 |
|
And speaking of the economy ....
Check out "To tip or not to tip; it’s a tricky question" in today's St. Petersburg Times. What are your thoughts about this article? Do you go out to eat a lot, stop for coffee order take out? Or, maybe you work in a restaurant, coffee house or fast food joint? Share your thoughts about this article and tipping here.
Money, Money, Money
It seems every day there is a story about budget shortfalls or the possibility of schools being closed to save money. What's the deal? Tell us what you think about the state of money for education. To read about all things education, check out the Gradebook blog.
Giving thanks
No excuses! You have some time off from school this week to think about reasons to be thankful. Tell us why, even in this gloomy economic time, you are grateful for something.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Is it all about the Benjamins?
Foreclosure, tuition hikes, stocks plunging, unemployment rising ... OH MY!
Although the price per gallon of gasoline has dropped in the last few weeks, the cost of the basics - food, shelter and clothing - is still on the rise. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, there was an article in the Times about the financial struggles of Lazydays RV SuperCenter in Seffner, the world's largest single-site RV dealer.
The front page of today's St. Petersburg Times has it all. You can read about "Foreclosure stalks BayWalk," "Lines drawn on tuition," "Wall Street fright returns; jobless claims soar" and "'A piece of humble pie.'" Check out Annie Lesso's (pictured in chair) story written by Leonora Lapeter Anton. What are your thoughts about Ms. Lesso's struggles? Do you think the issues she faces will affect you, if you are looking for an afterschool, winter break or summer job?
How is the economic crisis in the country affecting you and your family? Share your thoughts here.
The Greater St. Petersburg Area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band is heading for the legendary Thanksgiving Macys Parade in New York City next week. Here is a short preview of the band's dress rehearsal and a few of the band members' comments. Stay tuned for more video highlights as the Rounders prepare to rock the Big Apple!
Great American Smokeout
-- from the pages of Parade magazine and Parade Classroom.
On Thursday, November 20, thousands of smokers across the country will take part in the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout, by attempting to go the entire day without lighting a cigarette. Each year, smoking is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 45 million adults smoke—about 21 percent of the U.S. population.
Do any of your friends or family members smoke? Do you think these people are addicted to smoking? Have they ever tried to quit? Have you ever tried to help someone quit smoking? What’s the best way to convince a young smoker to quit? What’s the best way to convince teens who don’t smoke never to try? Do you think images of people smoking, in the movies and on TV, help lead kids to smoke? Are more images in the media pro- or anti-smoking? What messages about smoking do you see in the newspaper. Share your thoughts here.
Be sure to check out the St. Petersburg Times this week to look for articles about the Great American Smokeout.
"What is ‘careless’ versus homicide?"
In today's column, Howard Troxler writes, "How can a man with 21 previous traffic citations in Pinellas County drive onto a sidewalk in St. Pete Beach, kill a 33-year-old mother of three and be cited for nothing more than careless driving?"
Read this article and share your thoughts here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
Kids Voting
Kids Voting Tampa Bay is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is working to secure the future of democracy by preparing young people to be educated, engaged voters. The program is unique because it combines civic learning in the classroom with an authentic voting experience that reflects the adult process. See how students in the Tampa Bay area voted at the Kids Voting Web site.
Did you vote in your school or at the polls for this election? Share your experiences here.
Making a difference
Go to Kid Scoop on the NIE Web site and read about how you can help make life better for poor children in the Philippines. Then, blog here about stories in the Times that describe children who are less fortunate than you.
The home stretch
As we head into the final days before Election Day, there are a lot of people talking about politics. This is a history making year in terms of candidates and early voter turnout. What are your thoughts about the election? What are your thoughts about the television and radio ads? Have you checked out the accuracy of the candidates' statements on PolitiFact? Check out the "Voting 2008" category on the NBZ and share your thoughts with other students and teachers across the Tampa Bay area.
And, don't forget to cast your vote through Kids Voting polling locations. If you are a Hillsborough County student, you will have the opportunity to vote in school. All other students can cast their votes at a Kids Voting polling location in their respective counties. If you have participated in early voting, please share your thoughts about the process.
A bitter end to a sweet season
The Rays have had a fabulous season. Even though they did not win the World Series, the team has a lot to be proud of. Check out John Romano's article, "Rays miracle season over, but its effects will last," in the October 30 edition of the Times. If you did not read the article on October 30, you can read the article in the archives of the electronic edition or on tampabay.com. Share your thoughts about Romano's perspective and the Rays here.
Election Day is a week away. There is a lot of talk about the candidates in the news: national and local. Florida’s 10.5 million registered voters will vote “for” or “against” six proposed constitutional amendments. You will have the opportunity to vote through Kids Voting on November 4.
You can read about the proposed amendments at VoteSmartFlorida.org. You can search for St. Petersburg Times articles on the amendments by using the archives on tampabay.com. Choose a proposed amendment and discuss the pros and cons of that amendment here. Do you think the amendment is necessary to be added to the Florida Constitution: why or why not?
9=2!
Now, according to John Maddon's new math, 9=2! It was the bottom of the ninth, and everything was riding on pitcher David Price, who entered the game in the eighth. When Akinori Iwamura fielded Jed Lowrie's hard grounder and tagged second base at 11:40 p.m., history was made. Share your thoughts about the amazing American League Champion Series here.
Be safe
There are many examples of violence on the pages of the St. Petersburg Times. Look through today’s newspaper for examples of different kinds of violence. What are your thoughts about the articles you have found? Have you seen any violence firsthand? Do you see violence taking place on your school campus or on a friend's campus? Do you think your school is safe? Is your school fair with its consequences? Are there procedures the school’s staff does to make you feel safe at school? Share your thoughts about school safety on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Is change good?
Next year all high schools are going to a seven class schedule. Do you think you will be affected by this? Will it help or hurt you? Do you like your classes now? Do you think this will eliminate some of you electives and why? Look in the St. Petersburg Times for articles about other changes that are taking place in your school and community that may affect you. Share your thoughts with other students.
Rules and consequences
There are rules everywhere: at home, in public, at school. Every day students are required to follow school rules. Zachary Sharples was suspended for breaking one of the rules at his school. Look for other school news and issues in the St. Petersburg Times. Do these rules effect you? Do you think they are fair to the student population as a whole? Is your school district and school fair with the rules that are in place? Is your school fair with its consequences? Share your thoughts on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes
One kind of conflict that can affect adults at work and kids at school or in their neighborhood is a conflict with bullies. Look in the St. Petersburg Times for an article about bullying. Can you relate to the people or circumstances in the article? Is the bullying obvious, or is it subtle? Are their bullies in your class or neighborhood? Do you find boys or girls are doing more of the bullying? Have you ever bullied anyone or been bullied yourself? How does your school handle bullies? How safe is your campus? Share your thoughts with other students.
Seventh-grader Zachary Sharples loves the Tampa Bay Rays. So much so that he got a mohawk that has become the rallying hairdo for the surging baseball team. That style might be hot at the Trop. But it didn't go over so well at Lincoln Middle School in Manatee County. Zachary received an in school suspension for violating dress code. What are your thoughts about this issue and school dress codes in general? Do you think dress codes are necessary? Do you think Zachary should have been suspended for his hairdo? Share your thoughts here.
9 = 4
With their ALDS victory, the Rays became the sixth expansion team to win a postseason debut. After a season's worth of battling the Red Sox, the Rays are entering into the ultimate battle. The winner will have a ticket to the World Series. The losers will have a ticket home. The Rays are now headed back to Tampa to take on the Boston Red Sox in what should be an exciting series. Have you been watching the games? Who are your favorite players? If you had the opportunity to chat with any of the Rays players, what would you say? Share your thoughts about the Rays here.
Even if you're not a baseball fan, no doubt you know our Tampa Bay Rays are doing better than ever! Securing a spot in the playoffs on Saturday night, the Rays are heading to the post season. Just dream a little here and tell us what it would mean to you if our hometown team were to be in the playoffs as the AL East Division champs or (dream bigger!) playing in the World Series.
Time for a fiesta!
The United States observes Hispanic Heritage Month starting today, through Oct. 15, to celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. What influences of these traditions do you see in the Tampa Bay area? Click below to share your thoughts.
Talkin' politics, again
Get used to it; with the general election only weeks away, 'tis the season for lots of political pontificating! In that spirit, pretend presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has chosen you to be his running mate, as he did with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. What is the first thing you would tell voters about yourself? Click on the link below to share your thoughts.
My Fellow Americans ...
History was made last week when Illinois Sen. Barack Obama accepted the Democrat Party's nomination to be its candidate for president. If you could have made a speech at the convention, what issues would you have included in your speech? Click on the comment button below to tell us about your experiences.
Hurricane Daze
Tropical Storm Fay started out as an uneventful day off school for most Tampa Bay area students, but then stuck around to cause harm, even loss of life, with excessive flooding. We hope you and your family remained safe during the storm. Click on the comment button below to tell us about your experiences.
Briiiinnngggg ... School's back in session!
Summer is over this week, or at least the part where you don't have to go to school. Are you ecstatic? Are you so bumbed you're dragging your backpack on the ground? Tell us about your experiences being back in the classroom.
... It is time to turn in your reader log.
It is time to head back to school. We hope you have been keeping track of your favorite articles in your Summer Times Reader Log.
After school starts, all participating students who completed their reading logs will be entered in a drawing to win some great prizes including free admission passes to Muvico Theaters, ice cream for a year from Working Cow Ice Cream, cool merchandise from Busch Gardens and a Dell computer with flat screen monitor and DVD burner donated by Data Balance. Send your completed logs to the address below to be entered in the drawing. If you missed a week or two, just be sure that all 10 boxes of the log are filled out with information from different days you read the newspaper. Don’t forget that you and your parent or guardian must fill out the back page of the log in order to be eligible for awards. If you have misplaced your reader log or need a new one, you can call the reader hotline or go to our NIE Web site.
Click on the comment button below to share your thoughts about the Sizzlin' Summer Times Reader program.
 The NIE BLOGGING ZONE (or NBZ for short!) is a place to share your thoughts about whatever you read in Florida’s hottest newspaper: the St. Petersburg Times! School may be out for the summer, but here at NBZ you can keep up with the latest news and views of students all around Tampa Bay. If you have a burning topic to suggest, e-mail jillwilson@sptimes.com
Check out all our topics for blogging. Click on the category you want to read and respond to in the left side column. |
Recent Comments