Don't forget our regular monthly features:

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What should gifted students do once they achieve great academic results? Many (not all) get super grades i.e. 85%-90%+. When marks are that high and achieved regularly it usually means that learning skills are well mastered, motivation and responsibility are high, and there is probably plenty of enjoyment and satisfaction in the effort. (or there should be!)

Once that level of operating has been reached, how about some challenges to further enrich and enhance your life:

-become consistent. Work to have all your marks at roughly the same high level. A spread of 5-10 marks, or more can suggest: effort is not consistent, you like and dislike courses, you are not as disciplined in some subjects as others despite the overall high marks. Be disciplined and try to excel equally in all subjects.

-do volunteer work. You may have more free time than others who get lower marks. Don’t give up important relaxation time but consider being of help to others. While doing that: search for new areas of interest, talk to and get to know some of the experts you may meet, keep a personal journal of your experiences. Volunteering can be a great way to pin down summer jobs.

-develop new interests. Collect stuff, read new magazines, get involved in local groups or school clubs, take an interesting, fun-filled night school course, listen to new kinds of music, learn to play a musical instrument or get into crafts, learn to meditate, become an environmentalist.

-tutoring. There are many students who would appreciate assistance with subjects that are difficult. Choose YOUR "weakest" subject and tutor students in that one. It will increase your abilities too.

-research in your career interest area. Who says you can’t be a lawyer before you get your degree? Why can’t you know lots about energy before you become an environmental engineer?

-get involved with the arts. See (live or on TV) plays, concerts, rehearsals, exhibitions, displays, showings, photo and art galleries, TV show tapings. Fill your gaps with activities that nurture creativity, emotional wellness and sensory awareness.

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Teens and Cars
(by Sandra Tipei, Gr. 9 gifted program student, who will hopefully be contributing again to Gift Rap. Many thanks for this contribution.)

A car can have many different uses and meanings to people. Some use cars to show status, or to express individuality or just to get from one place to another. But how does all this relate to teens? What does a teenager want out of a car? What do we need to know about cars?

These are important questions that should be answered. Getting your own car can be a liberating experience- no more waiting in the cold for a bus, no more begging for a ride to the movies. But it can also be an expensive investment - buying your car, maintaining it and insuring it. These things can be very expensive. So until you are completely ready to make that commitment it’s a lot cheaper to drive your parents’ car.

Insurance for young people can be very expensive and those with only G1 licenses cannot become the main driver of a vehicle. They may pay insurance under their name but they can't drive anywhere without another passenger with at least 4 years of experience.

Once you do decide to purchase your own car what kind of car do you want? Which would suit your needs? Sure, everyone would like a fast sports car but not everyone can afford one. So what’s the best compromise?

There are many cheaper sporty cars that could suit your personality very well until you can get your 'dream' car. Personally, I am a fan of imported cars more than domestics so I will recommend them more often. Honda Civics are a good example of cost efficient cars that are fun to drive. In the following months i will address a number of issues that I think are important. Which cars are good first cars. all about the price of insurance, driving requirements and other fun stuff to do with cars.

Driving can be a lot of fun and owning and enjoying your own car is a great feeling. If you have any questions regarding cars, driving or anything around this subject read my future articles. Here are some links which can give you good driving tips too!

I found this funny story on a website. Enjoy.

The Graduation Car
A pastor's son wanted his dad to buy him a car for a graduation gift. His father said, "I'll buy
you a car, but first you must do three things: 1) Go to college and get B's or better for the first semester,
2) read your Bible every day, and 3) cut your hair." (For the boy had very long hair.) The son agreed, and off to school he went. Three months later, the son returned home all smiles. He said to his father, "Dad, here's my report card - all A's! And I read my Bible every day, just like you asked!"
After a long pause, the father said, "Yes, but son, you didn't cut your hair." "Well, Dad, I was reading the Bible, you know, and I realized that Jesus - He had long hair!"
To which his father said, "Yes, He did. And He walked everywhere he went."

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Canadian Ski Council

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (nice trip near Hamilton)

CBC Museum (interesting place to visit)

Encounters with Canada (one week in Ottawa up to the end of May)

Cinematheque Ontario at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Festival of New Choreography at York University

Mississauga Music Festival

North American International Auto Show in Detroit

North American International Motorcycle Supershow at the International Centre

Par Golf Camps lessons registration

Quebec Carnival coming up at the end of the month

Ryerson University – School of Fashion - Workshops

Speedorama Car Show

Summer Courses Registration starts soon

Tarragon Theatre Playwright’s Workshop – FREE for budding writers in March break.

University of Toronto Free Seminars are on every weekend

Wiarton Willie Festival (this groundhog may/may not see his shadow)

Youth Leadership Camps Canada (check for registering dates)

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Hi, Not enough feedback on your awesome newsletter?? I must hurry with this email then =) I'm now at Queens, taking first year Concurrent Education/Arts. I look forward to every issue of your newsletter. My brother, Emerson, is in the Gr. 9 Gifted Program at his school and would like to get a copy as well)

I'm not sure if anyone would be interested, but here are some links to online literature/texts sites:

Joyce L., Gr. 9, has been living a very exciting life. She is getting ready to be a volunteer at the Children’s Own Museum, has been selected as a volunteer helper on her Good Shepherd Parish World Youth Day team, is the founder and elected President of a new Storytelling Club, and presented, along with three Gr. 12 students, at her former elementary school to promote the love of reading. Something some of you might be interested in contacting her about is a Leadership Skills Course Joyce took with Toronto Parks and Recreation. What a great effort to be an independent, self-directed, involved learner and participant in life. Congratulations.

Alexis C., Gr. 11, has been working on getting delegates from city schools to attend the Community Leadership Workshop she is helping set up through the Hugh O’Brian Leadership Foundation. The deadline was Dec. 1 for registration. We have five students from our school going in April. Angela P., Gr. 10, who is in the LAT gifted program will be attending the above workshop.

Maureen K., OAC, was in the St. Michael’s College School play "Inherit the Wind" as a townsperson. She did have a few lines but did not get discovered by a Hollywood scout. She is now going to try to relax and recover from countless hours of rehearsal and performance. Congratulations.

Alicia E., OAC, informed "Gift Rap" that the information on the U. of Toronto Winston Churchill Society website – mentioned in last month’s issue - was going to be of great help to her in a project she was doing about "You Know Who."

Cristina C., OAC, has attended almost all of the U. of Toronto free lectures on Sunday afternoons. She highly recommends them. She started doing volunteer work with the Out of the Cold Program. She also joined the Youth Ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Volunteer work at the Toronto Public Library, "Homework Tutoring" - teaching kids how to read - is a new part of her life.. Cristina has had a number of articles published by the Catholic Register. She just submitted another one. You know her best as she is the LAT Voice announcer every morning presenting the O Canada and prayer.

Silvia I., Gr. 11, is interested in joining Amnesty International. Another new interest is in Astronomy which started after going to a U. of Toronto Free Lecture mentioned in our activities.
Special Notice: Silvia is a Piano and Music Theory Instructor in the Dufferin & Steeles area and is looking for customers.

Sandra T., Gr. 9, is developing a serious interest in writing. She is going to investigate making income from it. Special Notice: To our benefit, she has kindly volunteered to start writing articles regularly for "Gift Rap" on teenagers and cars. See her first one in this issue.

Nathalie O. has started a club called the LAT BeLEAFers. It's a club for Maple Leaf fans who want to meet others who share an interest in hockey. They are planning some adventures: December 20^th: going downtown for a tour of the Air Canada Centre, then visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame, then going to a St. Mike's Majors hockey game.

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Little Billy Needs Your Help
(an email from a "friend" - editor)

My name is Billy Evans. I am a very sick little boy. My mother is typing this for me, because I can't. She is crying. The reason she is so sad is because I'm so sick. I was born without a body. It doesn't hurt, except when I try to breathe. The doctors gave me an artificial body. It is a burlap bag filled with leaves. The doctors said that was the best they could do on account of us having no money or insurance. I would like to have a body transplant, but we need more money. Mommy doesn't work because she said nobody hires crying people. I said, "Don't cry, Mommy," and she hugged my burlap bag. Mommy always gives me hugs, even though she's allergic to burlap and it makes her sneeze and chafes her real bad. I hope you will help me. You can help me if you forward this email to everyone you know. Forward it to people you don't know, too. Dr. Johansen said that for every person you forward this email to, Bill Gates will team up with AOL and send a nickel to NASA. With that funding, NASA will collect prayers from school children all over America and have the astronauts take them up into space so that the angels can hear them better. Then they will come back to earth and go to the Pope, and he will take up a collection in church and send all the money to the doctors. The doctors could help me get better then. Maybe one day I will be able to play baseball. Right now I can only be third base. Every time you forward this letter, the astronauts can take more prayers to the angels and my dream will be closer to coming true. Please help me. Mommy is so sad, and I want a body. I don't want my leaves to rot before I turn 10. If you don't forward this email, that's okay. Mommy says you're a mean and heartless nasty person who doesn't care about a poor little boy with only a head. She says that if you don't stew in the raw pit of your own guilt-ridden stomach, she hopes you die a long slow horrible death and then burn forever in hell. What kind of cruel person are you that you can't take five minutes to forward this to all your friends so that they can feel guilt and shame about ignoring a poor, bodiless nine-year-old boy? Please help me. I try to be happy, but it's hard.

Thank You, Billy "Smiley" Evans

(taken from an article in the Toronto Star)

The movie is finally out. Here is some little known information about this highly creative writer and his stories.

-he was a scholar of early English language and literature and used the Old Testament events for inspiration.
-Tolkien is credited with creating a new literary genre – modern fantasy.
-"The Hobbit" has sold over 40 million copies. (before the movie)
-the three "Lord of the Rings" books have sold over 150 copies combined.
-"The Lord of the Rings" at 1500 pages is probably the longest book most people will ever read in their lives.
-"The Lord of the Rings" is basically Catholic and Christian in orientation according to Tolkien.
-Tolkien had been in the war and had been shot at which shaped his writing about the nature of evil.
-Tolkien was raised Catholic by a mother who was a convert.
-Tolkien’s father died when he was 4 and his mother died when he was 12. He was raised by a Catholic priest.
-the name "Frodo" – a Christ-like figure - comes from a character in "Edda" an Icelandic story of pre-Christian Norse beliefs.
-"The Hobbit" was first published in 1938 when Tolkien was 46. "The Rings" series was published when he was 62 to 64 years old.
-the series became a craze and a hit in North America in 1965 when Tolkien was 73.
-three films are planned for release the next three Decembers.

(Comment: there, now you won’t feel so bad when you have to rewrite and edit a school essay a few times!)

Related Websites:

Some of you may be tutoring already, like Amelia, or considering helping others with school work. Here are some good tips on making tutoring a mutually enjoyable experience:

- establish some sort of tracking system to keep track of who you've tutored, how long, and who still owes you money

- be firm about students showing up on time - you're not the only one who has homework

- with certain students, you might have to review all the way back to the basics, but it's always better to work from a strong foundation than to build on shaky knowledge

- try to work in a quiet area with few distractions

- combining students in the same grade and same subject helps if they can offer each other pointers

- keep your priorities straight and don't let your own grades slide for the sake of others

- check in with the student’s teacher occasionally to make sure your notes are similar

- can't stay a full hour? No problem, just split an hour-long session into half-hour periods

- make sure the student takes a full set of notes in class so they can gradually become independent learners

- guide the students. You don't necessarily have to answer the question yourself

- give samples and then make up a few questions for them to tackle themselves

- make your student comfortable in asking you any questions they have!

- tell them to come to you a few days BEFORE a test, not 5 seconds before

- encourage them to bring homework to work at it, with you there to help

Mamma Mia!

(from an article in the North York Mirror by Abigail Tator)

Katie Thrasher is not your average Toronto teenager. For the last 5 years she has organized a food, toy and loonie drive in her neighbourhood and now beyond that has amassed 11,880 food items, 1,770 gifts and $8385 in donations to help the Red Cross adopt-a-family program and the Salvation Army’s Elf Program. She operates all year round.

Having visited Zimbabwe and Russia, she saw poverty first hand and that everybody is not as lucky as we are. She decided to do something about it.

Hey all you teenage activists out there! Get involved. She needs YOU.

Contact her and discuss setting up a "branch office" that you can run.

Call: 416-499-1218 to volunteer or for pickup of your donations or take them to 28 Deepglade Crescent, Toronto.

(adapted from an article in the Toronto Star, Nov. 17, 2001)

When looking for a part-time or full-time job or summer work, your residence telephone is often used by business contacts. Be sure that the message on your answering machine at home is crisp and business-like.

(after visiting a candle exhibit at a Craft Show - editor)

Candles are pretty amazing products. We use them for ceremonies, setting a nice mood, in times of grief and celebration, in times of power outages. Little do we ever think they can be harmful. They are usually so nice to have around.

Most white and coloured candles are made of paraffin which is petroleum byproducts (left over sludge from the oil refining process). The sludge is bleached, chemicals are added to make it solidify, and wicks (many with thin lead wires up the middle) are put in.

When a regular candle burns, you will often see black soot or smoke coming off the wick just above the flame (watch gasoline or rubber burning). As well, the lead melts in the heat of the flame and is vapourized into the air. This toxic hydrocarbon pollution is spread throughout your house and into your lungs. Is it any wonder people have allergies considering this is only one of hundreds of toxic chemicals people foolishly have around their homes. Not to throw a wet blanket on festivities, here is a better alternative to toxic candles. Beeswax candles!

Beeswax candles are environmentally friendly and actually good for you. They do not drip, they burn at a very high temperature so they do not smoke, and give off ions that purify the air and are healthy to breathe in. Rooms are slowly filled with a wonderful honey smell that is uplifting. They are safe and also good for you.

The beeswax candles are more expensive but they last many times longer than regular candles. It takes the better part of a day to burn down an inch or two when a regular candle would be down to a stub.

The first website below explains the history, how to use them effectively and how to snuff them out properly so there is no smoke.

Visit the other sites and make your environment a little safer and healthier at home for you and your family. Spread the word.

(Note: Vaseline, Petroleum Jelly and petroleum-based makeup or hand creams are just as toxic because they too are made of petroleum byproducts!)

Related Websites:

"Asimo", the Honda Motor Co. robot can gracefully walk down stairs, respond to human commands in behaviour and verbally. Robotics is advancing at an amazing pace. To show off the robot, it is being presented to the public in amusement parks. "Asimo has also been hired by IBM Japan for $166,200US as a receptionist. He will soon be on sale and become even more "new and improved."

(Comment: Just think of the possibilities. If you can afford it, he could maybe go to school for you?? We can slowly be replaced because as humans we are not as efficient or exact. We can’t work 24 hrs a day on just a charge of electricity and a little oil. Maybe some of us belong to unions and want benefits for our families. Robots don’t…yet. But wait, company profits are more important than people. Robots can build other robots. Goodbye humans.)

Related Websites:

Adolescence is the second period of major growth and change in the human body. Girls grow from about age 12-16 and boys keep growing until 20. Unfortunately it has been ignored and as young people become adolescents their eating habits change dramatically and affected by "fashion, society, behaviour and time" says Dr. Diane Sacks, a family doctor specializing in adolescents.

Young girls need lots of calcium and iron but don’t eat a lot of foods rich in them. Vegetarianism might be used as a weight control technique. They don’t eat a lot of vegetables rich with essential B vitamins.

Coffee and cola drinks leach calcium from the body. Poor eating habits not only mean there is a lack of vitamins and nutrients but that valuable ones stored in the body are actually being used up. All kinds of health problems arise.

Extra: Statistics show the average fat content of personal chef meals is about 20-30%. The average fat content of fast-food meals is 40-50%.

Here are some ways to ensure you are eating healthily:

It seems that watching the Harry Potter movie causes many young, naïve kids to fall in love with Hedwig and they are asking for owls as pets. Pet shops are being inundated with requests.

Just in case you get the idea or somebody close to you does, owls are illegal to keep without a permit, their claws can be dangerous, and they can’t really be trained to do tricks. The most disappointing part of having one as a pet will be they don’t bring you packages.

Related Websites:

If your living space is so small and compact that you have to step outside in order to turn around, here are some quick ideas on making more space, by finding creative ways to store stuff in it. The three basic ideas are: look high and low, camouflage the chaos and think inside the box.

1. Notice all the space from floor to ceiling and use it effectively. Work upward. Put up neat shelves on the walls and in closets to store stuff. Put up shelves under stairs.
2. Put two bars in closets instead of the usual one. Most home decorating places will tell you exactly how high to put them off the floor. You get almost double the closet space.
3. Decorative storage containers look great on existing furniture. In other words, camouflage the chaos.
4. Find ways of having things do double-duty. Put rolled towels on a shelf where they can be reached but also decorative.
5. Look low too. Space under coffee tables, beds, chairs can be creatively used.
6. Use hooks creatively under shelves to hang stuff.
7. Find stackable containers that fit nicely one on top of the other.
8. Interesting old bags, doctor’s bags, small suitcases can serve double duty as storage places and decoration.
9. Instead of chairs, use small benches with closed storage under the seats.
10. Use multi-function furniture e.g. fold-out beds, collapsible tables, etc

Related Websites:

(from an article in the Toronto Star)

Here is an idea for a special gift or getting wild after graduation. Regular cruise lines will take you to several ports of call with thousands of other tourists herded together. What if you could cruise but without the crowds?

Lykes Lines is a freighter line that sails from Houston and New Orleans on 42-day trips delivering cargo. They have passenger cabins with twin beds, portholes and fridges. They even have swimming pools. For about $100 US a day, you can get away from conventional cruising and see some of the world on a working freighter. Now is that cool or what?

The lacrimal glands secrete tears. Tears continually bathe the cornea, the tough outer layer of the eyeball. They help to clear it of foreign particles, such as dust and hairs, and keep it from drying out, which would result in blindness.

Two lacrimal glands, one over each eye, lie behind the eyelid. They pour out their fluid through several small ducts in the underside of the lid. Each time the eyelid blinks, it sucks a little fluid from the glands. When a person feels some emotion such as grief or anger very strongly, the muscles around the lacrimal glands may tighten up and squeeze out the tear fluid. The same thing happens if a person laughs very heartily.

After the tears pass across the eyeball, they flow out through two lacrimal ducts that open at the inner corner of each eye. They lead to a lacrimal sac and then to the nasal duct. This duct runs the length of the nose and finally opens into it. Tears flowing through this opening make the nose run when you cry.

Mostly a salt solution, lacrimal fluid also contains substances that fight bacteria and proteins that help make the eye immune to infection.

Tears flow from our eyes when we cry because they help rid the body of chemicals and hormones that are produced when we are upset or stressed. Upset causes the body to overreact and produce excess of these chemicals and hormones. Crying helps to rid the body of them.

Related Websites:

Wow!! In Sweden, 4 youths aged 16 and 17 were charged with high treason for throwing a strawberry cream cake into the face of King Carl Gustaf. They were fined (about $370 Cdn) and charged with minor assault. This is the first time in living memory anybody was ever charged with this crime in Sweden. The boys were protesting the existence of the monarchy in modern times.

Related Websites:

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The other guy says, "That was touching. I didn't know you had it in you."

The first guy responds, "Well, it was the right thing to do - after all, I was married to her for 40 years."

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A boy writes home hinting that he needs money

Dear Father,

$chool i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply ¢an't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.

Love,
Your $on.

After receiving his son's letter, the father immediately replies by sending a letter back.

Dear Son,

I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.

Love,
Dad

________________

See you next month.

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