seems to be that many people find themselves at a point when they are sitting in front of the TV and they don’t know what to watch. I have come to resolve the problem with the best show EVER, Project Runway. Project runway is a reality TV shows where designer compete for prizes and money. It’s dramatic, and I believe it is more real than shows like Dancing with The Stars or Survivor, because these people have been working on design all their working lives, or have a huge dream, their not celebrities dancing around and breaking their legs. On this show, the designer creates works of art, and has incredible challenges. On one episode, they had to make outfits out of trash bags, in another they had to base their clothing on sections of NYC, like Harlem and the Upper East Side. This show runs on Thursdays from 9 to 10 pm, so it maybe a little late for some people, but if you have OnDemand, the new episodes are posted the day after they air, so you can watch on Friday night at 8. I hope you watch and enjoy!!

Peabody

Sanborn

Check out our new murals, at Peabody and Sanborn, based on Emerson's quote,
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
The murals were created by 7th and 8th grade students in the mural making elective classes.

To see more fabulous work by CMS artists, check out the new Art Blog: http://cmsartists.blogspot.com/

The TV Theme Medley

TV THEME MEDLEY

Check this out--his name is Fredrik Larsson (yes, it's the same guy playing both the keyboard and the guitar) and he combined 32 well-known TV theme songs like the Office, Friends, and Family Guy to create an entertaining and funky medley.

3-Year-Old Super Photographer

Ruby Ellenby of San Francisco is a precocious photographer with her first exhibition at Moshi Moshi restaurant of 22 original prints. She prefers taking pictures with her own specialized kid's camera, a Nikon Coolpix, and her parents' iPhones.

See some of Ruby's photos and more about Ruby herself HERE.

A Truly Inspiring Poem by Andrew V., Tommy S., and Jack B.

"American Dream"

I'm livin' the American Dream

For my new life I don't gotta redeem

My old life stunk

It was like a big bad scheme

As I was staring into the steam

I saw the never-ending American Dream

Thank you Jack, Tommy, and Andrew for providing us with this expressively evocative example of the immigrant standpoint, as it is such a prevalent part of our local, national, and worldwide culture today. We appreciate your awareness and appreciation.

Israel by Isabel F.

I’m still not quite over the jet lag, but right now I’m awake enough to say that I had an amazing time in Israel. My family and I went over February break to visit family and do all that tourist sightseeing that’s unavoidable but actually really essential when visiting a historically rich country such as Israel. We started off in the quirky town of Rehovot where I have a lot of family, getting acclimated to the Israeli time zone and culture and visiting local checkpoints such as the Weitzmann Institute (Chaim Weitzmann was Israel’s first president), a university a bit like our own MIT with a famously lush and beautiful campus. After spending some laid-back time in Rehovot, we took a day trip to Caesarea. Caesarea is a weathered, ancient city built by Herod thousands of years ago in the Roman style, with an amphitheater, a hippodrome and baths. It was very informative and I had a great experience there from the historic ruins to the relaxing beach where chunks of ancient marble, tiny beads and fragments of buildings mix with the shells!

The next day my family toured Old Jerusalem. We went to the Western Wall, the Armenian Quarter, and saw from close up the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount. It was interesting for the sights usually found on postcards or books to rise up in 3-D glory right in front of you. “Rise up” becomes literal when referencing Masada, an ancient settlement on top of a mountain in the desert, again built by Herod. The view was amazing- we took a cable car all the way to the flat top where we explored the craggy palace and authentic ancient rooms. After sizzling under the blazing sun, we planned to cool off in the Dead Sea which is the lowest point on earth. The water is so full of salt that nothing can sink or survive in it. It took a while to get used to sinking in 3 feet of mud wherever you stepped, but the sensation of floating without the slightest effort in the (fairly) clear water was completely worth it. And I got used to the squishiness in the end.

Over the next few days, we visited more modern sights in cities like Haifa, where we saw the amazingly ornate and gorgeous Baha’i Gardens and the ancient port of Jaffa. We visited an Arab village; a mall exactly like those in America except everything is in Hebrew; drove around the white city of Tel Aviv; realized there was just too much to see in ten days! During all this sightseeing, I also got to enjoy other sides of the rich culture of Israel. Personally, my favorite bit of culture was the delicious food, especially falafel (fried chickpeas in pita with toppings) and the wide ranges of scrumptious spices and sauces. I could go on, but let’s just say I can’t wait to go back!

Camp Happiness by Sam W., Hether S., and Jenna W.

Camp Happiness is a fun and exciting experience in which young adults will build good skills for middle school. Your children can make long time friends, learn teamwork and respect, and all the while have fun. The meals are delicious, nutritious and served with a smile. After dinner, your child will learn how to clean up ketchup and wash dirty dishes. We have nightly cheesy sing-a-longs. The highly trained counselors teach the youngsters valuable skills and tactics for middle school. Safety is a top priority; so it is a rule that you may not run, only walk so that you don’t trip. Our highly trained belayers at the rock wall receive around 5 minutes of intensive training about how to catch a student before falling to their doom and smashing their head open. There is a fun and educational hike in which they will learn about wildlife. On the ledge, where the camper can get a beautiful view of the bordering skyscrapers, they will receive a notification that Camp Happiness was built on top of a possibly active volcano (The counselors will yak on about completely nothing until your little ones fall asleep). This is good because your loved ones will never get any sleep, as annoying fellow campers will keep them wide awake with snoring and endless talk. We encourage them to do this because we want them to make friends in this experience. The bathrooms are custom-made, and your child will be able to experience mildew and millions of flies and spiders. The showers USUALLY work, but we don’t count on it because 9 out of 10 showers come out as cold slime, not the warmish fresh pond water. It builds a lot of character. We have an on duty nurse, which is good because 1 out of 2 children complain of a very painful stomach aches, but we can’t imagine why. The raft building activity will lighten anyone’s spirit. Your child will be steered across uneven terrain guided by an untrustworthy pal while blind folded to pick up heavy logs. Then you will go out on your very own semi-sturdy raft with several paddles that don’t work very well, to go over to a canoe to get some soggy graham crackers. There is no adult on the raft, but don’t worry, they will probably be skilled enough to swim over in time. Another activity of ours is the Whale Watch Balance where your child will be put carelessly onto an unsteady, hard, splintery board. Your Snoogie Poo will be forced to cooperate with the children that they hate to keep the board from toppling over and probably smushing 3 out of 4 other cuties. In conclusion, your child will absolutely LOVE it here at good old Camp Happiness.

Poem by Sophie J.

My family glows brilliantly.
Cheerful smiles radiate on
magnificent love.
Delicious care provides
stunning support.
Warm hugs and kisses enrich
my heart.
Like the sparkling starry sky,
my family shimmers,
with care.

Haiti Books

We all know so much about the devastation that has hit the small island nation, but do we know anything about Haiti itself? On author Mitali Perkins' blog, read this list of books for kids to learn more about this fascinating country.
http://www.mitaliblog.com/2010/01/childrens-and-ya-books-set-in-haiti.html

Public Service Announcements from iMovie Elective Course

Caroline's Public Service Announcement in the iMovie Elective course.