The Week of February 17th, 2020

Top stories

Research corner: ten strangest exoplanets

By: James and Nico

Research Corner, Season 3, Episode 1. Exoplanets: Varied, cool, and strange?? Very strange. This week, James and Nico are going to list 10 of the most bizarre, odd, and just plain wrong exoplanets. (And some so weird we think God created them just to mess with us.) Exoplanets are planets outside of our Solar System, in case you’re wondering.

10. HD 209458b: Osiris

It has detectable carbon and oxygen in its atmosphere. (Yay!) However, it's burning up. (Not yay!) It’s evaporating because it’s 4 million miles away from its star. (The Earth, by comparison, is 93 million miles away from the Sun). Its nickname is Osiris because he’s the Egyptian god who lost part of his body, much like HD 209458b is doing right now.

9. Kepler 16b

If we could describe this planet in one word, it would be “Tatooine-ish.” (Is that a word?) This is mostly because it is a “circumbinary” planet, meaning it orbits two different stars. It has two sunsets in a day—much like Luke Skywalker’s home planet (however it is incapable of supporting life).

8. Kepler 78b

This place shouldn’t exist. It’s 559,232 miles (900,000 km) away from a star. (This is extremely close compared to most other planets.) But it’s the exoplanet most similar to Earth in terms of mass, radius and mean density.

7. J1407

If Saturn's rings took steroids, kidnapped Jupiter, and pumped it up like a tire, you would have a pretty good picture of this planet. That’s right. This planet has rings 200x the size of Saturn’s, and, the planet is 40x the Size of Jupiter, also, some of the moons are the size of Earth or Mars!

6. TrES-2b

When scientists first saw this, the first thing they asked was, “Who turned out the lights?” This planet reflects less than 1% of the light that hits it. Intense amounts of various light absorbing compounds such as vaporized sodium and potassium along with titanium oxide. However this planet actually emits some light, being so hot that we can see a slight red glow like that on an electric stove.

5. GJ 504b

57 Light years away this planet is hot pink, 100-200 million years old, and is far too far away from its star to have formed in its present position. The reason for its odd color is that it is still hot from its formation.

4. 55 Cancri E

Mustafar is nothing compared to this. Its day side is 3,100 degrees fahrenheit, and even its night side is a chilly 2,500 degrees. Because of all this, ⅓ of the planet is, drumroll please… diamond! And what’s more, the value is estimated at, another drumroll please… 27 nonillion dollars. That’s $27,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!!! Get rich quick schemers, you’re welcome.

3: Hd 189733b

Okay, so this planet is a hop, a skip, and jump away (meaning it takes the fastest thing in the universe 62 years to get there). But it seems like it’s several million hops, skips, and jumps away from reality, because it rains glass. Sideways.

2: WASP-12b

It’s being pulled apart by its star. That’s because it's 2,000,000 miles away from the star. (Compare this to Mercury, which is 40,000,000 miles away from the Sun.) it only takes one Earth day to complete its orbit. Because of all this it currently looks like a giant football. Touchdown.

1: Gilese 436b

In terms of weirdness, this one is the piece de resistance (French for, ahem, it takes the cake.) Let’s just say it’s made of ice. That’s on fire. (Yeah, you read that right.) According to NASA, all of its top scientists and supercomputers ate flabbergasted. Also, it has an outer layer of hydrogen and helium, and you can see its star’s poles from its equator. It also orbits perpendicular to the star's equator, while most planets orbit parallel. Its atmosphere is evaporating, and it looks like a planet-sized comet. It only takes 2 days to orbit around its star.

That’s all from James and Nico this week. See you next week on Research Corner.

World news

Greta Thunburg

By: Lucy and Sydney

Greta Thunburg, a 17 year old, is skipping school on Friday. And this isn’t because of TikTock. She’s skipping because she’s a global warming activist, and one that’s making a change.

Greta, born on January 3rd, 2003 in Sweden, has become one of the most popular activists in the world. Activist means she does something about her cause, which is climate change. Greta goes out and protests because she wants to make a change, and a big one. She wants the people in her community to help make a change for our planet and she's very serious about it. She’s talked to many professionals and gotten awards.

The sign she is holding up in the above photo is Italian. Translated into English, it says; “there are no more mid-seasons.’’ What she means is we go from winter straight to summer, and it feels as though there's no longer fall or spring. And she believes the cause of this is global warming.

Now, to all of her speeches and awards. Last year she won Time's Person of the Year and the Glamour Award for Revolutionary, and so much more.

So all in all, Greta Thunberg is an amazing person who wants YOU to make a change. Make sure to be happy! Thx for reading!

SCHOOL NEWS

teacher of the week: Mr. Vitacco

By: Logan

L: What made you start a teaching career?

I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid. I used to teach my sister and make homework sheets for her. I also had some really great teachers and I really want to be like them.

L: Why did you choose to be a looping teacher?

It's very exciting to see how much growth kids can make in two years. Normally, I just see after one year. I really wanted to see how much growth they can make in two years and to continue our journey.

L: Did you teach other grades or at other schools before?

I've only taught here at Hoffman. This is my first school, but I have taught other grades in summer school. I’ve taught 5th and 6th grade in summer school.

L: Do you play class games?

Yes, we do play class games. We have a lot of word work games like spelling. We also play something called grudge ball in math. I always try to incorporate some type of game into our learning.

L: What do you do outside of school?

I really like to exercise. I go to the gym and lift weights. I am also a group fitness instructor, so I'll teach classes. I teach dance classes and just work out classes. I love watching TV and just relaxing. I hang out with my friends a lot in the summer. I love swimming and biking and anything outdoors really. I hang out with my family and my nephews. I have two nephews so I like hanging out with them.

L: Do you have a dream home?

If I had a dream home, it would be on a beach

L: Do you have a favorite emoji?

The upside down smiley face.

a day in the life: School Nurse Mrs. Haring

By: Ana, Kyla, Haley, Andreea

Hello Hoffman! We are the SNAZZY Pineapples!

This week, we are starting a new segment called “ A Day in the Life,” where we interview important people to our school who usually don't get the attention they deserve.

This week’s spotlight is on the school nurse; Nurse Haring! Here is our interview!

Q: What are some of the strangest/weirdest injuries you’ve ever had?

A: There was once a wood chip in someone's fingernail!

Q: What percentage of students weren’t actually sick when they came to you?

A: I would say 7/10 people!

Q: What is it like being a school nurse?

A: it is busy and it's fun seeing all of you kids every day.

Q: When did you start working here?

A: I worked here over the summer and then decided to stay.

Q: Does it get quiet?

A: It can be quiet but more often it’ll be pretty busy

Q: How many say thank you?

A: Manyyyy people! Everyone here at Hoffman is so nice!

Q: Have you ever been a nurse anywhere else?

A: I actually worked at a pediatrician office and still do sometimes.

The Great Chocolate Milk Debate

By: Keira

Which do you usually go for, chocolate milk or white milk? Why is this important? How much sugar does it have? Should we ban it at school? Wow, right? It might seem overwhelming at first, but fifth grade Hoffman students made a big change last week.

Over the past two weeks, students have been giving panel presentations to a group of parents, staff, and the superintendent himself. Then, they decide to vote for banning chocolate milk or not. Now, we can only wait to see what happens. But in the meantime, that’s have an interview with a student…

Student Interview

Hi, how are you doing? Good? Ok, when you heard you were going to perform your evidence and chocolate milk thinking, how did you feel?

Really nerve-racking, actually. Because my partner and friend was one of the hosts, she had to go halfway through. And yeah, it was scary.

What do you think you did best?

Well, I think I did explain it well. After, people asked so many questions, I really only knew half of them. They asked about vitamins and which is better and it was scary, but you know.

What do you think about chocolate milk?

I think we should keep it actually. It is good to have options, especially during school lunch, and I think it tastes much better.

The fifth grade chocolate milk debate was sure fun. Stay updated to see if Hoffman made change!

sports

THE XFL

By: Blake

Well, football season has come to an end, sadly. As we all know, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, bringing the 100th season of the NFL to an end. But football’s not over. A new league, the XFL, is made for players from college who didn’t make the NFL. It’s a spring football league, and here are the teams:

The XFL was created “for the love of football”( that’s their motto). It has some different rules than the NFL, though. For example, instead of kicking the extra point after a touchdown, you can go for one point from the two yard line, two points from the five, and three from the ten. But otherwise, it’s about the same.

In Week One, the Seattle Dragons lost a close game to the D.C Defenders. Also, the Houston Roughnecks won comfortably over the L.A Wildcats. QB P.J Walker had an amazing 4 touchdowns and 272 passing yards in his XFL debut. 4 out of the 8 teams played last weekend, and the other four will play this weekend.

So throw away those TV blues of watching just basketball for three months and watch the XFL. Do it for the love of football.

Player of the Week: Lamar Jackson

By: Anthony

Hello, and welcome back to Player of the Week. I’m your host, Anthony.

As you know the Super Bowl has passed, with the Chiefs defeating the 49ers. But the day before the Super Bowl, the NFL Honors award was handed out, and the MVP was Lamar Jackson.

Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born on January 7, 1997 in Pompano Beach, Florida. His parents were Felicia Jones and Lamar Jackson Sr. But Lamar Sr. later died in a car crash in 2005. Lamar was also one of eight siblings, so his mother had to take care of eight kids, which must have been very hard to do.

When Lamar was little, he actually played in the same league as his teammate Marquise Brown! And, his two cousins Trayvon Mullen and Calvin Ridley played in the same league and also became NFL players, with Trayvon being a CB for the Raiders, and Calvin being a Wide Receiver for the Falcons. Another fun fact was Lamar’s favorite player growing up was QB Michael Vick, who had a very similar play style as Lamar being great at throwing the ball and running with the ball.

Anyways, back to his road to the NFL. Lamar at a young age showed lots of talent, being able to throw the ball 20 yards, a fifth of a football field. He then attended Santaluces Community High School, where he played football great in his freshman year, then sat out in his sophomore year. He then transferred to Boynton Beach High School in Boynton Beach, Florida. He then got to play both seasons on the Varsity team and threw for 2,263 yard, 31 TDs, ran for 1,624 yards, and ran for 22 TDs. His final QB high school rating was 102.7. He then later after high school committed to Louisville to play college football.

Lamar Jackson is an outstanding quarterback with a bright future. He is going to be a top player in the NFL for a long time!

Super bowl commercials

By: Brendan

The Super Bowl may have ended, but the commercials are still being talked about.

Planter’s Peanuts aired a commercial about the death of its longtime mascot, Mr. Peanut, but thanks to Kool Aid Man, Mr. Peanut came back to life as a baby (#babynut).

Oh yeah! Among adults, an ad based on the 90s movie, Groundhog Day, was a popular ad. Also, Little Caesar’s Pizza’s commercial used the well known saying “the best thing since sliced bread” and starred the popular actor, Rainn Wilson, also known Dwight Schrute from the TV comedy, The Office.

There were many more commercials on Super Sunday, featuring celebrities, cars, and Captain America himself (Chris Evans).

What were your favorites?

other stuff

5 Cool Cars

By: Henry

#1. 2020 Bugatti Chiron

Price: $3.9 million

This amazing supercar/ luxury car has 1,479 horsepower, and set the world record for speed with 304-mph top speed. This amazing car goes from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It is one of Bugatti’s sleekest models and most luxurious. It is the fastest, most powerful, and exclusive production super sports car in BUGATTI’s history

#2. 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR

Price: $179,995

Aston Martin introduced the Vantage AMR late last year. Unlike its traditional counterpart, the Vantage AMR uses a seven-speed manual transmission and produces 503 horsepower. That’s good for a 60 mile-per-hour sprint of around 3.9 seconds. The AMR commands nearly a $25,000 premium over the base model – but, all 200 models are already sold out for this year. Thankfully, another manual Vantage is coming next year.

#3. 2020 Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Price: $300,000+

There’s something clearly extravagant about taking expertise gained from the top levels of motorsport and putting it into a four-seater luxury Coupe (lusso is Italian for luxury). And this is another $300,000-plus car with a V12, enjoying at least four more cylinders than what is considered reasonable.

The turbocharged 6.3-liter engine endows this luxury/sport coupe with 680 hp, and the ability to hit 208 mph. The GTC4Lusso also handles exceptionally well, with all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering. And because it’s a Ferrari. The cabin is a work of art fashioned from plush leathers, along with a steering wheel that includes driver-selectable settings, just like in a race car.

#4. Lotus Evija

Price: $2.6 million

This amazing sports car goes from 0-60 in 3.0 seconds, can go higher than 200 miles per hour, and has a sick back. It has 2,000 horse power, and four wheel drive. This is by far one of Lotus’s best crafted models.

#5. Tesla Cybertruck

Price: $49,900

The Tesla Cybertruck has 800 horsepower, and can go from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds with a maximum speed of 110 miles per hour. “This is minecraft reimagined”™. It can fit 6 people (three in each row) and during its first appearance, it had a sledge hammer thrown at the door, which bounced off of it, but then had a rock thrown at its window, leaving enormous holes in both windows on the right side. Many people have mixed feelings about this new truck.

New Video Games for 2020

By: Chase and James G

#1. The Show 20 for PS4 and PS5, when it comes out.

The Show 20 is the most realistic baseball game in the video game world. The Show 20 is being made by SIE San Diego Studio. It will be released on March 17, 2020. There are many different game modes. Some of them are Diamond Dynasty, Road To The Show, Exhibition, Franchise, Seasons mode, and March to October. Javier Baez is on the cover of The Show 20. The first MLB Show came out in 1997.

#2. Madden 21, for Xbox and PS4.

Madden 21 would be just like 20 but with new players and game modes. Sean Taylor is going to be on the cover of Madden 21. Madden 21 is coming out in August 2020. Just like The Show, Madden has many different game modes. Some of them are Exhibition, Face of The Franchise, Franchise, Superstar KO, and Ultimate Team. Madden 21 is being made by EA Sports. The first Madden game was made in 1988.

#3. Zelda breath of the wild 2 for Nintendo Switch.

Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 could be coming out in 2020 but it could be coming later. Zelda Breath of The Wild 2 is being made by Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development. This game features a torch-carrying Link and Zelda traversing a dark dungeon beneath Hyrule. The makers are used to seeing Zelda as a damsel in distress, but if recent rumors are to go by, she may finally become a fully playable heroine in Breath of the Wild 2.

#4. RBI Baseball 20 for PS4, XBOX, and Nintendo Switch.

RBI Baseball 20 will be coming out in March 2020. It is being made by MLB Advanced Media. Christian Yelich is going to be on the cover of RBI Baseball 20. The game modes are Franchise, Exhibition, Online Multiplayer, and Home Run Derby. The first RBI Baseball came out in 1987. The makers have decided to improve the graphics, so more people will buy the game in 2020.

roblox

By: Emely and Sandra

Roblox is a game, but not just any game.

Roblox has millions and millions of different types of games. I know it sounds crazy when you listen to the word millions, but it certainly feels true! You can play obbys, and create games in Roblox (that's my favorite part). Most importantly, there is safety and rules in Roblox, so remember to stay safe and have fun.

When you hear the words "Adopt Me," you may think of something very different. But in this case, we are talking about a very specific game inside of roblox. "Adopt Me" is the type of game where you can adopt kids/babies in the game. You have to take care of them to earn money, I love earning money! Talking about money, you can decorate and choose your own house (I also am in love with decorating it). Another way to earn money really quickly is by hatching pet eggs. Pet eggs are eggs, that once you hatch a random pet appears. There is legendary, common, uncommon, rare pets and much more. This game is amazing!

In Roblox there is very strict rules. For example there are: no bullying, no saying inappropriate stuff, no scamming people. If you do these stuff even once, you can get reported and not play the game anymore. Please don't do any of those if you play Roblox. Also, remember to only friend/talk to people you know, because you might not know who's behind the screen.

In Roblox, you can create your own game! THAT'S AMAZING. But this is the part where you use Robux, which is money within the game. Not a lot of people can afford it, so if you have it, WOW you're pretty lucky! But, creating games also means publishing on public, or if you wanted, you can make it with a cost of Robux to enter the game. But, if people dislike your game they will rate it, so don't feel bad, you tried. People can also like your game by also rating it.

Now if you'd like, you can check out the game yourself. I honestly recommended it because it's AMAZING. Remember you have millions and millions of games to choose from, so you never run out of games to play and enjoy yourself or with a friend.

ROBLOX IS THE BEST GAME!!

Animal of the Week: Gorillas

By: Brielle and Emma

Gorillas, while some of the most intelligent animals on the planet, are becoming endangered. The biggest gorilla alive is 550lbs and the biggest ever is 860lbs, Phil. Phil was raised in the St. Louis Zoo, and although he has put on some extra pounds, he is only 5 feet 9 inches tall. That's only about as tall as Mr. P [Hey, I'm 5'10"!].

Gorillas are 4-9 times stronger than the average human, and the average gorilla is 5.2-5.6 feet tall. Gorillas have opposable thumbs (they can hold things with their thumbs), just one of the reasons gorillas are our closest relatives.

Gorillas in captivity use sign language to speak to humans. They also live in small groups called troops or bands and at night they sleep in nests.

The Western Lowland Gorilla

The Western Lowland Gorilla is a type of gorilla. There are 100,000 - 200,000 western lowland gorillas left in the wild. Western gorillas usually live up to 40 years in the wild, in primary and secondary forests. There are white Western Lowland Gorillas called Snowflake Western Lowland Gorillas.

We hope you enjoyed Animal of the Week. If you have any suggestions for any endangered animals, let Emma, Brielle, or Mr. P know!

fairy tale corner

By: Haley & Andreea

[Each week, Haley and Andreea will bring you an installment of their six-part fairy tale]

What he saw that day was, well, pretty hard to believe. It was his sister, his very own twin sister, walking out of the same portal he had seen earlier that day!

But how?!

And as he and his ‘sister’ started talking, she admitted to everything!

Comic Corner: DRAW A ROSE

By: Lexi

movie of the week: "Despicable me"

By: Da Gurlz

We chose this movie because it is filled with humor and action. There are currently three movies out in the series so far, as well as a new one that’s about to be coming out. The main character is Gru and his three kids (the Minions should be the main character but they’re not).

They go on many missions using the lipstick taser.

Just like the lipstick taser, Gru and Lucy (Lucy: what now?) have many different hidden tools to help them on their missions (Lucy: I’m rich!). The three girl names are Agnes, Edith and Margo. Agnes is the little one who thinks a unicorn is so fluffy she is gonna die, but if you watched it you know that she doesn't die.

In the end, Gru and Lucy live happily ever after with the kiddos (Lucy: Yaaaaaasssss queen live da good life).

(Emma: Lucy you crazy)

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