We feel so grateful and fortunate to have been promoted as the upcoming editors of “The Westside Story” website.  We hope that we can uphold the level of achievement that the previous year has set for us and transcend it.  “I don’t know you say goodbye I say hello.”

Many efforts are being made to stop the spill before it completely destroys the environment.  The first was to get rid of the oil leak, which has been estimated to be the size of Rhode Island, by burning it off. This plan proved insufficient as soon as the oil started to head towards Florida and Louisiana. Now workers are putting domes into the water to contain the oil in order to prevent it from reaching the shore, although it appears that the dome is not working correctly.

Mr.Ratner, a marine biology teacher at West Boca, shared his thoughts on the matter: “The oil spill reaching the shoreline will be an environmental catastrophe. The weather has cooperated, giving more time for the states to prepare for the impact of the oil on the various ecosystems along the shoreline. The governmental response is similar to the response for hurricanes, but, unlike a hurricane, the oil spill’s environmental impact will be remnant for years to come.”

President Obama has constructed a plan to try and stop the oil while trying to preserve the environment. If something is not done soon the crisis will get worse.

High school gave us the first chance to choose who we wanted to be as individuals. We made new friends, took new classes, joined clubs and teams; laid down the foundation of who we’re going to be. We all still have room for growth but we should always remember where it all started. Thinking back to our first day of freshman year, walking around dazed – schedule in hand, we had no idea what the next four years would entail.

At first it was intimidating and we found ourselves being more concerned with fitting in than standing out but we quickly learned to adapt to our surroundings and were able to make our own decisions. It didn’t take long for us to realize that there was actually no pool on the 12 building and the tardy room really wasn’t that cool. We came to be faced with difficult decicions. Peer pressure that we only thought existed in movies became a part of our everyday lives. The choices that we made defined us as people. Although there were times we thought the world was against us and we’d never recover from our issues, looking back our Earth-shattering problems were really just trivial matters.

After all is said and done our little concerns taught us valuable lessons that we could never have learned from a powerpoint or read off a dry-erase board. And all those times you fought with your parents over privacy and curfews, they were really just preparing us for the next step that were ready to finally take without their constant guidance. So when years from now you look back at your high school experience, remember the good, accept the bad, and keep in mind that it was all a part of the process. Don’t think about the petty fights, just think about the great times at Palmetto Beach and grabbing a bite to eat at Moe’s. Forget that C you got in Biology- its the people that lifted your spirits after the test that you will remember.

Its been an honor and privilege to manage the West Side Story’s first year online. The website was a greater success than we had expected, and we thank all our visitors and supporters. We hope that our words will stay with you.

Good Luck in all your future endeavors. Its been a crazy ride. Congratulations Seniors- WE DID IT!

Sincerely, your editors,

 Melina Garcia, Katie Feller, and Rachel Alford

The Science Olympiads competition is one that has many different events. All of which deal with different scientific topics. In some you have to build things before the competition while in others students will be asked questions that determine their knowledge of their event. Students from West Boca built things like a mouse trap car that must go and come back, a Rube Goldberg device which means it must have a domino effect, and other things as well like a catapult. Like in the Olympics students will earn medals by how they place in their respective competitions.

Ms. More the science department head as well as some other science teachers will be going with the students to the competition. The students are eager to prove themselves in their events in the different subjects of science. Check back on Monday for a list of some of the results.

This event has been approved by Mr. Stenner for those who would like to participate. The sponsor of the Day of Silence is science teacher, Ms. More. Those students who choose to participate will have a card on them which will help teachers and students identify who has taken the vow of silence.

Refer to http://www.dayofsilence.org/index.cfm for more information on The Day of Silence.

Sarah Jeziery won a $350 scholarship for her piece called Forgotten in Charcoal

Ashley Pelletier got a $250 scholarship for her Wall E in Ceramics.

Andrea Lagos was given $200 in scholarship money for he Octopus Losse in Locker Room Mixed Media

Monica Garrett won a $100 scholarship for her Hand Box in Ceramics

Illana Dansky won an awarded color pencils as well for BFF’s

So if you see the girls congratulate them on a job well done and make sure to check out their award winning work in the Art Department.

One very important tip which will alleviate anxiety from the FCAT  is for the test taker to get a lot of rest. Rest is important and will help a test taker do well on their test. Most students require about 8-9 hours of sleep a night to be considered a healthy amount of sleep. Without rest one may feel tired and irritable which does not constitute proper characteristics of a healthy test taker. If a student doesn’t get enough rest it can also make it hard to think, which can cause a student to misread directions. Some people do not even know if they are sleep deprived so be aware of the following symptoms of sleep deprivation reported by The School District of Palm Beach County; difficulty waking up, inability to concentrate, falling asleep during classes, and feelings of moodiness or depression. So if one is currently experiencing symptoms such as those, begin to change sleeping habits and eliminate the symptoms to be well rested for FCAT.

Continuous balanced meals throughout the days are something that can help a test taker. Studies have shown that students who eat a balanced breakfast do better in school. breakfast provides energy to start the day off right. A good breakfast will get the body going and metabolism running. As reported by The School District of Palm Beach County a balanced breakfast may include; fruit, whole grain toast or cereal, and low fat milk. With a nutritious breakfast the student can focus more on school work and less on a growling stomach. All sugary foods should be avoided for breakfast. Sugar filled foods will cause energy to decline over time and hunger and fatigue will set in. For those who have to catch a bus or need to leave earlier can grab a  quick meal by taking a ready to eat breakfast such as; granola bar, fruits, yogurt, and cereal in to-go package. THere are also foods known to boost concentration and alertness. Fruits have been known to improve memory and brain function because they are high in antioxidants. The School District of Palm Beach County reported that strawberries and blueberries are effective to coordination, concentration, and short-term memory. Dried fruits also raise mental alertness. Calcium is another important vitamins to include in this breakfast, calcium enhances behavior and learning. All in all, eating a balanced and nutritious meal is a key to better test taking skills for students.

Another factor which contributes to better test taking is the clothes the test taker wears. Comfortable clothes are significant when it comes to the FCAT or any other test. Make sure the clothes are fit for the temperature of the classroom, making sure it is not too warm or cold. Make sure clothes aren’t too tight or too lose, this could cause discomfort throughout the day.

In addition, test takers should be on time for school the day of the test. Promptness eliminates stress of rushing and worrying if one may miss the bell. Bus riders will arrive to school at normal time but if one gets to school by foot or bike it is important to leave on time or even a little earlier. This will guarantee prompt arrival to school. It is suggested by The School District Of Palm Beach County that test takers arrive to school 5-10 minutes early. Tardiness or the possibility causes stress and anxiety so make sure to be on time the day of the test.

With FCAT approaching students may find these tips very helpful. Remember to get a good nights rest, eat a balanced meal, dress for comfort, and arrive to school on time. Besides these keys to success remember to come into the test with a positive attitude and look forward to conquering the test. A positive attitude will start the day off right. Thinking positive can cause positive output. Taking all these tips into consideration, West Boca could expect an impressive outcome.

Medical officials were then rushed to where the luger was laying and began performing chest compressions along with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, said the associated press. Kumaritashvili was then put on a stretcher and was then lifted into an ambulance . A helicopter was then called, and was there to pick up the luger about eight minutes after the crash ended.

The Associated Press reports the following as to how the luger was killed. “Kumaritashvili struck the inside wall of the track on the final turn. His body immediately went airborne and cleared the ice-coated concrete wall along the left side of the sliding surface. His sled remained in the track, and it appeared his helmet visor skidded down the ice.”

Georg Hackl, a three-time champion at the winter olympics, and a German coach told the Associated Press that “it was a very rare situation.” The coach also exclaimed that even though it is a very dangerous sport, you cant think about it while your racing.

Believe it or not, there was rumor that Kumaritashvili was only killed because he made a mistake on the course as his speeds raced in excess of 90 mph. This specific Olympic track is considered to be the fastest track in the world up to date, and there have been more than a dozen crashes in training this year alone, however, none were fatal. Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian summed up the whole day by saying “I’ve never seen anything like that, I’m afraid it’s bad.”

The Federal Railroad Administration has distributed $8 billion to 31 states in the U.S. The largest grants have been awarded to California which was for $2.3 billion and Florida which was for $1.3 billion. Although $8 billion is a lot of money it will not be sufficient for a whole new upgrade to the high speed eco-friendly rail system for the United States that money will mainly be used for improving and making current systems faster.

The money granted to Florida will help build a whole new track from Tampa to Orlando. These rail systems will have trains that can travel up to 168 miles per hour. This track is supposed to stretch as far south as Miami. Florida is said to be the “ideal state in which to launch the rail projects” by Time Magazine. This is because the metro area of Tampa and Orlando can be in competition with auto and air travel because the time it will take isn’t that long anymore. The rail system in Florida is set to open in 2015. Florida already owns 90% of the routes land so this avoids the struggle of legal actions and property issues.

Although this $8 billion is just a start to the eco-friendly high speed rail system it’s a good beginning to make Florida’s system more efficient. If all goes well this could cause a rail system upgrade throughout the United States.