“Using a lightsaber is just good fun! It’s one of the most iconic weapons in history. Everyone knows what it is. There is just something about wielding a fantasy weapon in real life–it brings out the joy in you,” says Peter Borg of Borg’s Saber Academy in Phoenix.
At night, I have interesting dreams that I love sharing with my family. At school, I learned something exciting. I can transform these dreams into stories! We had special guests come to my 5th grade class at Immaculate Heart School—Gail Dent and Ann Banwell, judges for the Tucson Festival of Books Young Authors contest sponsored by Altrusa International of Tucson. They taught us what makes a story stand out and win the Young Authors contest.
Are you looking to learn about the Sonoran Desert animals of Arizona? I reviewed Julie Bonner’s Desert Dwellers Flashcards. Bonner is a local painter and graphic designer who created alphabet flashcards about Southwest desert animals. Each card contains an acrylic painting of the animal and a story.
It was a cloudy, rainy day when my family and I visited the new Children’s Museum at Tohono Chul. Luckily, the pauses in rain allowed us to follow the small bug signs easily through the gardens. I didn’t realize that the museum would be at the end of the gardens, but they were so beautiful to walk through, especially with all the rain, it didn’t seem far.
Have you ever wondered what a math club does? Immaculate Heart School, home of the Knights on the Northwest side of Tucson, started a Math Club. The club is led by Math Kangaroo facilitator, Dr. Katrina Henry, Assistant Professor of Practice in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. Meetings are held twice a week for 30 minutes and students will be participating in and hosting the Math Kangaroo Competition on March 16.
Far from home and surrounded by the Red Sea, desert, and wild animals of East Africa—my teacher, Cailin Molina, began her 120-day adventure in the city of Djibouti [Juh-Boo-tee], located in the Horn of Africa.
Upon arrival she was greeted with a strong hot and humid breeze and a warm welcome from other service members. “From 2021 to 2022 the Air Force Reserves sent me to Camp Lemonnier, a U.S. Base in Djibouti City, Djibouti,” says Tech. Sgt. (Technical Sergeant) Molina, a third-grade teacher at Immaculate Heart.