Ni Hao! 

Peter (fourth from the left), Andy (middle), and Brad (fifth from the right).

The Woodlands Preparatory School was happy to host 3 Chinese exchange students from Beijing: Peter (Gao Jia Jun, 12), Andy (Xue Yansong,13), Brad (Bin Pei He,14). The boys, who spent two weeks studying at WPS, had a successful week full of new faces, places, and experiences. The WPS Yearbook and Journalism committee met up with them to chat:

When asked about the biggest cultural difference they've observed, each have said that the food is the most noticeable change, but not in a bad way. Peter also added that American schools seem to have more "action" due to the amount of sports teams, educational field trips, academic freedom, etc. Also, all 3 agree that their favorite Houston attraction they've experienced is NASA, as it is an informative look into the acclaimed American space program. 

When not studying and engaging in various school activities, all 3 enjoy playing video games. Additionally, Peter and Andy participate in ice hockey (they play on the same team in Beijing), while Brad is fond of basketball. Similar to their newfound American peers, they find it important to balance schoolwork with extra-curricular activities. 

Overall, the boys had a wonderful two weeks at The Woodlands Preparatory School. They say that they've thoroughly enjoyed their visit and plan on keeping in touch with various Woodlands Prep students. Due to the success of their visit, WPS hopes to establish an exchange program in which students here also have the opportunity to study abroad. 

#MeanStinks

A couple of weeks ago, the 7th-12th grade Woodlands Prep girls were informed that they were to attend a girls-only lecture on bullying.

You are cordially invited, read the little pink invitation. Thanks, but no thanks, I thought to myself. I was, in all honesty, vehemently uninterested in attending something that seemed to single out females for bullying, a universal problem concerning both genders. And I wasn't the only one who felt this way.

Girls from each of these grades openly expressed the same doubts that I had; namely, "why aren't the boys attending?" It wasn't because we weren't aware that girl-on-girl bullying wasn't a thing. After all, we'd all experienced and witnessed it at least once in our lives; and, of course, we'd all seen Mean Girls. But even so: Why weren't the boys getting a lecture?

Despite our concerns, the day of the lecture followed suit. Not unlike the scene from Mean Girls, the 7th-12th grade girls filed reluctantly into the gym, curious as to how this would all play out. Standing up front was a beautiful blonde woman who looked not much older than me. She was introduced as Miss Lauren Galley, and she was here to promote her campaign with Secret Deodorant, entitled "Mean Stinks!"

It was immediately evident that Miss Galley was an exceptional public speaker. Rather than easing out of the brief introduction, she shot out of it like a racehorse, ready to influence the myriad of young ladies before her. She spoke confidently about why she was here; to inspire girl-on-girl support and promote self-confidence by emphasizing these three major points:

1). Our words have a profound effect on others.

As obvious as this may seem, sometimes we need to be reminded that words can hurt. To further expand on this, Lauren presented a paper doll named "Georgia". Lauren began to insult Georgia, and each time she did so, she would rip a part off of Georgia, such as an arm, until she was nothing but remnants of torn paper. This was to demonstrate that words are permanent; no amount of tape will completely restore Georgia from the damage done, just as no amount of apologies can completely dismiss or cancel out what we say. Thinking before we speak is a quick fix for

2). Jealousy can be turned into a force of positivity.

We have all dealt with jealousy at some point in our lives. After all, it is a completely normal emotion for everyone. However, Miss Galley suggested the two different schools of thought that we can adopt when we are jealous of someone else: we can either let that jealousy take over and have it turn into resent, or we can acknowledge and compliment the wonderful qualities that the particular person possesses. It is more than likely that both people involved will feel better about themselves, resulting in the spread of positivity.

3). Life is simpler without gossip.

End of story! Life is complicated enough as it is; gossiping about others only convolutes our perspectives and relationships. Making the calculated decision not to gossip about others keeps a clear conscience and a rumor-free environment.

It is evident that Lauren had some great points regarding girl-on-girl bullying. However, what was most refreshing about Lauren's speech was that she was relatable to each and every one of the girls in the gym that day. She did not claim to be the perfect paradigm of a girl; in fact, she openly talked about the mistakes she had made along the way, such as engaging in gossip and excluding other girls once in awhile. Another unique aspect of Lauren's speech was the "pinky painting session" - all of the girls were invited to paint their pinky fingernails blue after the speech, as an emblem
to represent that us girls are "ganging up for good"in order to bring girl-on-girl bullying to a halt.

Overall, Lauren's speech was a huge success; everyone took something away from it, whether it pertained to girl-on-girl bullying or personal insecurities. Because of this success, the WPS administration is planning on arranging a similar meeting geared towards the boys.

To learn more about Lauren's campaign, visit http://www.girlsabovesociety.org , and check out the pictures below!

Miss Lauren Galley with a few of the young ladies at WPS

Denise and Casey "gang up for good" and sport their blue pinkies!

Sara, Cathryn, and Onome capturing their support for one another

Scenes of 2014

Scenes of 2014
WPS upper school students and faculty reflect on the past year.

Red Ribbon Week 2014

Red Ribbon Week 2014

By Waverly Spratt

Starting this Monday, October 27th, the Woodlands Preparatory school will be participating in the annual "Red Ribbon Week", the largest anti-drug campaign in the United States. Red Ribbon Week is a national movement that encourages students across America to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by simply saying "no" to drugs! To help enforce this positive message, the students at Woodlands Prep are invited to participate in the following 5 themed days:

Monday, October 27th (Today): Students are urged to "Sock It" to drugs by wearing crazy socks with the school uniform.

Tuesday, October 28th:  It's time to "Band Together" against drugs! Students can wear a bandana with the school uniform.

Wednesday, October 29th: Students can get inspired to "Team Up" against drugs by wearing their favorite team shirt / jersey / outfit with school uniform bottoms.

Thursday, October 30th: Keep calm and "Lei Off" drugs for life; wear a Hawaiian shirt, flower, or lei with the school uniform bottoms.

Friday, October 31st: This Halloween, students are encouraged to "Scare Away" drugs by wearing a Halloween costume to school! (Make sure this costume is school appropriate).

In addition to this fun week of themes, both lower and upper school students will be learning more about the harmful effects of drugs through a series of lectures and activities.

Woodlands Prep is proud to be drug-free!

The Truth About Ebola

The Ebola virus has affected thousands the past three months. Ebola, also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a deadly virus that started in northwestern and central parts of Africa.  Recently, the Ebola virus has managed to become a major concern for countries in Africa and across the world. With a death rate of 90 percent, the Ebola virus has killed more than 1,200 people in Africa, particularly those in impoverished areas like Sierra Leone.        

Last month, two people from America caught Ebola in West Africa; both were transported back to the United States, treated with experimental drugs, and were released from the hospital. This past month, a traveller from Monrovia, Liberia was diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas, Texas; predictably, this person was infected with the virus before boarding a flight to America. He was not treated successfully and passed away from the strong disease. Two nurses who cared for this person have been infected with Ebola the past few weeks, and there are no more reported cases with Ebola thus far.

How does a virus like this even enter the human population and spread, some might ask? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus is transmitted to humans by wild animals that are infected with the virus. Mainly fruit bats are known to be the natural host for the Ebola virus. Once a person contracts the virus they begin to experience symptoms that include: fever, muscle pain, weakness, sore throat, and headaches. Those are only the sudden symptoms when infected with the virus, and then more dangerous symptoms occur like diarrhea, rashes, and vomiting. The only way the virus is transmitted from human-to-human is by the contact of bodily fluids.

There some are treatments for those infected with the virus, but there are no vaccines availed so far. Although there are treatments available for the virus, there is no single, specific treatment for Ebola; however, new ones are being tested continuously in order to get those infected healthy again, and there are two people in the USA today who were successfully cured from the virus. Until a cure is developed, we should realize following:

-Trustworthy Ebola information is produced from organizations such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

-Resources, such as the American Health Officials from  CDC, have assured the public that an outbreak of Ebola is very rare, and there are measures in place to prevent its spreading.

-Unless you engage in direct contact with the blood or   bodily fluids of someone who has Ebola, the CDC explains that you cannot get the disease.

-Ebola cannot be spread through air, water, or food.

For more truth on Ebola, please visit the following reliable links:

http://www.cdc.gov/ebola

http://www.hcphes.org/response/Ebola.htm

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-nigeria-stopped-ebola-2014-10

Researched and written by Dean Osmond and The Woodlands Preparatory School 

Senior Class Feature: Environmental Science

By Waverly Spratt

This year, some fellow seniors and I have had the chance to immerse ourselves in AP Environmental Science class. I think many of us didn't expect to come into contact with plenty of unique creatures! Take a look:

Ball Python

Red-Eared Slider

Softshell Turtle (or "Pancake" Turtle)

Box Turtle 

Rose-Haired Tarantula 

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches 

Ms. Newman, our instructor,  loves having us interact with all of these creatures, as well as other forms of life. She says:
"science is touching, experiencing, and hands on discovery. I want my students to be able to directly interact with their environment on a daily basis. Also, my goal for this class is to implement a sense of appreciation and responsibility for the environment, as their generation has some big decisions ahead of them regarding the environment."
Ms. Newman's objectives are certainly evident in class, as demonstrated by the photos below:

Nathan sketches a tree for his project

Claudia feeds the hungry turtles

Olaf, the class kitten

Peace Day 2014

September 21st marks the UN's International Day of Peace. See what Peace means to Woodlands Prep, as expressed in this multilingual video by Claudia Jimenez: 

My First College Visit

My First College Visit

By Waverly Spratt 

As someone who is not fond of math, I never expected to have an epiphany in the midst of my calculus class. While discussing the mundane topic of functions, my calc teacher made a statement that was meant to simply pertain to math: "nothing is constant. The only constant is change itself." Even though he was referring to functions, I started thinking about how this, in fact, applies to life. Maybe I should have focused on functions based on my quiz grade. However, I could not help the affect that this sentence had on me. 

As a senior, I will be facing a constant influx of changes. As exciting as these changes will be, I'll admit that I'm a little bit nervous - not so much about being on my own, but about choosing the right college for me. It's a big decision. Thankfully, I was able to take a visit to a school I am considering, the University of Calgary (in Calgary, AB, Canada). I was born and raised in Calgary, but left when I was only 11 years old; thus, it was the perfect time to rediscover the city and to garner information about the school.

The University of Calgary's campus was a lot larger than I expected. Thankfully, however, I had my brother - a student at the university - to show me around. I was extremely impressed by the on-campus amenities: there is a gorgeous, state of the art gym (Calgary has previously hosted the Winter Olympics, so the gym remains a profound training facility for athletes). the food court offers a wide variety of cuisines that appeal to the diverse student population. There's even a student gastropub directly on campus - an uncommon feature for most universities. My favorite amenity, however, is the library: a sleek, modern building that seems to serve as the centerpiece of the campus. It's the perfect place to study.

My brother showing me around campus.

The library, my favorite building.

After my brother's tour, I had the opportunity to check out the University of Calgary's dance department, as I am interested in being a dance major. During this tour, I was able to see the rehearsal studios and talk to current / prospective dance students. It was awesome to hear about the dance program straight from the dancers themselves; I even learned some valuable tips for the audition process. 

One view of the magnificent skyline.

In addition to exploring the University of Calgary's campus, I had the opportunity to explore the city of Calgary itself. After this bout of exploration, I can honestly say that Calgary is one of the prettiest cities I have ever been to. There are plenty of trendy neighborhoods, delicious restaurants, exciting events throughout the year, and stunning displays of art on every block; however, Calgary's most appealing quality, in my opinion, is its skyline. A short hike reveals its beauty: a river lined with bright green foliage meanders in front of the glimmering buildings, and on a clear day, you can see the Rocky Mountains stand stoically behind the buildings. I don't think I could ever grow tired of this view.

A pedestrian bridge known as the Peace Bridge. 

My trip to Calgary was a huge success. Seeing the campus for myself and discovering plenty of new information helped ease my nerves about the momentous decision I will have to make in a few months. I hope to visit the campuses of other universities fairly soon.

9/11: Woodlands Prep Remembers.

Even after 13 years, the effect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks remains heavy in our hearts. The magnitude of the tragedy reverberated not only across the United States, but across the world. Here are some of the ways in which we were perturbed on the day the world stopped spinning, plus an overview of what happened:

13^th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

By Deen Osman

Edited by Waverly Spratt

Photo by Gabriel Sanchez 

Thirteen years ago, on September 11, 2001, tragedy struck on the east coast of the United States. This day, now referred to as 9/11, is the worst terrorist attack on US soil, and has devastated many lives across the nation. The terrorist group known as al-Qaeda is responsible for the attacks on 9/11. Before the attack, Al-Qaeda militants hijacked four American airplanes - two of which crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C, and one crashed in a rural area of Pennsylvania. Since then, several memorials have been built around the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the crash site of the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. One of the memorials around the site where the Twin Towers once stood is known as the Freedom Tower. The Freedom Tower, which has become the new World Trade Center, is a skyscraper that stands 1,776 feet in the air. This height is not random: the Freedom Tower is 1,776 feet tall because, in 1776, the 13 colonies won its independence from British rule, making the United States its own country and nation. Another memorial around the site of fallen Twin Towers are the two waterfalls that signify where the Twin Towers once stood. Next to the waterfalls is the 9/11 museums. Moreover, the Pentagon Memorial has benches that represent the innocent lives lost during this catastrophe. The benches facing the Pentagon are dedicated to those who passed in the plane crash, while the benches facing away from the Pentagon are dedicated to those who passed in the Twin Towers. Finally, the memorial in Pennsylvania, which consists of two water fountains, is meant to honor those died in the plane crash. These memorials are important reminders of this tragic and surreal day. We must never forget 9/11. 

Video by Claudia Jimenez. 

First Volleyball and Football Games of the Season

First Volleyball and Football Games of the Season

By Claudia Jimenez

            BUMP! SET! SPIKE! The Woodlands Prep girls’ volleyball team is ready for the 2014-15 season! This year, there are 19 very talented girls on the team: Claudia Jimenez, Onome Amudo, Sara Dechant, Ariel Daisy, Liliana Valdivia, Hailey Gaige, Cathryn Saninno, Camryn Sosa, Tanielle Joseph, Nakashu Ghuman, Estefania Tizon, Obie Amudo, Casey Gaige, Denise Jaidar, Elaine Pauli, Layneth Iovino, Caelan Elsborg, Mimi Olayeye, and Casey Gaige. All these girls are pumped and motivated for the season to begin. Their first game was on Tuesday, August 26, where they played against Frassati. Unfortunately, our Lady Wolverines lost; however, it was a very close game and the girls played very well. This week the girls have a home game on Tuesday, September against their rivalry, Calvary! They played four out of five games and won the first two, lost the third game and won the last! We had many aces’ from Sara, Hailey, Cathryn, Ariel, and Camryn, as well as kills from Sara, Hailey, and Camryn. Coach Holburt had a few words about the season: “I’m excited to be here with the team, I believe we have a lot of talent, and I’m looking forward to the season to bring the talent all together.”

            DOWN! SET! HUT! This is the second year that the Woodlands Prep has a flag football team and their first game was on Thursday, August 28, 2014. The boys team includes: Spencer Dobrik (the quarterback), Nicholas Schaps, Brandon Gale, Nik Hammond, Josef Carnahan, Rodrigo Lopez, Declan Gunn, Eyitee Olayeye, and Dilichi Ogbutor. During this game, Josef caught an interception and ran it back for a touchdown Then, Spencer ran in the touchdown. Their final score was a close 12-7. Dilichi is the only freshmen on the team and he feels very welcomed; even though he is the youngest, he feels as though he’s one of the older kids. Their next game is Friday, September 12, 2014.

Let’s go Wolverines!!

Labor Day, Texas Style

No more easing back in: the ebb and flow of school and homework is back in full swing! But fear not; this upcoming weekend is Labor Day weekend, so it's the perfect time to recharge after these busy first two weeks of school. Here are some fun suggestions for what to do this Labor Day weekend, courtesy of Savannah Biggert:

Things to do for Labor Day weekend 2014 

Current Event: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

By Waverly Spratt

Casually scroll through the feed of any social media outlet. Aside from the constant inundation of "selfies" and "Throwback Thursday's", What do you come across? Chances are, you will encounter a video - or several videos - of people dumping buckets of ice water onto their heads. But what is the meaning behind this new fad? Well, just in case you have been living off the grid for the past month, I am happy to inform you that what you are seeing is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: The charitable phenomenon that is taking the world by storm.

Bill Gates partaking in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

The premise of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is simple: If someone nominates you, then within 24 hours, you must either dump a bucket of ice water onto your head or donate $100 to the ALS Association (to be used towards ALS research). Then, after you have completed one or both portion(s) of the challenge, you nominate three more people to do the same. At first, this challenge drew a large following of skeptics and critics. There was speculation as to how anything charitable could come out of dumping ice onto yourself, especially when it seems as though more people are opting to take the chillier way out of the challenge.  However, thanks to the popularity of the challenge, the ALS Association has raised a total of $79.9 million so far. This is $77.6 million more than the amount raised at this time last year. The challenge has proved successful due to several factors, such as its rampant presence on social media outlets and the chain reaction of nominating others to take the challenge. The awareness being raised is subsequently raising money, as many people are choosing to donate as well as choosing to get drenched. Plus, the involvement of celebrities (everyone from Bill Gates, pictured above, to Jennifer Lopez) has garnered some big bucks for the ALS Association. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), is a horrendous condition that deeply affects the central nervous system. In the past, ALS Research has been radically underfunded, so this huge spike in donations has been a wonderful feat.

To donate or to learn more about ALS and the work being done to combat it, visit www.alsa.org.   Source: http://time.com/3173833/als-ice-bucket-challenge-fundraising-total/

Current Event: Celebrities Stand Up Against Cancer

Celebrities Stand up Against Cancer

By Claudia Jimenez
Edited by Waverly Spratt

On September 5^th, 2014, the Stand Up To Cancer telethon will commence. Stand up to cancer is a charity designed to raise money over televised a event as well as online. The telethon lasts an hour and in that hour you are invited to call in to donate money towards funds to find a cure for cancer. In past years, Stand Up to Cancer has pledged more than $260 million in part due to the influence of multiple celebrities. This year, big names such as Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Pierce Brosnan, Rob Lowe, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Eric Stonestreet, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kiefer Sutherland will be taking part in the event. Celebrities have always helped in donating to the cause as well as talking to some of the viewers that have called in, but this year they’ll be connecting more with viewers by phone and on Facebook from a "digital lounge", hosted by Katie Couric. This has been dubbed “We’re Calling You”, a segment in which donors call in to donate as well as interact more with the celebrities involved with the telethon. Reaching out to donors via social media outlets is a relatively new concept for this charity, but it is expected to increase the amount of donations due to the popularity of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Stand Up to Cancer special will also include performances by Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, The Who, Common and Lupe Fiasco and Dave Matthews. Another big and exciting new change that will occur this year for the first time is the addition of a Canadian co-broadcast, which will raise funds that will benefit research and awareness programs in Canada. If you’re interested in participating in the "We're Calling You" you can sign up at werecallingyou.org.

Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jennifer-aniston-jon-hamm-sign-on-for-stand-up-to-cancer/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/jennifer-aniston-jon-hamm-halle-berry-to-stand-up-to-cancer-1.2741447