the bird on fire

The Palm Valley School Student Blog

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Slide onto the Ice with CSF

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Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 12th-Grade Blogger Melina Brodeur 

The California Scholarship Federation and California JUNIOR Scholarship Federation at Palm Valley School hosted an ice-skating event at the Acrisure Arena last month to allow students to come together and create a space with laughter and moments that are unforgettable. Events like this allow students to take a break from school activities and enjoy time with friends and support each other. Skating is the perfect activity to meet new people and enjoy your time away from school for a few hours. I asked Matteo Lam, the CSF President, “Why do you think events like ice skating are important for students?” and he replied, “Events like ice skating give students the opportunity to socially connect in a dynamic different from the everyday classroom experience. It’s fun, a new experience for some, and helps build community.” So if you have missed this event, make sure to watch out for future CSF activities so you’re able to enjoy the experience of hanging out with friends and having fun. 

Matteo, Nevan, Olivia, and Louisa have fun, skating, and enjoying time together. (Photo credits to Mr. Killeen and Ms. Zachik.)
Mr. Killeen captured the action of Matteo doing a “hockey stop” and spraying all with ice.

The Power of Having a Hobby

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Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 12th-Grader Melina Brodeur 

Bedazzling is one of my guilty pleasures. It takes many, many hours for me to finish a project, but placing down each little rhinestone is relaxing and allows me to get off my phone for a few hours. Bedazzling for me is not just decorating things with rhinestones, but a creative outlet that allows me to reduce my stress and anxiety. When I feel I am unable to focus on homework, do my reading, or even be able to study for a test, I decide instead to take some time to give myself a second to slow down, and focus on my thoughts while doing something I find extremely rewarding. I started bedazzling because I had watched a TikTok video of a girl explaining how much she enjoyed it.

I found it so satisfying to take something simple, like a water bottle, lip gloss, or even a phone case, and transform that plain item into something unique. Hobbies like bedazzling can bring back creativity into your life in a world full of social media. Instead of spending money on buying items that are manufactured and that everyone has, now you can create a unique item that is only yours, and even customize the colors, the patterns, and even the designs. Gluing down the rhinestones is extremely relaxing and takes a lot of patience and focus. If I ever need a break from homework, social media, or studying, I know I can rely on bedazzling to be able to ease my stress. There’s even research to support the idea (Mercy, 2023). According to the American Psychological Association, creative activities can decrease stress through expressive activities that involve concentration and imagination. They say having a hobby that involves using your hands, like doing crafts, can create a calming effect. 

Hobbies don’t have to be major like building a treehouse (although if you wanted, it would be cool); just do something that feels personal to you, give yourself a chance to slow down, focus, and enjoy yourself, and maybe you’ll figure out that this creativity will be the main component to you being able to pull through the rest of the year. So go find something you enjoy doing.

Melina bedazzled fragrance bottles and a mini Vaseline using rhinestones and adhesive.  Photo by author.

CUÁNTAS PATAS!!!

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Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 8th-Grade Blogger Jackie Pretorius

My dad needed an evil ploy to get us to learn some Spanish. He thought to himself what is the most awesomest thing in the whole wide world–so awesome in fact that his children wouldn’t mind speaking in a whole different language? Thus, Cuántas patas (how many paws) was born. Out of the blue, our dad will quiz us by asking cuántas patas? The thing that annoyed me most was that the answer was always cuatro (four). Cats have four paws, and that doesn’t change! It’s like that didn’t matter though. He would pretend we are in some sort of a gameshow and would be so enthusiastic whenever we got the answer right.

One Easter day we were doing our normal thing, finding eggs, and stuff. Usually we would have to complete a URL code that leads us to a video showcasing where we were going to travel next. In order to find the missing characters in the URL, we’d have to do a fun activity. I think you know where this is going. One by one he’d pick up our cats and shout cuántas patas in the most animated way possible, and when we answered “cuatro,” he would celebrate. I’d come to find this extremely annoying while Max (my brother) has embraced it and joined our dad’s side in trying to irritate me.

Also one of my games in Scratch (a simple kids block coding language), was having to take care of a cat by playing four different mini games. In one of these mini games, I made it so that the cat you were taking care of would quiz you with various questions about how many ears, eyes, and of course paws does a cat have in Spanish and later English. Best of all I showed it to our dad, and you can’t imagine how much he enjoyed it. A little inside joke he made has turned into so much more. Although I still find the cuántas patas game annoying, I’ve come to like it as it has brought us so many memories. And, now, you can embrace it and see how ridiculous but yet so wholesome cuántas patas came to be.

My Scratch game.

A Mark Meme

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By Former and Now Returning Blogger Mark Huber

You might remember Mark’s illustrations, animations, movies, and stories from last spring semester when he was a Blog Staffer. Mark returns to us now in the last half of this spring semester. He brings with him his drawing and storytelling skills. He shares here a meme about the irony of enjoying the “fresh” outdoors. Enjoy.

Original graphic by Mark Huber.

A Dumb Introvert Rant

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Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 8th-Grade Blogger Jackie Pretorius

I joined Blog since I like writing and even though I do get to write I also have to interview people for some of the prompts. And, of course, when I learned about this interviewing thing I did everything I could to keep it at a minimum, but I’d still be forced to do it anyway. It’s not like I don’t like talking to people; it’s just my social batteries can only handle so much. On the other hand, I can sometimes be shy and barging into a random classroom, disturbing the atmosphere, and starting a conversation with someone definitely helps me get out of my bubble. (I am definitely not being sarcastic.) I wasn’t so scared that I couldn’t make a decision on what PSA to do since they mostly revolved around interviewing. 

Photo credit: I drew these myself.

These two things–low battery and shyness–make it really hard to socialize regardless of how much my brother Max wants me to, especially during dances. At the last dance, I couldn’t have a chat with myself for more than 5 minutes without him interrupting my inner monologue and literally pushing me over to people. You know how embarrassing that is having to explain myself like I did something wrong? But also starting a conversation is scary. So naturally when I knew what he was doing I would run for my life and hide behind a pillar, hoping he wouldn’t notice me.

Another scary thing is  Blog. Yet again! I thought once I finished a post it would only be privately shared and returned for corrections, and although it was like that, there’s more to the story. After all the editing is done and you resubmit a post, it needs to go through a read-through. One person reads it aloud to the entire class as they nitpick everything. I hide from my problems by being under the table every single time a read-through of my work is taking place. And I know before the read-through our teacher makes corrections, . .  soooo. Please don’t put me through the pain and agony that are read-throughs. I would rather have a mumball thrown at my face rather than be embarrassed by maybe having a small grammar mistake and everything knowing I’m dumb because of it!

“Then, resubmit. It is ready to publish–after a read-through!”

“NOOOOOOOO!“

Anyways, in school I like working solo for obvious reasons, but sometimes you’re forced to be in groups. Whenever that happens I either do one of two things. One, I do the entire project myself while constantly worrying if it’s good enough; or, two, I do absolutely nothing without other people’s approval. But when the work is solo, I don’t have to worry about those things. But at the same time, it can be fun talking with people I would have never spoken with if this group project didn’t force me to. I just can’t make up my mind, can I?!

Even with all that said, I understand why talking with others can be beneficial. We live in a society where we have to work as a team and learning how to do so is a good tool to have. On the other hand, if you don’t want to socialize, there is no one forcing you to until you have to do those stupid interviews and read-throughs, people bugging you to socialize, or working in anxiety-inducing group projects. But, they’re not all bad. Sometimes I do enjoy it, but also now I get an excuse to complain. Thanks, Blog!

April’s Jokes and Fun

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Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle 

The first day of every April is celebrated by making jokes and pranking your peers. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the famous holiday “April Fools Day”? Does it even have a history behind it? Or was it just something that randomly started for no reason? I have discovered the answers to your questions, so you don’t have to go searching.

April Fools’ Day, in most countries, is the first day of April. It received its name from the custom of playing practical jokes on this day—for example, telling friends that their shoelaces are untied or sending them on so-called fools’ errands. Although the day has been observed for centuries, its true origins are unknown and effectively unknowable. It resembles festivals such as the Hilaria of ancient Rome, held on March 25, and Holi, the Hindu spring festival celebrated on the full-moon day of Phalguna (February–March) (Britannica).

Some people think that the holiday might have originated in France, but no one knows for sure. Here are some pranks that the Palm Valley School students have played.  

Emerson suggested “Covering brussel sprouts in chocolate to make them look like cake pops.”

Julian suggested, “Upside down hot chocolate in a glass. This is when you really quickly flip a mug upside down so the liquid is on the bottom. You clean up the mess and then add whip cream to the top so when the person goes to drink it there is only whip cream, so the liquid falls onto the person.” 

Sami goes with, “Put a rubber chicken to the exhaust of a car, and as it drives, the rubber chicken will make noise!!!!!!!”

“Putting salt into my Dads cup of tea.” – Cleo 

“Sticking googling eyes on everything.” – Livia 

“The French tradition of putting fish sticky notes on people.” – Sophia

“Replace the sugar with salt, or replace the toilet paper with real paper.” – Anna

          

A World Filled with Possibilities

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Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle

I often catch myself wondering about the future, wondering who I want to be when I’m older–not like the type of job I want, but who I want to be as a person. Do I want to be someone people look up to? This is an original poem about not knowing what the future holds: 

No matter how you feel right now,
About this moment,
This moment will never repeat itself.
Growing up is inevitable.
What do I want to be?
A person everyone trusts?
Someone everyone goes to see? 
In a world where I can be anything,
A world where I could have a crown, 
Or be the most famous,
Or be the smartest of the town,
I would choose to be the quiet listening ear,
Who helps her neighbour through the tears.
I would choose to be the person who holds open the door,
Never a mean word, wouldn’t want to leave a scar.
I would choose to be delicate with a certain poise,
But also a fun person filled with love and joy.
I would choose to see the world,
In all its glory and light.
Finding the beauty in everything,
Throughout the starry sky.

For me, it’s not what I want to be, but who I want to be. It’s hard to imagine that in a few years I won’t be here, young, with my friends; we will all be separated and on our different paths in life. I want to be someone people remember and trust. In a world where I could be anything, I would choose to be kind. 

The Horrible and Great Flags of the US

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Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 8th-Grade Blogger Max Pretorius

About a week ago, I blogged about the guidelines to creating flags. I went by the guidelines established by the UK’s Flag Institute and the North American Vexilogical Association. While doing this I used different examples of flags, some good, some bad. When finding these examples, I was forced to look into the horrible world that is American state flags. This has compelled me to make this post, looking into American state flags, going from best to worst. I will be grading the flags on a scale from 1 to 10.

The New State Utah Flag – 10/10

The current Utah flag features the Utah landscape with the red ground, white mountains, and blue sky. It also features a hexagon and beehive, representative of the Utah bees (Image source: https://flag.utah.gov/ ).
The old Utah flag was very ugly and overcomplicated. Interestingly enough though, it features a beehive just like the new one (Image source: https://onlinelibrary.utah.gov/state-symbol/historic-state-flag/ version 3).

One of, if not the best, US state flags has to be Utah’s. Utah actually had an old flag which was horrible, but they redesigned it for one that is much better. The new flag has three simple colors in the background, representing the Utah mountains with the red ground, white mountains, and blue sky. The center of the flag is a hexagon representing the bees with a beehive for them as well. The Utah beehive is iconic, representing the industrial drive of the Utah people, working together like a hive of bees, so it is quite symbolic. And, right below the beehive, there is a star, representing Utah’s star on the American flag. This is an AMAZING flag. I love it so much, and it shines in following the guidelines: it’s distinct, not too complex, and is filled to the brim with symbolism. Because of this, I give the Utah state flag a 10/10.

California – 7.5/10

The California flag has a bear above the text “CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC.” The bear is walking towards a star in the sky with a red stripe on the bottom (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-California ).

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Californian flag, as a Californian myself. Despite this, I have to acknowledge its imperfections. The flag is overall quite good. It has a big grizzly bear on it and has a red stripe along the bottom helping it be distinct from a distance. However, I cannot ignore the giant, bold text in the middle of the flag “CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC.” This does hurt the flag due to the use of text. But, as I mentioned in the last post, this use of text is somewhat of an exception to the rule because of the symbolism that comes to relating to the original Californian flag when California was rebelling from Mexico. The flag also has an awesome bear which is very nice. As much as I love this flag, the most I can give it is a 7.5/10.

Florida – 4/10

Florida’s flag has two red, diagonal strips going under the center of the flag with the Florida state seal. The black borders are caused by the Florida government website (so they aren’t really there on the flag). (image source: http://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-flag/)

Florida is a bad flag, but the main reason why it’s on this list is because it’s a copycat. Alabama has a flag that is nearly identical, to the point where Florida practically took Alabama’s decent, 8/10 flag, and not only stole it, but made it worse! The seal is super small, to the point where you can’t see much, and it is riddled with text. And, since they copied Alabama’s flag, their flag is less distinct! Because of this, the Florida state flag, in my opinion, is a 4/10.

Oregon – 2/10

This is the front variation of the Oregon flag. It’s a pretty lazy design with a name tag and date of “birth.” And, of course, it has an overcomplicated design in its center emblem (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Oregon ).
This is the back of the flag, and it’s just a beaver, which is awesome (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Oregon ).

At least I can say that Florida’s flag is somewhat distinct. I cannot say the same about Oregon. About 19 other states have the EXACT, SAME, FLAG. They follow the SAME, BORING design. It is just a blue background, stamped with an overcomplicated seal, coat of arms, some overcomplicated design, or in the case of Oregon, the added state name and date of admission. It’s such a LAZY template to use. And, the worst part is, because so many states have done it, each one makes it less and LESS distinct. The only SLIGHTLY decent part about this flag is the official back of the flag. It simply has a yellow beaver on a blue background, and that is so much better. Accounting for the front and back design, this flag gets a 2/10.

Illinois – 1/10

This is the flag of Illinois. It has the Illinois seal, and blue text saying “Illinois.” It’s a very lazy approach, and I don’t like it (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Illinois ).

Words cannot describe the HATE I feel for this flag. It is the epitome of US state flags, the king of the lazy flags. It’s as if Illinois realized they needed a flag on government buildings so they just stamped a seal on a white flag, put a name tag on it, and called it a day. It is so indescribably lazy. At that point they shouldn’t have even made a flag, just hung up their state seal because it’s the same thing anyways. Illinois is an amazing state, which makes this flag even more disappointing, and because of that, 1/10.

Conclusion

If vexillology has taught me anything, it’s that it is very easy to make a bad flag, and when little effort is put into a flag, it becomes bad. Florida’s flag was only bad because they copied a flag and put their seal on it. Oregon’s flag is only bad because they use a simple template. And Illinois’s flag is only bad because they were too lazy to actually design a flag. However, if you really make sure to focus on the guidelines and just put in real effort into a flag, you can make an amazing flag like that of Utah or California.

Don’t Overlook the Moments that Connect Us

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Feature Post

By 12th-Grade Blogger Melina Brodeur

The school grows crowded with students by about 8:45 a.m. People who I have seen for years but never spoken to walk inside the big building–backpacks slung over their shoulders. Some of them are out of dress code. I should get out of the car and join them, but I don’t. I continue to look down at my phone.

The small screen that I hold shields me from the world right in front of my eyes. I swipe and swipe on my phone. Minutes pass. Five minutes, maybe even eight. I tend not to pay attention to the time. This is a pause I make every day. It’s almost even a routine, a moment not big enough to be remembered, a moment that happens almost every day.  But one day I notice there are many other students who do the same. Many students around me in the parking lot also sit in their cars–some scrolling on their phones, others sitting and listening to music; some even sit there and stare until they’re ready to walk inside. 

We are alone, all in our own cars with the same little pause in the morning. This is the time we take to get ourselves ready to get out of the car and start the day. 

We define high school as this huge moment that shapes who we are. But high school is made up of these small, unnoticeable moments too: the time it takes to walk from class to class, the minute before the teacher calls your name for attendance, or the moment before you open the car door. Waiting isn’t anything dramatized, nor is it meaningful. 

But waiting takes up our lives. Waiting makes up moments that may feel empty and mean nothing. 

In these moments, we think about things that we forget the next second; we worry about the day; we wonder what people think of us, maybe even wonder who we may be in the future. Sitting in the car for me is a moment to understand and brace for the day. It is the moment when my private life switches into my public life–outside that car door stands every expectation. 

These moments are not the person we present in a class environment, not the one posting on social media, but instead the person alone in their thoughts. And tomorrow morning, everything will continue; students will sit in their cars, looking at their phones, looking around, and listening to music all over again. And these moments will be overlooked. 

Notice those moments before school when you just wait for something to happen. (Photo credit: Kayliee Augustine-Sails)

How PVS Spent Its Mid-Winter Break

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Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 8th-Grade Blogger Max Pretorius

When it comes to vacations, people do all sorts of different things. Some travel; some hang out with friends; and some just play video games all day. I decided to look at the different things people do during their vacations.

Some people traveled during this past Mid-Winter Break. In a survey of middle and upper-school students, I found that Calum went to Boston and saw Paul Revere’s house and the Boston Common. Sami and Sarah went to Newport Beach. Valeria went skiing, and Emmy went to Universal and Disney World in Florida. Jackie and I went to Egypt and saw many  ancient sites. And, Peter went surfing on the North Shore in Hawaii.

Max and Jackie stand next to the Great Pyramid of Giza. Photo Credit: Dad.
Peter surfed Hawaii’s North Shore. Photo Credit: Peter Collier.

Some people played sports throughout the break. Ivana and Millie played volleyball. Mason and Ben played in a hockey tournament–they ended up losing, but they tried.

Many people used the break as a way to hang out with friends. Senior Melina went to Big Bear to hang out with her boyfriend. Others like Chase, Sami, and Jaxon went to the mall and were pressured into trying an Asian egg tart. This would later be turned into a TikTok:

@exoticasiatastytreats

Some UK students trying out our homemade egg tarts !! Come grab yours we only have a few left !!

♬ original sound – Exotic Asia Tasty Treats

But in reality, most people just relaxed at home. Millie and Chase said they slept all break. Sophomore Valeria read books and played with her dog. Sophomore Nevan played Fallout: New Vegas, and “rotted.” Freshman Steven played video games, celebrated the Chinese New Year, and watched the Unstable Smp on YouTube. Ivana played “feet piano,” and Morgan said she cried.

So, you can see, our Mid-Winter Break was varied, with people doing many different things. Whether it be “rotting,” traveling, or hanging out with friends, PVS people are able to make the most of their break. Get ready. It’s just two and a half weeks until Spring Break!