The Daily Sap

Rome (Salve)!

    Some of you parents out there might remember that last year, we had the colonial fair. Well, this year, we're doing the same thing!... Well, almost the  same. This time, we're doing it about ancient Rome! 

    As you can see, the title is: "Rome (Salve)!" or, in english it's: ""Rome (hello )!" 

Cool, right?

    So anyway, we have gotten our names and that means that "Portia Antonia" will be doing something on the Daily Sap I call: " Rome Dome" 

    She'll just be talking about all the big exciting stuff thats been happening in rome.  

I hope you enjoy her while you can!

-    D.R. 

An Unusual Poll Visitor

Today is Ona's birthday.  A man named Gord (we're not kidding), came in with flowers while we (M.R., A.D., R.A., S.N. and I.G.) were working on giving out the votes.  We asked Gord if he wanted to vote because he had an American flag vest on with an "I Voted" sticker.  The vest had "vote" all over it.  He asked a couple questions about our candidates and read the party platforms.  Then he voted in our election and we gave him our own "I voted" sticker.

Election Day (For Gourds and Humans!)

    Obama? McCain? Alata? Ovi? Amazing how quickly  the Elms, Tameracks, Maples and Pines have understood the principles of the U.S. of G (United States of Gourd).

    "Yeah, I thought that gourds would be much more hard, but it seems to have caught on easily!" stated a Tamarack.

    A while ago, the Elms moved from class to class to explain the problems and tell what each side of the parties think is the right way to resolve them. It went from the Tameracks to the Maples (Birches and Aspens didn't get visited by the Elms, the Elms had agreed that they would be too young to understand it... and they'd "fidgit"). 

Acording to JA, it has been hard to keep in opinions from his side:

"Me and my 'partner' for the presentations started arguing about taxes... it still isn't done".

-D.R. 

P.S. I will be posting about the winner later, for now, just hang tight.

The Mysterious Sawing Noise

Well, when B.A. and J.A. were in the boys' bathrom and they heard a mysterious sawing noise. They don't now what it is. But it is really weird. We know it is not a bug or something. It sounds like a saw. It was only going for about one minunte or two. That's all we know.  Our teacher rejected our request to do more investigation.

Written by B.A. and j.A.  

Fox sightings

On October the 24th we saw two foxes in the consruction site. They ran into the trees and then we saw them again. We think they're healthy but we're not sure.Now they moved under a pine tree we think because kids are not playing over there so it's peaceful. We hope they don't get distracted by the bulldozers and that they don't leave. We will keep you posted.

                                     From, SH and NK,elms

Boxelders Invade

It's the invasion of the boxedlers in the Elms!  Especially in the afternoon, the bugs are swarming around the back door.  Every time the door is opened, ten to fifteen bugs drop down on the unsuspecting student.

"They're disgusting!" said N.K., brushing them off his arm one recent afternoon.  S.N. and S.A. have been especially hard hit, their shoes are right next to the door and often have several bugs in them by recess.

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, boxelder bugs are harmless.  They do not bite, nor do they damage homes or plants.  They spend their summers feeding on ground plants and boxelder trees.  In the fall, they try to get into houses to spend the winter.  They especially like warm, sunny sides of houses, like the Elms' back wall.

You can keep boxelders out by fixing screens and gaps around doors.  You can also plant trees to reduce the sun on your house.

There's one member of the Elms who is not complaining -- Frank the toad has been very, very well fed since their arrival.

-M.M.

Gourds Marry?

As you might know, gourds around the world are gathering to watch our amazing gourd-like expanding. 

"Yeah, my good friends, Al and Ellen, are going to get married soon... And I'm the preacher!" said Magma as he fitted into his little suite.

"I'm scared, excited and awed by me getting married... I'm actually surprised I got this far!" Ellen said.

Not exactly much else has been happening, other than the marrying and also... the presidential things. Magma has been preparing for over a month in order to become Gourd President. 

"I'm not a Free Gourd or a Poligourd... I'm actually a combined mix of both of them. I hear that their making another party for a in between them both. I'm nervous, thinking I'll be humiliated if I don't even make it to the final three... But I do believe that hope stands for more than just me," Magma said to reporters as he wrote a letter to a friend in Australia, telling his friend about running for president. 

"Sports. Yeah, I'm thinking about making a sport for gourds. It'll be a simple one, but It will be fun too" said Magma. 

Although the idea might not make it to the playing fields, it could make gourd history. Thank you for reading this segment of "The Gourd Section".

~D.R. 

Mercado is back!

Spanish has hit the Elms! Now, the Elms are going to do the great spanish mall again, thats right folks, Mercado. This year, the expectations are up. "I'm sad to say, but... it wont be as big as last year. we aren't going to put as much money into the Mercado" said Amy, the spanish teacher.

"Yeah, I think I would like to do sweets... Just because I like candy, and money!" said a Elm.

"It was crazy last year! I tell you, most of the people were walking around and the Taco Stand... oh, don't get me started! well, all I can tell you is that it was overflowing! In the end, they crumbled up the hard taco shells and took the salsa and sold chips n' salsa... thats because they ran out of stuff" said a Tamarack as he walked thru the woods.

"My daughter was really excited! She would come home and it would be In Mercado I was cutting lettuce  or Mercado is REALLY kicking off dad, I can't wait till you come in! It was cute at first, but near the end, we were happy to not hear about the constant fuss that she brought" said a father.

"I'm going to get a cash register... hopefully I'll get it before Mercado, so my group can use it" said S.N. 

As you can clearly read, it's an amazing event. Amy says she doesn't know when it will happen, but she hopes it will be this month (october). 

- Dana Rohwer 

P.S. The Mercado, (for most of you parents and kids out there who don't know about Mercado) is a thing were the kids get together to form a buisness where they raise money for a fundraiser. 

Gourd City

The Elms have started gourds in order to have some fun, some people are saying it's a warm-up for village. Today (Wednesday) the Elms have been given a sheet about the gourd party's, the party's are:

"Free Gourds" and "Poligourds".

This is the gourds version of Republicans and Democrats.

"Oh yes, I'll be running for president. But I must worn my rivals, It'll be a rough ride for all of us! And I haven't exactly had any experience with the government or stuff like that, but I have been paying CLOSE attention to what has been happening around our homes and checking about for all of our safety. and that's another thing, if I was to be elected for president, then I would be able to help gourds with their safety! It is essential that we take procotions if a 'Vine cutter' is near you. I am not saying let's go to war, but I'm saying we can talk it over, simply move away after a while of worrying  and all that stuff." said Magma. Magma was pretty enthusiastic when he was talking. But he shivered when he said: "Running for president". He seems nervous. His past, he says, has kind of set him back inside a little tube, telling him that he needs to break out and show that he is able to commit his life to being president. He was happy to put those words out into the open. He thanked me and then trudged on, waiting for the day of his first speech.

- D.R.

Chili King

Elms father, Joe Hargis, won the chilli cook off for Carleton College.  He competed against 26 other cooks.  His secret?  According to his son, it's chilli beans.  "He usually doesn't put in chilli beans but he did this time." says S.H.