Take a Look at the Statistics and Numbers of Groundhog Day

Matin Luther King Jr. Remembered

Hillwood Academic Day School is closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the life and work of this civil rights activist.

Erion and Jay made the following video clip, and the story below is by Hillwood graduate Julian G., who is now at Sacred Heart. The article includes a video clip from "Meet the Press," and shows Dr. King being interviewed. The clip reveals him as an amazing speaker and someone able to handle an aggressive interview style.



Marin Luther King Jr. is known by everyone for giving rights to blacks.

He began his career as a Baptist preacher. He went on to lead the civil rights movement, and he also made history.

Jim Crow laws were terrible. They did not let blacks sit in the front of the bus and they had to give up their seats if a white person was standing. They had to eat in separate restaurants, go to separate public restrooms, and even separate public schools. But in 1954 Jim Crow lost to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared separate schools for blacks and whites was unequal. The case was called "Brown v. Board of Education."

Black people were tired of the racism, so they boycotted the bus system because a woman named Rosa Park in Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white person. Thirteen months later the bus gave in because of the cash flow problems with no one riding the bus.

The Montgomery boycott inspired more people to join him. In 1963 Dr. King and other civil right leaders organized the march in Washington. More than two hundred thousand people came to for demand equality for blacks.

The Civil Rights movement was changing the nation. In 1964 Congress passed the Civil Rights act which made racial discrimination in public places legal. He also got the Nobel Peace Prize.

On April 4, 1998 Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, by James Earl Ray. But, still Dr. King's words, speeches and his legacy lives on with us. He inspired Hispanics, women, and even the disabled.

Below is an interview with Martin Luther King and several journalists on the television show Meet the Press, which ran on national TV, in the mid-1950s. Meet the Press is a news show that still airs on regular TV today.



Hillwood Herald readers: Don't forget school is closed on Monday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King day.

Happy Mother's Day from The Hillwood Herald

Happy Mother's Day!

Click for our Mother's Day video by Camryn!

Beware the Ides of March

Nope, it's not "Ideas" but " Ides." This day is on March, July, October 15, and the thirteenth of any other month. It marks the day when Julius Caesar died and based on the Roman calendar. The word "ides"is a Latin and means "halfway."

There is a play written by William Shakespeare called "Julius Caesar," and in the play there is a line that tells Julius Caesar to beware of " The Ides of March." The Ides of March, apparently, was a popular phrase at the time when Shakespeare lived. That is why he had that line in his play. The Ides of March is very special to many people. Some people really honor the Ides of March.

Written by Rubina H.

The History of Valentine's Day and More

Have you ever wondered about why we celebrate Valentine's Day? We celebrate it in honor of St. Valentine, and I'll tell you the history of Valentine's Day:

The legend has it that St. Valentine was a priest in third century Rome. Claudius II, the emperor, decided single men should fight instead of married men. He also made a law to go with that ruling in which no young men could marry. He did this so his army would be younger and stronger. Valentine found this unfair and secretly started marrying young couples. Once Claudius II found out, he put Valentine to death.

Another legend for Valentine's Day is that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with the jailer's daughter. Before he was put to death he wrote a letter to his love saying, "Your Valentine."

Cupid comes from Greek mythology. Cupid is the son of the god Venus and Venus is the god of love.

You can celebrate Valentines even without cards. Here's how to make a Valentine bingo.

YOU WILL NEED

• Construction paper
• Ruler
• Magic markers
• Two large bags of candy hearts
• Small bag

Here's how make the bingo cards. For each card, cut the paper into a five-inch (12.7-centimeter) square. Use a ruler to draw five equally spaced rows and columns with the marker, creating 25 squares (see above). Each player counts out 25 candy hearts and writes the saying from each candy in a square. (It's OK if the same saying appears on several of your candy hearts.) Start playing. All players throw their 25 hearts into one bag. Pick one person to be the "caller." The caller shakes up the bag, then pulls one heart out of the bag at a time and reads the saying out loud. Using coins or extra candy hearts as markers, players mark the called sayings that appear on their cards. The first player to line up five hearts across, down, or diagonally yells "Bingo!"

!Gung Hay Fat Choy!

New Year is a really big holiday in San Francisco because there is a big Chinese population in the city. The parade runs from Market St., up Geary St., to Kearny St. (for map click on tiny URL at bottom). There is lots to see at the parade like the dragon and many others.

Chinese New Year starts on the first full moon of the new year and ends fifteen days later. It has been a holiday for over 5,000 years. The last day is called "Lantern Day" because children carry lanterns in the parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. A lunar cycle is about 29.5 days.

The first day of the new year is known as "The welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Many people fast because they think it will ensure long and happy lives. On the second day, people pray to their ancestors and treat dogs very good because it is believed that that was the birthday of all dogs. The third and fourth day is for the son-in-laws to pray to their parents-in-law. The fifth day is known as "Po woo," people stay home and welcome the God of Wealth. From the sixth to the tenth day, people visit their relatives and pray in temples. On the seventh day farmers show off their produce and people celebrate the birthday of human-beings. On the eighth day the Fijian people have a reunion, and pray at midnight. On the ninth night people make offerings to the jade emperor. On the tenth to the twelfth nights, People invite relatives and eat a lot, for the thirteenth night they eat very little. The fourteenth night is spent preparing for the Lantern Festival.

Get Ready for Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans in mid February. It all started in ancient Rome on the 12th night of Christmas. In French, Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, and it is a tradition of using all the butter and fat in the kitchen.

In New Orleans, it start in 1857 as a secret society. The colors for Mardi Gras are purple for justice, gold for power, and green for faith. In New Orlean, they celebrated Mardi Gras with a parade.

For more information about the celebration, watch this video on this video on National Geographics Kids.

Source: National Geographic Kids

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy holidays from the Hillwood herald. Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah.

After this week, The Hillwood Herald will be on vacation until the New Year.

Hanukkah Lantern Card from Nicole Catrett on Vimeo.

Holiday Cards Made by Famous Artists

The Smithsonian has one hundred holiday cards made by famous artists. Only thirty five cards are on their site. The rest are on display in the Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C., where you can visit the exhibit.

Turkey Fun

This is a cartoon that I made about a Native American, a Pilgrim, and a turkey. The Native American and the Pilgrim really want their turkey but the turkey senses something suspicious. You can make your own cartoon here, on the National Geographic website.

If you would like to know about Thanksgiving turkeys and the White House, click here.

The National Geographic website also shows you how to make the Thanksgiving wreath shown on this page.

YOU WILL NEED

• A grapevine wreath (available at craft stores)
• Real or artificial fall leaves
• Acorns
• Berries
• Wide ribbon
• Craft glue
• Puffy paint

HERE'S HOW
Wrap the ribbon around the wreath as shown, and knot in place. Tuck the stems of the leaves, acorns, and berries into the wreath. When you are happy with the arrangement, glue everything in place. Write holiday messages on the ribbon with puffy paint.

Turkey Cartoon

Create a cartoon about Thanksgiving using this Flash application. Then create a fun story using this application.

Christmas at the White House

Student: Camryn

What are the holidays like at the White House? Consult the White House website and then write a news story.

What's at the Zoo for the Holiday?

Student: Jay and Erion

What's happening at the zoo for the holiday? Write a story based on information from the zoo's website and the SFGate. Remember to include links, images, and source.

Tree-Lighting Ceremony at Golden Gate Park

Student: Nikita

Write about the upcoming tree-lighting service in Golden Gate Park. When is it? Include a link to and information from the park's website.

When you are done, you may make an Animoto video.

Reindeer on the Roof? Really?

Student: Anya


'Tis the Season for Science — and your task is to write about all the holiday happenings at the Academy of Sciences. Visit the website for more information, and remember to hit on the following highlights.

Celebrate the holidays with a scientific twist this season! From now through January 2, explore a winter wonderland at the California Academy of Sciences, complete with live reindeer, hot chocolate, an igloo theater, festive decor, and snow flurries in the piazza. The exciting lineup of winter-themed programs changes every day and every week. Programs include:

• A daily rendezvous with Yukon and Windy, the two live reindeer
• Interactive games: Polar Jeopardy and Mad Science
• Performances by SF Circus, Robert Strong the Comedy Magician, and Dance-Along Nutcracker
• Scavenger hunts
• Displays of northern lights in the igloo
• Arctic specimen spotlights
• Photos with Santa Claude, the alligator mascot

The History of St. Paddy's Day

Student Assignment: Brendon
(Thank Irene for this assignment!)

~St. Patty's Day History, Legends, Traditions,Modern Celebrations

What is the tradition of Saint Patrick's Day? Read this story on History.com, and then write a feature story that is at least 15 sentences in length.

Include links and explanitory text to the following activities found on National Geographic:
• Clover puzzles
• Pot of gold

What Will You Do on MLK Day?

Student Assignment: Jennifer

Hillwood, like most schools in the city, has Martin Luther King Day off. Students can pay to join other kids at a day-long camp at the Exploratorium.

Write a news story announcing this camp. Include all of the key details, from times and cost. You may pull from the following, as well as the Exploratorium's website. You will also want to include what activities kids can join in on. Your story should be at least 10 to 15 sentences long.


One-Day Camps for kids ages 5–10
Give your kids the Exploratorium camp experience on school holidays and SFUSD furlough days. On Monday, January 17 (Martin Luther King Day), 5- and 6-year-olds investigate all things dirt, while 7- to 10-year-olds dissect owl pellets and examine microscopic pond organisms to learn about the food chain. To see a full list of camp dates and descriptions and preregister (required) your campers, visit our website.