Summertime into Study Time

 V.S.

   

         Hey everyone, summer is almost over and there are only a few weeks until school starts. I had lots of fun during my time off from school and did many activities. As you know, summer is usually a time to have fun and take a break. At least for those of us who get a vacation... Over summer break, I still studied and also took a few classes. Some of them were at the Microsoft store. They offered free classes and taught us about how to create a  video game, digital movies, and digital arts. I learned information about those programs for three weeks. I liked the digital art week the best and it was incredible to see the many apps you could use to edit a single photo. I also took a photography class later on which taught me a little more about how to use my DSLR camera and what each little button and adjustment does. It was a very interesting class and I learned a lot from that experience.
       
          On September 5th, we saw the rover Curiosity land on Mars on a big screen at NASA. It was one of the few times they have successfully landed a rover on Mars. It is a very complicated process and can fail if even one small mistake occurs. The time space between the take-off from the ISS and the landing on Mars is more than seven months. These scientists have been planning this mission for the last 10 years  to enjoy a favorable outcome. For me, I can't even plan a day in advance! If the mission fails, they would lose 2.5 billion dollars. There is also the seven minutes of terror which is the time it takes the rover to enter the atmosphere and to land on the surface of Mars. During those crucial seven minutes, the scientists would get no reception from the rover. For good luck, the tradition is to eat peanuts. The custom started when NASA's JPL ( jet propulsion laboratory) attempted outer space missions and when they finally succeeded, they coincidentally had been eating peanuts. I guess now I should eat peanuts before I take a test. In the end, Curiosity landed successfully.
         
           And, a few days ago, I took a class with a few of my friends where the teacher taught us about DNA and how to extract it. We took a few squishy plants and created a mush, then added laundry detergent, salt, and water which created a visible DNA strand. I have even seen my DNA by using saliva instead of berry mush. In addition, I had quite a few more fun and enjoyable days with my friends and family. When my moms friend came here from London, we hung out with her and her two daughters. We went to Great America with them and had a blast. As usual, I loved all the roller coasters and even the lines were shorter than most times. I especially liked Flight Deck, one of the rides they have. We also rode on this water ride down a river in a raft and all of us got drenched from head to toe.

           Although, I have to say, much of my time these few months was spent reading new books. I went to the library constantly and even did the summer reading program. Watching the Olympics on t.v. was something to look forward to each day at prime time. My family and I cheered on team U.S.A for every sport. Now, school is starting which is something to look forward to, but I will also miss summer break and I will be waiting until my next holiday. With new classes and teachers, I will have a whole other experience from summer. And the best part... becoming a sevie from a pixie!


-Rajee