I ns i de t h i s i s s ue :

T h e S p i r e C r i e r S t . T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l P a r i s h S c h o o l

School News 2-3

Eat and Shop! 4

Sports News 5

Fashion 5

Entertainment

Reviews

6

Editorials 7

Back Page Fun 8

N o v e mbe r 2 0 1 2

Vo l u me 2 5 I s s ue 1 Change Strikes By Carlos Prio-Touzet

These past years St. Thomas has changed. This summer STEPS

changed all of the air conditioning system and lights for 16 classrooms.

We also replaced the old lighting with new LED lights which are 5

times more energy-efficient. We have added the nature walk and a new

field.

The Spire Crier asked Jacqueline Gonzalez about the future and

she said, “By December, St. Thomas will have replaced all of these 5

big air-conditioning units on the roof with new air conditioning units

that are more energy efficient. The new air conditioning system allows

each teacher to set the temperature for their own classroom. This saves

energy.” We also shout out thanks to Frank who has spent his entire

summer changing St. Thomas so we can enjoy it more.

St. Thomas also changed the food program to Bon Appetit,

which is pretty much disliked and the comments are like, “Hey, the

bread bounces!” The reason we have been doing all this change? It is

because that we are trying to save the environment and make ourselves

healthier. This sounds boring and unimportant but we need to save the

environment.

Hurricane Sandy As The Spire Crier went to press,

Hurricane Sandy was churning

through the Northeast and the dam-

age was still being assessed. Our

next issue will cover the storm’s

track and its consequences. Our

prayers go out the storm’s many vic-

tims, including the families of the 69

people who died as the storm swept

through the Carribean and the 61

victims in the New York metropoli-

tan area.

Fifth graders enjoy the new field

New Priest, New Beliefs

By Javier Hidalgo-Gato

This year, there is a new priest, whose name is Father Jabriel Ballen-

tine. We don’t know that much about him… except for the fact that he

doesn’t wear shoes! He believes in not wearing shoes during the mass service

because he says that you don’t wear shoes on the holy ground of the church.

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 2

Alumni Day

By Luis Mendez

On Monday, September 17, St. Thomas celebrated Alumni Day.

Alumni Day is a day when kids that graduated come back to school. Some

people love it and some just don’t show up; those people are not very smart.

I love Alumni Day because I can see people that were my friends a couple

years ago. The bad thing about alumni is saying goodbye. It is a good day

because it is a opportunity to make friends.

The Lovely Mrs. Crossin

By Victoria Hegewisch

We all know the lovely 4th grade teacher Mrs. Crossin, but you

might not know about her class and school year plans. The year has started

out fabulous for her class. She loves her students this year very much. Some

of the fun activities they’ve done so far are the Florida play-do and they’ve

learned the secret game! The 4th grade will go on their first field trip on No-

vember. They will go to Paradise Farms, Tina’s Pride and more! The field

trips have changed from last year so some aren’t confirmed. From my expe-

rience as a fourth grader last year, Paradise Farms was my favorite. Last

year we went to Whole Foods, Tina’s Pride, and Paradise Farms. They give

you food that they actually planted. The food is so delicious!!! Fourth grad-

ers, have fun on those field trips!!

Our barefoot priest,

Father Ballentine

Student Council Elections

By Sarah Steinhour and Helen Hannan The Student council elections were on Friday September 21, 2012 at 1:00 pm. The speeches were presented in the church. The winning candidates were chosen by the 4th and 5th grade. The student council has meetings every Wednesday during chapel. The student council makes choices for the school, like when the dress down days are, and they make posters for bake sales, and choose which charities to donate to. The winning candi-dates are: President—Jack Fitzpatrick Boy’s Vice President—Ray de Legorburu Girl’s Vice President—Katelyn Wenkoff Sergeant at Arms—Olivia Bacardi Historian—Carlos Prio-Touzet Chaplain—P.J. Suarez Secretary—Kyra Wells Treasurer—Yasmina Haddad It was easy for the 5th graders but hard for the 4th graders because the 5th graders knew everyone but the 4th graders had to remember everyone’s name and speech. It was hard for them to choose the student council es-pecially the President because they really wanted the right person to rep-resent them. Some 4th graders voted for their friends in 5th grade; some 4th graders even interrupted during the speeches. Despite the interrup-tions, the 4th graders had a chance to get ready and get an idea for next year.

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 2 5 I s s u e 1

New Fourth Grade Laptops Arrive

By Javier Hidalgo-Gato

The fourth grade laptops of 2012 are smaller, cheaper, and have less addition-

al gear than the fourth grade laptops of 2011. While I enjoy the fact that they

are better, I still think it’s unfair for the current fifth graders. It would be best

if they are all as good as the new ones.

The fourth graders

really wanted the

right person to

represent them.

New Shake Shack: Yum or Yuck?

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 4

By Olivia Byrd

Over the summer I went to the new Shake Shack. I was not as happy with it

as everyone else was. If you go I would recommend something simple like

a burger. Just because it is called the Shake Shack does not mean it has

good shakes. I say this from experience! The shakes taste like milk and the

fries are soggy. Shake Shack is a good choice for an early dinner because it

gets too crowded after about 6:30. I would prefer Five Guys over Shake

Shack.

The Shake Shack in Coral Gables is the largest of 16 Shacks in places like

New York, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. You

may not believe that seeing how fast it gets crowded in about 15 minutes.

Its location was chosen because the owner, Danny Meyer, needed the

“shackiest” structure and a great layout for hanging out.

Five Guys, on the other hand, is a bit older but I think a better choice for

burgers and fries. Sure, they don’t have shakes, but it has less soggy fries

and more locations. It has been voted “Best Burger” and “#1 Fries” in many

articles.

So I asked which you like more:

Shake

Shack

☺☺☺☺☺

☺☺☺☺☺

☺☺

Mostly because of the environment and

burgers. For parents, has wine and beer.

Five Guys ☺☺☺☺☺

☺☺☺☺☺

☺☺☺☺☺

☺☺☺

Better fries and less expensive. No drinks.

American Girl Store: Dolls for all ages!

By Olivia Byrd

The new American Girl Store in Miami is the perfect addition to The Falls.

It opened on October 6th, 2012. American Girl (the company), opened in

1986 by Pleasant Company. The first store was opened in Chicago fol-

lowed by New York. At that time, American Girl dolls were meant to be

dolls that “taught” kids American history. Then American Girl Today

(a.k.a. My American Girl or Just like You Doll) was added to the A.G.

family.

P a g e 5 V o l u m e 2 5 I s s u e 1

Sports News — Great Basketball Stars and Teams

By Charlie Silva

Rey Allen got offered money to come play on the Miami Heat. He came from

the Boston Celtics. My opinion is that Rey Allen wanted to retire with another

ring and the Celtics had no chance of winning another championship. That’s

why he signed the contract to the Heat because the Heat can win a champion-

ship. Rey Allen plays shooting guard, and will probably play shooting guard

on the Heat along with Dwayne Wade. Rey Allen scores about 18 or 19 points

every game, but we will be competing against the Lakers because they have

Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and Kobe Bryant. Rey Allen is 6 foot 6. Anoth-

er important Heat player is Chris Bosh: he is 6 FT 11 and he actually just had

a baby and is playing center for the Heat. He was born on March 2, 1984 and

went to George Tech University. He weighs 235 pounds. He has a total of 9

years playing pro.

The Lakers are going to be a competing team for the Heat this year with Steve

Nash and Dwight Howard, who will help improve the LA team Some stats on

Steve Nash are that he is 6 FT 3 and was born here. Some stats on Dwight

Howard: he is 6 FT 11 has played 8 years pro in the NBA and was born on

December 8, 1985. He went to SW Atlanta Christian Academy. He weighs

265 pounds. And that’s all the information I can give you on these great stars.

Fashion Trends 2012-13 By Cornelia Ehlebracht and Sarah Steinhour (research assistant)

Fashion trends come and go, so it is very important to know the recent trends

this year. One trend for girls is merchandise from an up and coming brand with

plentiful amounts of fans. The band is One Direction, with Zayn, Harry, Niall,

Liam, and Louis in the band. Another trend has started upon the London

Olympics. The trend is shirts, jeans, and jackets with the union jack (British

flag). Sometimes simple is best; that is demonstrated in the new trend of

straight long hair for girls. Everyone wants to stay in the feeling of summer so

sandals have become a big trend. Another trend for boys is V-neck t-shirts.

Who says they can’t wear them? Also everyone needs sunglasses, so why not

pick the old sunglasses that started in 1937 but have been great from the start?

These sunglasses are Ray-Bans. Another trend is Vans shoes which have been

a source of cultural awareness for years. Most people think Justin Bieber and

One Direction are only for girls, but these boys’ hairstyles have become popu-

lar among men. Lastly, I hope this article has helped you with your shopping!

Dwight Howard of the LA Lakers

T h e S p i r e C r i e r P a g e 6

By Javier Hidalgo-Gato Pokémon Black And White 2

Starter Pokémon: Tepig, Snivey, Oshawott.

Kind of Game: RPG (Role Playing Game)

Pokémon Black/White 2 Are Really Fun. There Are A lot Of Challenges To Overcome. If You

Buy The Game Now, You Can Get The Legendary Pokémon, Genesect Through Mystery Gift.

Once You Start The Game, Prof. Juniper Will Talk To You For A Little Bit. You Choose Your

Name And Gender, And After That You Have To Do A Couple More Things Before You Pick

Your Starter. The Rest You’ll Find Out As You Go. Buy It Now!

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is an action-adventure game for the Nintendo 3DS and

is an amazing game. You start out as the normal 10 year-old Kokiri Link, and end the game as The

16 Year-Old Hero of Time. If I had to rate the game on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it a 15. I can’t

say much more except to go out and buy it now.

Skylanders Giants Systems: Wii, PS3, 3DS, Xbox 360 Rating: E10

Skylanders Giants is the sequel to Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. There are about 16 new

Skylanders, and 8 of them are Giants. They are WAY stronger and slightly bigger. The story

is a lot different and it’s actually better than before. They remade the old Skylanders to have

every upgrade from both paths, so that’s really cool

Television Review: Once Upon a Time

By Edgar Belaval

Once Upon a Time is a television show that is about every fairy tale character.

Red Riding Hood, Snow White, the evil queen, and Rumpelstiltskin are only

some of the characters on the show. There are things about these fairy tale

characters that are a little different than the usual. They all were turned into

everyday people and forgot who they truly were. They all live in a town

called Storybrooke. I don’t want to give away any real details so go watch for

yourself at 8:00pm on Sundays on ABC.

Movie Review:

The Avengers

By Javier Hidalgo-Gato

The actors and actresses of

The Avengers – including

Robert Downey Jr., Chris

Evans, Mark Ruffulo, and

Scarlet Johanson -- were

really good and I love their

other movies. The movie is

set in New York City. It

starts with all the avengers

hating each other, but they

end up working together to

save the world, which is

being taken over by Loki. I

give this movie 5 stars. It

was in theaters last spring

and is now available on

DVD.

P a g e 7 V o l u m e 2 5 I s s u e 1

Editorials from The Spire Crier Staff

By Helen Hannan What this school needs is to have the Saint Augustine trip back even though

the 4th graders are learning about agriculture. We could go to Saint Augustine

and learn about the plants that grow in Saint Augustine and why they grow

there. We could also get a bonus and learn about Florida’s history!

By Alexandra Prio-Touzet

What this school needs is a snack or soda machine because then,

if you have some money, you can get an awesome snack. Also, if

you get Bon Appetit (not the best Hot Lunch I’ve ever eaten), you

can award yourself with nice, yummy cookies, crackers, goldfish,

and even more delicious surprises! Teachers probably think that it

will just make us a bit on the “bigger side.” But for their benefit,

we will only be able to eat the snacks after we eat our main lunch. I think that

that would be an epic addition to our school, and I bet that a bunch of students

agree!

By Victoria Hegewisch

What this school needs is a movie theater, so we can see educational movies

instead of having the teachers teach. Also I think we should have a swimming

pool because we can have an afterschool activity of diving or things like that. I

also think we should build a gym so we can have afterschool activity of gym-

nastics. I think we should have vending machines so if you forget your snack

you can buy something. I also think we should have another school hot lunch

program because it is not that good.

A joke by Olivia Byrd

THE EARTH IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE BECAUSE A LONELY GUY STUCK A REMOTE CONTROL IN THE GROUND

AND IS PLAYING PINBALL WITH THE EARTH AND THE PLANETS. BUT HE IS REALLY STUPID SO WE ARE

FLYING INTO THE SUN.

Edgar’s Opinions by Edgar Belaval

Due to watching just the

trailer for Paranormal Ac-

tivity 4, I am scarred for

life. I can’t even go to the

bathroom alone. I saw the

trailer at my house. When-

ever the walls creak I yell

at them. The movie has

created tons of paranoia.

Only looking at the poster

has given me nightmares

and several anxiety attacks.

PLEASE take whatever

precautions to not watch

this trailer, much less the

actual movie.

Wii Sports Resort is an ex-

citing game. You get to do

many sports. Fencing, one

of my favorite sports, is in

the game. Basketball is also

in the game. Archery, my

favorite sport is in the

game. I enjoy the game and

I hope you will too.

The Spire Crier is published by the fourth and fifth

grade journalism class for the students of St. Thomas

Episcopal Parish School.

Fourth Grade Staff: Helen Hannan, Javier Hidalgo-

Gato, Alexandra Prio-Touzet, and Charlie Silva

Fifth Grade Staff: Edgar Belaval, Olivia Byrd, Cornelia

Ehlebracht, Victoria Hegewisch, Luis Mendez, Carlos

Prio-Touzet, and Sarah Steinhour.

Journalism Adviser: Katrina Murphy

Thanks to the enrichment staff for your help in class:

Alli Williams and Ian Molina

W E ’R E ON TH E WE B

A T S TEP SM I A . ORG

G O TO S CH OOL L I FE

AND CLI CK ON

P UBLI CATI ONS

5692 North Kendall Drive

Coral Gables, FL 33156

305-665-4851

Contact us at Spirecrier@stepsmia.org

T h e S p i r e C r i e r

S t . T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l

P a r i s h S c h o o l

What is your favorite subject?

Luis Mendez asked 25 students this

question around school two different

afternoons and this is what he

learned:

Social Studies 7 = 28%

Math 5 = 20%

Language Arts 4 = 16%

Art 5 = 20%

Music 1 = 4%

P.E. 1 = 4%

Science 2 = 8%

Things That Would Be Better If

They Bounced!

By Javier Hidalgo-Gato

Gum

People

Computers

Rain

Basketballs! Oh… Wait… They Already

Bounce… Moving On!

This Paper

Now Write Your Own Objects!

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