*******Gift Rap*******

A Monthly Newsletter Especially for Gifted Teenagers

Our objective is to let you know about great activities, free stuff, amazing new areas of interest and some plain old fun and enjoyment too. We value intelligence and will endeavor to find exceptional, high-powered enrichment to enhance your life and learning.

You are welcome to contribute to this newsletter.

Get published. Write to us at: submit@discoverteenergy.com

Events to Enjoy During October

(see www.DiscoverTeenergy.com "Teenergy Activities" for details on any of the activities below)

A Stroll in the Park Walking & Adventure Club

Aberfoyle Antique & Flea Market will be closing at the end of the monbth. Open only on weekends, this is Canada’s largest flea market. There is something for everybody.

Air Cadets will be looking for new recruits.

Auction Sales. Check local papers for interesting sales on weekends.

Bancroft Mineral Collecting. For a fun weekend go mineral hunting with experts who will take you into areas to find some of the 400 minerals in the Bancroft area. This activity is making Bancroft a major tourist destination. Try it.

Beach Blast Indoor Volleyball Centre. Have your next birthday party playing volleyball with your friends.

Bike ON Tours. Ontario has some of the best bike trails. Find out about them.

Black Film & Video Network will be having festivals.

Bloor Cinema. They show old and great movies in this theatre. Very cheap to get in.

Take some friends and pick up those movies you missed.

Canadian Fencing Federation might be interesting to some of you.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame. A neat place to visit and see the history of Canadian football.

Canadian Pet Expo will be coming to the Exhibition Grounds, Toronto.

Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton may be of interest to war buffs.

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Canon Photo Contest!

If you went to a summer camp and took pictures on Kodak film, check out this contest for you. Big prizes!! http://www.ourkids.net/camp_pages/index.htm

Deadline is November 9^th.

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Canzine Festival of Underground Periodicals, radical films and writing events.

Carpenter’s Square has a series of lessons on how to work with wood.

CBC Museum. See the history of Canadian Broadcasting over the last 100 years.

EF Global Citizen Awards Contest. Win a Scholarship for writing an essay.

Encounters With Canada offer super 1-week interesting packages in Ottawa until the end of May. Check out the website: www.encounters-rencontres.ca/en/index.html

Glen Haffy Conservation Area has it’s corn maze. Fun for the whole family.

Homeopathic College Open House showing the best of natural health care.

Istituto Italiano di Cultura (www.iicto-ca.org ) has Italian cooking lessons and lots of cultural events. See the site for everything they offer.

John Irving, author of The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp will be reading at the WINTER GARDEN THEATRE, 189 Yonge. St. at 7:30pm on October 5^th.

During the week of October 15-20 the Ontario Public Library Week celebrations will be going on. Each library has special events. Check your local library.

Oct. 17-27. The International Festival of Authors will be held at Harbourfront.

There will be many famous authors and poets presenting. If you are a reading or writing enthusiast, check it out.

Mooredale Concerts Celebrates the Music of W.A. Mozart. Concerts will be going on regularly over the months. Many are held at Willowdale United Church 349 Kenneth Ave. 416-922-3714. Tickets are $20/adults, $15/students. Call : 416-922-3714 for tickets. Enjoy a pleasant evening out with the family.

CONTEST

Use an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper, draw the ghost, ghoul or goblin that scares you the most or sketch a scene of Halloween. Print name, address, city, postal code, age, phone no., school, grade, on another sheet and attach the information. Deliver them to: Rogers Television, 855 York Mills Rd., Don Mills, ON M3B 1Z1 Deadline: October 31, 2001.Four prize packages are offered and are worth about $100 each.

Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Southbrook Farm, Halloween Store and Weekend Wagon Rides. Go out into the fields and pick your own pumpkin. Interesting goodies in their store. 1061 Major Mackenzie Dr. W. between Bathurst and Dufferin.

905-832.2548 M-F 9-630, S-S 9-6.

Downsview Park Fall Fair Sunday, October 14, 2001, 11-6pm, Sheppard & Keele St. entrance) FREE! - music, shows, trampoline show, hayrides, hot air balloons, food and more. Enjoy.

CHAPTERS (stores only) is offering a "Buy 3 Books and Get 1 Free" on regular priced books only. Free book must be of equal or lesser value to the lowest priced book. Valid until October 14. (Note: I don’t usually advertise for companies, etc. but this is an exception because it might help somebody find some interesting presents for whatever occasion. )

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KOREAN WRITING CONTEST

Secondary school students are invited to research and explore a Korea-related topic of their choice and then submit an original written work in English (fiction or non-fiction) 3-6 pages long. GREAT Prizes: 2 all-expenses paid one-week trips to Korea, 15 LG CD Writers and 15 Samsung MP3 (YEPP) players. Deadline is: November 16^th. Details and application forms are at: www.emb-korea.ottawa.on.ca/right/Culture/index.html

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Shad Valley Leadership Training Camps across Canada– time to check out applications. I have the new ones. Deadline is Dec. 7

Snowhawks Ski & Snowboard School will be taking applications.

Model United Nations and Assemblies at various locations in the city. See your Current Issues Club supervisors too for details.

Toronto International Toy Collectors Show at the International Centre.

U. of Waterloo Shadow Day. Spend the day with a university student there.

Writing Oppportunity Contest. Win Money.

Story Topic: for best story or article on the theme of drugs or alcohol abuse

Story Contest worth $150 –lst, $100 –2^nd, 450 –3^rd in prizes.

Must be 18 or younger and a student in a Canadian school.

Story max. of 1200 words.

Story must be original and not adapted from any other story.

Typed, including name, address, phone no, name of school and grade.

Deadline: Feb. 1, 2002 (all entries become their property)

The Teensmag, P.O. Box 50035, 660 Eglinton Ave.E., Toronto, ON M4G 4G1

WHAT STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM ARE DOING

Victoria A., Gr. 12, is very busy at the Ontario Science Centre School right now.

Maureen K. who just completed her courses there this past year:

Janice C., Gr. 12, took the Summer Engineering Course at Ryerson Polytechnical University. She studied all the different kinds of engineering and would recommend it as a good way of finding out if you might like it as a career. During the summer, she worked as an intern at GTK Press Publishing Company and went out as a sales promoter of elementary textbooks at conventions. She also applied and has been accepted for Advanced Studio Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. This will be from Sept. to May-June on Saturdays and will involve all kinds of art forms. A portfolio was required and it is very hard to get in. She is also teaching Music Theory/Harmony at a music lesson centre in Markham.

Uju U., Gr. 12, is getting ready to take the SAT Exams in order to try and get into Howard University in Washington, USA. If anybody is interested in finding out more about US colleges/universities, please contact her or me for related information.

Cathy L., Gr. 12, spent the summer getting a credit in OAC French in France. It was with Blyth & Company Summer Travel (see the listing in the activities section of my website). She is also being interviewed for a job: skating instructor. She also got qualified to referee hockey!

Joyce L., Gr. 9, attended an Art Adventure Camp this summer. They specialize in art, music, dance and drama.

Vera L., Gr. OAC, had a co-op placement at Sick Kids Hospital over the summer for her hours needed in the OAC religion course this year. She worked in the dermatology department and assisted nurses with registration. She also went around with doctors when they were diagnosing. She was also responsible for a "Sun Safety" display board that was made available to the general public. She did so well that she has been offered the job again next summer.

Caroline R., OAC, was an assistant director at a family summer camp near Owen Sound for the summer. She has been there over the years and worked her way into the position. If you want to get into leadership positions, start early.

Katie K., Gr. 9, is a dancer involved in a Ukrainian Dance Group. This summer she attended an international folk dance festival in Drummondville, Quebec

Christina C. was in the Philippines over the summer. She wants to run for position of president of the Science Club this year. She is also going to be heavily involved in the Debating Club. She placed 16^th out of 60 finalists in the Ontario Debating Championship. She is nurturing new debaters in Gr. 9 & Gr. 10 and will be happy to help any students who are interested. Cristina will also be entering a neurology competition at U. of T. called "Brainy Bee." It is about knowledge/fact questions and answers and more.

Nathalie O., Gr. 10, is taking Fr. Language and Fr. Literature AP’s this year. During the first two weeks of August, she went to a Film-Making Camp at Upper Canada College and will be making a video for a contest coming up. She also learned how to skate and play hockey on the North York Storm hockey team. Nathalie asks if anybody lives in the Weston area, you are invited to join a Venturer Company. They organize camping trips and plan various adventure outings, do community work, etc. It costs $110 to join.

Internet Sites to Visit
Absolutely Wonderful Original Wallpaper for your Computer

http://www.jelene.com/desktop.html

Incredible Selection of Freebies and Giveaways

http://www.coolfreebielinks.com/index.html

Have Your Website Evaluated for an Award

http://www.1freestuff.com/award.shtml

Nicole T., went on exchange this year to Europe. She had a great time learning and exploring in French. She highly recommends it and says that is is very low in costs. Here is the site. It is all in French: http://www.volontariat.org/

Coming Events Across Ontario-City by City-Toronto included. (bookmark this one as a favourite. It has a lot to offer.) www.whatsup.ca

Good Reading

From Stephanie T., Gr.11

"I just want to send in a good read: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. It's construction is remarkable (Roy's a true literary architect) and the story is extremely moving. It's a truly groundbreaking piece that I think everyone should read because of its rather unusual features (I'll let everyone see for themselves what I mean). As far as I know, this is her only book. . . hopefully she will write some more amazing works!"

Weird Things That Happen to Nice People (thanks for your contributions)

People were at a party and all of a sudden there was this total silence when everybody seemed to stop talking at the same time. People just kind of looked around and felt more and more uneasy. All of a sudden, somebody started singing "Alouette." Others joined in and pretty soon everybody was laughing at the strange turn of events. (Jonathan from Oshawa)

A group of students visiting Quebec were in a small café and wanted to practice their French. The teacher was asked how to say "cup" so a student could ask for a cup of coffee. Thinking she said something else, he gave her the French word and she ended up ordering a "cop of coffee." (true story from my high school days)

Every year there are several people who fall into the Grand Canyon because somebody says "move back a little more" as they pose somebody for a picture. (newspaper)

A man was killed by his overweight wife when she sat on him during an argument. (article in the newspaper)

Two guys riding on a motorcycle were speared by a pipe coming off a truck. The pipe went through both of them but missed vital organs and both lived to tell the tale. (Ripley’s Believe It or Not)
Joke of the Month

There were two old guys, Abe and Sol, sitting on a bench in a park feeding pigeons and talking about baseball, just like they did every day.

Abe turns to Sol and says, "Do you think there's baseball in heaven?"

Soloman thinks about it for a minute and replies, "I dunno, Abe. But let's make a deal: If I die first, I will come back and tell you -- and if you die first, you come back and tell me -- if there is baseball in heaven."

They shake on it and, sadly, a few months later poor Abe passes on.

One day soon afterward, Sol is sitting there feeding the pigeons by himself when he hears a voice whisper, "Sol... Sol...."

Sol responds, "Abe! Is that you?"

"Yes it is Sol," whispers the spirit of Abe.

Sol, still amazed, asks, "So, is there baseball in heaven?"

"Well," says Abe says, "I got good news and I got bad news."

"Gimme the good news first," says Sol.

Abe says, "Well... there is baseball in heaven."

Sol says, "That's great! What news could be bad enough to ruin that!?"

Abe sighs and whispers, "You're pitching on Friday."