Santa Rita Times: Volume 2

Santa Rita Times

Monday February 14, 2022

About this publication

Students in Journalism Club collaborated, designed, and created the Valentines Edition of the Santa Rita newspaper. We hope you enjoy Volume 2.

The Meaning Of LOVE

Results Collected by: Emma Heilman & Farrah Browning

Love Is In The Air!

Students at Santa Rita Elementary School were asked to express what love means to them. A few of their answers are shared below.

“It is a strong relationship with someone that makes you happy.” -Eva 5th grade

“Love is someone you can be yourself around and be silly and crazy and they won’t judge you!” -Ava 5th grade

“It means to me a sweetheart.” -Annistyn 3rd grade

“Love is a act of patience & kindness. Love is for us to share. A little love can make a change to a day.” -Dylan 5th grade

“It is a emotion that makes you feel good.” -Olivia 3rd grade

Did you know that the most popular Valentine's candy sold in the state of Texas this year was Hershey's Kisses?

What Triggers Love in the Brain?

Words by: Harper Schmickle

Have you ever wondered what triggers the “love emotion” in your brain? Well, when you’ve got questions, I’ve got answers.

When you love someone, your body is told to release high levels of Dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel happy. When your brain releases this chemical, it makes you feel joyful, therefore, making you feel happy and/or loved. Things that can make your brain release this chemical are getting a lot of sleep, eating certain foods, exercise and even listening to music.

Do you know why giving chocolates for Valentine's is so popular? Well, eating chocolate also releases high levels of Dopamine in your brain. So, for Valentine's Day, maybe you should consider giving some chocolates to your Valentine. It is sure to bring a smile to their face. It's science!

History & Current Events

Valentines Day 2022

Results Gathered by: Kaitlyn Perlas & Ella Soto

Members of the Journalism Club interviewed Ms. Ortega from the office, 2nd grade teacher Miss Salazar, Ella Wilson in 4th grade, and Klaire Crenshaw in 3rd grade to see what they thought of Valentines Day.

When you think of Valentine’s Day, what do you think of?
"My family" -Ms. Ortega
"Love" -Miss Salazar
"Family" -Ella Wilson, 4th Grader
"Love, heart cards" -Klaire Crenshaw, 3rd Grader

Why do you think Valentine’s day is important?
"So we can show kindness to others." -Ms. Ortega
"I think it’s just another day." - Miss Salazar
"It’s time to spend together." - Ella Wilson, 4th Grader
"It’s the day you show love and caring for others." -Klaire Crenshaw, 3rd Grader

Who would you want to spend
Valentine’s Day with?
"Family" -Ms. Ortega
"Friends" -Miss Salazar
"Family" -Ella Wilson, 4th Grader
"Family" -Klaire Crenshaw, 3rd Grader

As you can see, most of the answers were about spending Valentine’s Day with people they love and showing kindness to others. People interviewed said that they want to spend Valentine’s Day with their families and friends. How would you answer these questions?

Cupid vs. Aphrodite

"How did you spend Valentine's Day?"

Researched by Kayleb Crawford

Many people know and have heard of Cupid, the little baby with wings who flys around and shoots people with a golden arrow to make them fall in love. But have you ever heard of Aphrodite? I am here to give you a little more information on the two most popular love gods.

Aphrodite
Known as the Greek Goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite is one of the twelve Olympians. Some common symbols that represent her are doves, roses, myrtle trees and swans. Aphrodite is said to have a son, Eros, who is similar to the Roman's version of Cupid. While Aphrodite is considered "the Love Goddess," she is not the only god that is associated with that title.

Cupid
Cupid is known as the Roman god of love and beauty. It is said that when his mother wanted two people to fall in love, she would send Cupid to shot them in the heart with a golden arrow to unite them in marriage. In Roman mythology, his mother's name was Venus, which is the same as the Greek god, Aphrodite.

News & Sports

Journalist Erik Bowman shares some information on the recent Super Bowl & the ongoing Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Winter Olympics are Here!

Image by Petr Kratochvil

Words by Erik Bowman

February is always a great time for sports. As always, the Super Bowl was hosted in L.A. This year, it was a tough match up between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Ramsy. Both teams played well, but only one team could win, and this time it was the LA Rams. But that game wasn’t the only sports related event that has been happening. The Winter Olympics are here, and it has been as exciting as ever. There has been snowboarding and skiing and all kinds of winter events. Some would even suggest getting some popcorn and watching it while you can!

The first Olympics were held in the summer of 776 B.C. It was held in honor of the Greek God, Zeus. In the earliest Olympic games, winners were awarded with a crown of olive leaves. Unlike now, where the winners get a shiny gold medal. In the first Olympics there were games like sprinting, wrestling and chariot racing. When there were wars (and there often were), they temporarily stopped fighting for the Olympic games.

Some differences were that there were different games played, like Pankration where the competitors fight and it only ended when either one of them died or voluntarily gave up. The biggest difference in these early games was that only men were able to compete!

The winners of Super Bowl LVI: The Los Angeles Rams

Valetine's Day Theories

Fact: More than 8 BILLION conversation hearts are manufactured each year.

Words by Liam Burke and Gage Schraer

Valentine's Day is celebrated each year on February 14th. People exchange chocolates, candies and gifts, along with love letters and cards. But where did Valentine's Day come from?

Some say that it is named after Saint Valentine of Turni. It is said that Saint Valentine was a priest who got sent away to be executed for being caught helping soldiers get married. This was illegal back then because the Emperor thought single soldiers would make better fighters.

Another Saint Valentine was said to have helped Christians escape prison in Rome. While he was in the jail, Saint Valentine saw a girl and he fell in love with her. On the day of his execution, February 14, he wrote a note saying “From Your Valentine”. No one knows for sure if the two Saint Valentines are the same person.

Another theory is that it is named after the Roman festival of Lupercalia, celebrated on February 15th. This is a Catholic fertility festival that celebrates the Roman god of agriculture.

These theories have not been confirmed and may have been made up. Either way, Valentine's Day is a wonderful time to enjoy some sweets and tell those close to you that you love them.

A Little Valentine's Day Humor

By: Farrah Browning

Image borrowed from Simplyrecipes.com

What did the chef give to his wife on Valentine's Day?

What did one piece of toast say to the other?

Why is lettuce the most loving vegetable?

What do you call two birds in love?

What did one volcano say to the other?

Why did the boy have his girlfriend put in jail?

(Jokes provided by Good Housekeeping)

Answers: 1. A hug and a quiche; 2. You are my butter half; 3. Because it is all heart; 4. Tweet-hearts; 5. I lava you; 6. She stole his heart!

Featured Falcons

Valentine's poetry written and submitted by Santa Rita Falcons.

Valentine’s For Me
Ella Soto
5th Grade

Valentine’s Day
Is the day of love
When I hear it
That what I think of

This year will be full
Of parties and treats
The dance would be nice
But it’s not for me.

Instead I’d rather
Do something else
Want to be with my family
So I won’t be by myself.

Spend time with friends
And family that I love
Taking a nap on the couch
Is what I’m thinking of.

Love to Me Is...
Grace Pfaff
3rd Grade

Walking in the door
And your pets
Excited to see you.
Helping out a family member
Or a friend,
Love is everywhere, love is crazy!
Love is calm.
I think of love as a big heart
That never ends
Love is the Best feeling in the world.
Love is everything!
Love is stronger than Hate.

Love
Jayce Samarripa
3rd Grade

Love to me
Is playing
With my mama
We love to play
Uno.
Me and my mama
Play with Mocha too.
I love when
Me and my mama
Snuggle together
It’s cozy.
When we snuggle
I bring my IPad
So she can
Watch me play.
I also love
Movie nights
With my amazing…
Mama!

Love
Cheney Runion
3rd Grade

My dog
Kissing me
When I walk through
The door.
My mom
Giving me
A huge hug.
Seeing my grandparents
When I haven’t
Seen them
In a long
Time.

My 5 Senses of Love
Lyric Stilwell
3rd Grade

I see the love in the air
I smell the warm breeze
I feel the warm hug from my mum
I taste the warm spaghetti
I hear my mum’s sweet voice

Love
Olivia Lopez
3rd Grade

To me
Love means cooking
In the big kitchen
And spending time
with my lovely parents.

V is for Valentine’s Day
Payton Smith
2nd Grade

Valentine’s Day
Always
Love you
Excellent
Note
True love
I love you
Nice
Exciting

V Stands for Valentine
Madelyn Darby
2nd Grade

Valentine
Admirer
Love
Emotional
NIce to get candy
To love someone
Inner beauty
Nice to give candy
Excited

Love to Me
Klaire Crenshaw
3rd Grade

Love to me is
A hug from family
Walking into the warmth of the house
After a school day
With tired eyes
And tired brains
Sitting down on the couch to relax
With my family.

White as Snow
Mabel Browning
2nd Grade

It was a snowy day
We were playing with my two dogs
We made snowballs
We got a rock out
We got the cat out
But he ran away
We played the tv
And had hot chocolate

Featured Falcons Cont.

Red.

A bouquet of roses for you,
I’ll throw in some chocolates too,
One last thing to do,
Will you be my Valentine?

Friends can celebrate
The greatness of the day
When all this kindness spreads
It will never end!

Pink is what to do,
Or red, NOT BLUE.
Maybe roses are too much,
But I think these look perfect for YOU!

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I’d love to spend,
Valentines with YOU

Roses Roses everywhere,
The sight of Roses fill the air,
Box of chocolates try and compete,
But the essence of roses, of course, is not going to face defeat.

Dylan Ochoa
5th Grade

Boxes Of Chocolate Day

Chocolate- yum!
Another box
And another
And another

Are they all for me?
I can’t believe it.
More and more chocolate
I can almost taste it

Coming close to my mouth
Closer, closer
And then mom comes in.

“No more chocolate!”
“No more sugar!”
But the pile of candy
Seems to get bigger

The sweetness as it melts
As your taste buds rejoice
Right before you hear
your little brother’s voice:
“I WANT IT!”

A second later, and it’s gone.
All gone.
All of my chocolates
Now I have to wait for the next
Boxes Of Chocolate.

Kaitlyn Perlas
5th Grade

The Perfect Middle School Valentine

Short Story Written By: Kamryn Daniels

It was Valentine's Day and Sarah did not have an invitation to the coolest Valentine’s Party after school. She really wanted to go, but had other problems in addition to not having an invitation. Her parents had grounded her for not doing her chores.

She walked down the hallway towards her locker and noticed other kids with presents. At that moment, she remembered she had forgotten about the Valentine's gift exchange. She walked into math class feeling nervous. When Sarah got to her desk she gasped when she saw a party invitation. She picked it up and stared at it and then quickly put it in her backpack.

“Ok class, it’s time for the gift exchange,” Mrs. Andrews stated. She called the students to stand up with their gifts and Sarah immediately began rummaging through her backpack. Sarah thought, “This invitation is the only precious thing I have to give and this is my fault I am in this situation.” She carefully pulls the invitation out of her backpack just in time for the teacher to call her. She slumps her shoulders, walks to the front of the classroom and puts that beautiful, brightly colored invitation covered in jewels into Barbara’s box. As she looks up, Barbara's box looks dull and sad.

After the long day at school, Sarah walks home sadly knowing she won’t go to the party. As she walks up to her porch she notices a small piece of paper saying, “look behind you.” She turns around and her friends jump out of the bushes and yell, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Sarah was shocked in disbelief and wondering why everyone was in her yard. One of her friends came up to her and said, “Everybody loves you for giving Barbara the invitation. We knew that Stacie would never give her an invitation because she looks different than everyone else.”

Sarah and her friends go pick up Barbara and take her to the party. When they arrive, Sarah sees Stacie standing at the front door. She has this sassy look on her face because she doesn't want Barbara there. Barbara shows Stacie her invitation that says “plus one”. Stacie rolls her eyes as Barbara and Sarah walk into the party. As bad as she felt for forgetting a gift earlier in the day, it all ended up working out or the best.