Three Friends and a Dog

Vote for your favorite in the Comments Section.

A dog with Three Friends - 1898

 

End 'O Year

5th Grade Field Trip

School is Out for Summer.

Pictures from 4 v. 4 Festival

Rules for Games on Saturday, May 23, 2009.

In this format a number of players rotate through different teams in a series of short games. Each player is awarded points based on the result of his team's game. These points are added together so that at the end of the tournament one player, unless there is a tie, will emerge as the winner.

This system keeps the games competitive. The children are playing to win and one or two losses aren't catastrophic. The coach can monitor the scores and adjust the teams so that players can't easily run away with the tournament or get buried.

Rules.
*Time. 10 to 12 minute games.
*Numbers. 4v4, or if numbers allow one group plays 3v3 or 5v5.
*Scoring. Each player on a winning team gets 10 points and 1 point for each goal scored by the team. The losing players each get 1 point for every goal scored by the team. In a tie every player gets 5 points plus 1 point for each goal scored by his team.
*Since this is a competition it is recommended that all teams play the "same game" although it doe not have to be the basic game.
*Touchline Restarts are a kick or dribble in from the point where the ball went out.
* Goal line Restarts are corner or goal.
* All penalties are indirect.

Organization.
*Set out enough fields for the number of players. Label each goal. In the example below two fields are set up for 16 players. The goals are labeled A, B, C and D.
*The coach tells each player which goal to report to. The teams organize themselves there.
*Scrimmage vests and balls are available at the fields. Players can leave the vests at a goal at the end of each game.
*Players referee themselves.
*On a signal from the coach all of the games begin. The games end on another signal. The coach's job is to be a time and record keeper.
*The players report their results to the coach who records them, (see example), and the coach tells them which goal to report to next. The sequence repeats until all of the games are done and the winner is determined.

Coaching. The coach should refrain from offering too much advice. It's up to the children to organize themselves, deal with the soccer problems they encounter and to take responsibility for their play. The major advantage of this method can be seen after the children have played it a few times and know what to expect. They will have to assume responsibility for their own teams and performance.

Eat Your Oats!

The Quakers were one of the first religious groups to settle in America. They came here to escape punishment in England for their religious beliefs. William Penn, a Quaker, founded the colony of Pennsylvania so people of many religions could worship without being prosecuted. The Quakers made an impact in Colonial America and continue to practice their religion today.
A theologian named George Fox founded this religion in 1647 and called it the Society of Friends. While many thought that the Bible was how God spoke to men, George Fox thought that God was inside of every person. George Fox once told a judge “to tremble at the word of the Lord.” The judge called Fox a Quaker. Enemies first used the word “Quakers” as a term of abuse, but the Quakers soon used it to describe themselves. Quakers did not wear colors, all their clothing was black or white. They wore hats, to cover their heads from the sight of God. They rejected war and stressed peace and education.
The Quakers effected the world around them in many ways. They helped stop wars and they also helped make America a county where you can practice your religion freely. They were the first group to oppose slaveholding. The Quakers thought that all men were equal and no man could own a slave. They also renounced violence.
If there were never any Quakers then Americans might still have to belong to the official Church of England and we might not have all the religious rights we have now. The Quakers, or the Society of Friends, still are an influential religion in the USA. In 1947 Quakerism was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Both of President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, currently attend a Quaker school, Sidwell Friends.
Slavery was abolished in the United States, in part, because the Quakers taught that it was evil. The principal of non-violence that is a basic part of the Quaker religion has spread throughout the world. Quakerism is now a major religion all over the world.

Robert
Freedom Seven Elementary
School of International Studies
May 17, 2009

Baloba Celebrates finding the Pacific Ocean!

Vasco Nunez de Balboa was a conquistador who discovered the Pacific Ocean and was governor of Panama for a short time. He had a very adventurous life; he went from hiding in a barrel to leading a group of soldiers to riches beyond imagination. He founded cities and settled Panama.
Little is know about Balboa’s childhood, he was one of four bothers born to a nobleman in southwestern Spain. In 1501 Balboa crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of treasure. He explored the southeastern coast of South America and made a lot of money. He took his earning and moved to the island of Hispaniola where he settled and, for five years tried to farm and raise pigs. His farm was not a success and Balboa lost his money. In 1509 he sneaked on a ship to escape his debts. Balboa stowed away, hidden in barrel with his dog, Leoncico. The ship was headed to San Sebastian to aid Alonso de Ojeda. Before the ship reached San Sebastian Balboa was discovered. The captain threatened to maroon Balboa on a desert island, but the crew became friends with him and his life was spared. When the ship landed they found survivors from a massacre. With Balboa’s knowledge and leadership the survivors were able to make it to safety. After he lead the group to safety, he founded a settlement, then set off across Panama. In 1513, Balboa became the first the first conquistador to see the Pacific Ocean.
Balboa was able to lead his troops through the jungles and make friends with the Indians. He traded with them, rather than killing them and taking their property. When he came back from discovering the Pacific Ocean his troops were loaded with gold, goods and pearls. It is sad that the Governor, his wife’s father, wanted his troops to kill the natives rather than trade with them and make friends.
Balboa was not that important in the history of America, he was a good leader, but he was killed by his wife’s father before he had a chance to accomplish many things. Had he lived, he might have made a greater impact on the world.
Balboa was important to South America because he civilized Panama and made allies of the local tribes which helped them be more successful in life. He brought them heath, productivity and protection from Spain. Without Balboa Panama would have been slave central. He protected them from cruel slave owners and brutal slaughter. So, that’s how Vasco Nunez de Balboa became famous, a great conquistador and a great Spaniard by helping Panama, helping natives and helping Spain.

John
Freedom Seven Elementary
School of International Studies
May 17, 2009

Rules for games on Saturday May 32, 2009

In this format a number of players rotate through different teams in a series of short games. Each player is awarded points based on the result of his team's game. These points are added together so that at the end of the tournament one player, unless there is a tie, will emerge as the winner.

This system keeps the games competitive. The children are playing to win and one or two losses aren't catastrophic. The coach can monitor the scores and adjust the teams so that players can't easily run away with the tournament or get buried.

Rules.
*Time. 10 to 12 minute games.
*Numbers. 4v4, or if numbers allow one group plays 3v3 or 5v5.
*Scoring. Each player on a winning team gets 10 points and 1 point for each goal scored by the team. The losing players each get 1 point for every goal scored by the team. In a tie every player gets 5 points plus 1 point for each goal scored by his team.
*Since this is a competition it is recommended that all teams play the "same game" although it doe not have to be the basic game.
*Touchline Restarts are a kick or dribble in from the point where the ball went out.
* Goal line Restarts are corner or goal.
* All penalties are indirect.

Organization.
*Set out enough fields for the number of players. Label each goal. In the example below two fields are set up for 16 players. The goals are labeled A, B, C and D.
*The coach tells each player which goal to report to. The teams organize themselves there.
*Scrimmage vests and balls are available at the fields. Players can leave the vests at a goal at the end of each game.
*Players referee themselves.
*On a signal from the coach all of the games begin. The games end on another signal. The coach's job is to be a time and record keeper.
*The players report their results to the coach who records them, (see example), and the coach tells them which goal to report to next. The sequence repeats until all of the games are done and the winner is determined.

Coaching. The coach should refrain from offering too much advice. It's up to the children to organize themselves, deal with the soccer problems they encounter and to take responsibility for their play. The major advantage of this method can be seen after the children have played it a few times and know what to expect. They will have to assume responsibility for their own teams and performance.

No Soccer Practice on Tuesday, May 12, 2008.

No practice today due to a conflict with the Freedom Seven Strings concert.

Ars longa, vita brevis.

Seneca

Art is long and time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still like muffled drums are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

Longfellow

Trombone Shorty

 

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews (born January 2, 1986) is a trombone and trumpet player from New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S..

Troy Andrews is the younger brother of trumpeter and bandleader James Andrews. Growing up in New Orleans' Treme neighborhood, "Trombone Shorty" was participating in brass band parades as a child, carrying his trombone even before his arms were long enough to reach all the positions of the slide. Andrews was a bandleader by the age of 6. Originally attracting attention for his youth, by his teens he was attracting attention for his musical virtuosity as well.

He attended the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), and as a graduate he joined the ranks of others like Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Irvin Mayfield and Nicholas Payton.

In 2005, he was a featured member of Lenny Kravitz's horn section for a world tour.



In London, during the summer of 2006, Andrews began working with producer Bob Ezrin and U2 at Abbey Road Studios. This association led to Andrews performing with U2 and Green Day during the re-opening of the New Orleans Superdome for the NFL’s Monday Night Football pre-game show.

To wrap up 2006, Andrews appeared on the NBC television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Leading a group of New Orleans musicians, he performed the holiday classic "O Holy Night" which drew such an enthusiastic response from viewers that NBC released the single for free download on their web site.

Kicking off 2007, New Orleans’ premier music magazine, Offbeat, named Andrews their Performer of the Year. He also garnered honors as Best Contemporary Jazz Performer.

As of 2008, his current project is Orleans Avenue, a funk/pop/hip-hop mix including musicians Mike Ballard on bass, James Martin on tenor sax, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, and Charlie Smith on keyboards.

Pound Bound?

 

Blaze vs. Divine Mercy: Kickoff at 11:30 on April 25, 2009 (at Kelly West in Merritt Island.)

 

Neil Says:

Red means run, son,
numbers add up to nothin'.

Where did the name "Freedom Seven" come from?

MISSION CONTROL: "Three, two, one, zero...liftoff!"

SHEPARD: "Roger, liftoff and the clock has started."

The clock has started. With those words, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space. He was in a small spacecraft called Freedom Seven. It was on top of a huge rocket traveling at more than eight thousand kilometers an hour.

Fifteen minutes later, Freedom Seven came down in the Atlantic Ocean. Alan Shepard was a national hero. He had won an important victory for the United States. The date was May fifth, nineteen sixty-one.

Freedom Seven flew one hundred eighty-five kilometers high. Then it re-entered the atmosphere and the spacecraft slowed. The fifteen-minute flight ended with a soft splash into the ocean about five hundred kilometers from Cape Canaveral.

Alan Shepard reported: "Everything is A-Okay." A helicopter pulled him from the spacecraft and carried him to a waiting ship.

The New Riders of the Wekiva Sage.

 

Hanna & Hailey Say: GIRLS ROCK!

 

Bryan's Family gives up football for fishing!

Long-time Space Coast fishing guide and national television personality, Capt. Blair Wiggins is no stranger to professional redfishing. In 2006, he and former teammate Tad Vandermark became the first $100,000 winners on the FLW Tour.

For the second year in a row, he's partnering with his 16-year-old son and avid angler, Drayden, for the IFA events

Practice? - Not in the Lighting! - But otherwise, yes!

As we face yet another day, where afternoon thunderstorms – and lots of lightning strikes – are likely, we should remember lightning kills an average of 62 people a year in the United States – with about 10 of those in Florida – the agency wants us to keep some safety tips in mind:

“The only way to be safe during lightning is to be inside a substantial building or car. A building is safe if it is fully enclosed with a roof, walls, and floor, and contains wiring and plumbing throughout. Picnic shelters, dugouts, sheds and other partially open or small structures are not safe,” says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Lightning flashes about 25 million times a year in the United States – with about 1 million of those in Florida – and each one is a potential killer, NOAA says.

Some other interesting facts, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

-- About 100,000 thunderstorms build in the United States each year;

-- Lightning is present in all thunderstorms;

-- A cloud-to-ground lightning strike, the most destructive form of lightning, occurs when the electrical difference between a thundercloud and the ground overcomes the insulating properties of the surrounding air;

-- Lightning has struck 10 miles away from the rain of a thunderstorm;

If you find yourself stuck outdoors during a thunderstorm, here are some more tips:

-- Do not seek shelter under tall or isolated trees. Lightning typically strikes the tallest object in an area.

-- Avoid open areas. You don’t want to be the tallest object.

-- Do not seek shelter under partially enclosed buildings

-- If you are camping, be ready to seek safe shelter in a vehicle or substantial building if a thunderstorm threatens. A tent offers no protection from lighting.

-- Stay away from metal fences and poles that could conduct lightning to you.

-- If you are on a boat, return to shore immediately and seek safe shelter.

For more information, here's a good link. http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/