At The White House Easter Egg Roll

The South Lawn became a playground for a day.

The kids were playing on the luscious, green grass on the White House’s South Lawn while the media went right to work, snapping pictures of everything. Cameras clicked away, the sound mixing with the shouts from thousands of families dressed in spring colors. It was Easter Monday on April 5, 2010, when the First Lady and her family hosted the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll.

As part of the press at the event, I was also snapping away. I stood on a rented ladder to get a better view. I got an added advantage: as the only Kid Reporter there, I got a really good place. I was asked a lot if I could see OK.

I think the most unusual activity of the day was the egg-rolling. It’s not every day that you roll eggs in somebody’s backyard, let alone on the South Lawn of the White House with the President! There were also peeping eggs (eggs that made a sound) for those with disabilities so everyone could play.

It was so cool watching kids of all ages having fun with the egg-rolling and all the other activities. As a member of the press, I didn’t get to do any of the activities. Being a kid didn’t help out any in that respect!

Besides egg-rolling, kids could play basketball with the President (his favorite) or play tennis (my favorite). Tennis star Billie Jean King was there giving pointers, as was Winter Olympian Apolo Ohno, and some really big Redskins football players!

And there were reading stations featuring Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and the President. In the press area, we couldn’t hear what the President was reading, so as he walked back to the White House, questions flew at him about what book he read.

“Green Eggs and Ham,” he said, “The classic.”

—Alexandra Zhang

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang on her rented ladder in the press area at the White House Easter Egg Roll, Monday, April 5, 2010. (Photo Courtesy Alexandra Zhang)

The Nerd Herd Strikes Again!

First Lego League Competition ends for NY team.

Four students from a small parochial school in Brooklyn, New York, recently brought their home-made robot to the Jacob Javits Center to compete in the First Lego League Robotics Competition. The Scholastic Kids Press Corps has been following these kids since they began the competition in the fall.

The four students—Gregory Chin, Benjamin Kelk, Noelle Mondaya, and Nancy Fieve from St. Edmunds in Sheepshead Bay—also had to develop a new form of transportation. They used a device called a Shweeb, which is a bicycle enclosed in a clear plastic bubble that hangs from tracks just like a monorail train. Each rider in the Shweeb gets his or her own pod to travel in.

The original Shweeb, which is currently in an amusement park ride at Agroventures in New Zealand, was originally designed by inventor Geoffrey Barnett. The students took Barnett’s design beyond the world of theme parks into a real world solution to transportation-based pollution.

The 6th through 8th grade students took home a third place trophy in Project Presentation. The Nerd Herd also had superb scores in Research and Teamwork categories.

The four students are affectionately called The Nerd Herd. Their assistant coach, Erica Barbieri, described how they got their name.

“Partly, a lot of students just think nerd when you talk about robotics, so we kind of ran with that,” she said.

Chin piped in saying that Nerd Herd came from the first year they competed when they were looking for a name that rhymed.

Last year the Nerd Herd won the New York Championship and went on to Atlanta to compete with schools from all over the country. Their coach, and computer teacher, Christine Zaremba, said that even though the Javits Center is huge, “you realize this is triple A and Atlanta is the big leagues.”

Chin was quick to point out that no matter how they perform, “we still have a meeting to talk about what went wrong and what we could do to make it better next year.”

That is one of the things that stood out about this group: their drive to do their best, and not let anything stand in their way.

They were all confident when I asked about their personal plans for the future. Chin wants to be a lawyer, Kelk is hoping to design roller coasters, Mondaya has her heart set on being a medical scientist, and Fieve is sure she’ll thrive in an artistic field like writing.

I have no doubt they will all succeed, not matter what fields they end up in. And as for the next First Lego League Championships in 2011, the Nerd Herd is already planning next year’s strategy, so look out!

—Joseph O’Connor

PHOTO: The Nerd Herd with Kid Reporter Joseph O'Connor and their First Lego League Robotics Competition project. (Photo Courtesy Joseph O'Connor)

Welcome Back, Babysitters Club!

Babysitters Club the Prequel on bookshelves now.

Most young girls—and even some young boys—have had experience babysitting. And probably all of you reading this have been under the care of a babysitter at least once!

That common experience is one of many reasons author Ann Martin’s book series of The Babysitter's Club has been so popular over the years. Today, April 1, after 10 years, a new Babysitters Club book is being released!

This is no April Fool’s joke either. The prequel, called The Babysitter’s Club: The Summer Before, will join the 213 other volumes of Babysitter adventures today.

I am a big fan of Ann Martin’s work. I loved The Babysitter’s Club series, as well as her other series, California Diaries.

When I first got the news that I was about to interview one of my favorite authors, I was really excited. Almost as excited as I was about the new book coming out.

The interview at Scholastic’s headquarters in New York City was a lot of fun. Ms. Martin and I talked about the motifs hidden between the lines of her new book and the messages she wants to spread to her audience.

I had the most fun talking about that because I could see beyond the outer cover of the book and into the deeper depths of the novel. It was a thrill to get to read the book as a reviewer. I got a first look at what fans have been waiting years for.

I think whether you’re already a fan of the series or not, you’ll enjoy the prequel. And then, you’ll be a fan for sure!

I loved The Babysitters Club: The Summer Before, as you can see in my review of the book. And check out the video of my interview with Ms. Martin. Just click play! You can also send you comments about Martin’s work in the comment section below. Tell us what you think!

—Gopa Praturi

N’Naserri Carew-Johnson Day

Fulton County honors Kid Reporters in Georgia.

I recently had an AMAZING day! It was the day I was rewarded for the work I have done as a Kid Reporter for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. On March 17, I was given a proclamation from the Board of Commissioners in Fulton County, Georgia, the county that is home to my home in Atlanta. I received the award along with fellow Atlantan Kid Reporter Andrew Liang.

When my mom and I walked into the Fulton County Government Center, I was sort of nervous. I did not know what to expect. We walked into the Assembly Room and all of the Commissioners were seated at their seats with their names in front of them. They had a seat reserved for me on the second row with my name on it.

It was interesting to listen to the agenda for the day and hear the type of work being done. They covered a few details and then it was time for the presentation of our proclamations. My family and I walked to the front of the room with Andrew and his dad, Mr. Ken Liang.

The chairman of the Fulton County Commission, Mr. John Eaves, read the whole proclamation aloud. What really made me smile was when I heard Chairman Eaves say that Wednesday, March 17, 2010 is now Scholastic Kids Press Corps Reporter N’Naserri Carew-Johnson Day. I was so proud! All of the interviews, blogs, TV interviews, HARD WORK, and had resulted in this!

On this very special day, my mother, father, principal, and teacher were there with me to support me, as they have been from day one. I was really happy to hear Fulton County School Board member Catherine Maddox say that Andrew and I are an example of why it is important to provide funding for education. This made me happy because I feel the same way. Kids like me need the support that we get from our teachers.

I would like to thank my mother and father for helping be a part of this program, but mostly I would like to thank my wonderful 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Lori Witherspoon. She is the one who urged me to apply to the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

Without her support and encouragement I would have never applied. I never would have conducted all the interviews, written all the stories, appeared on TV, or received this award. Thanks, Mrs. Witherspoon!

—N’Naserri Carew-Johnson

PHOTO: Kid Reporters Andrew Liang (left) and N'Naserri Carew-Johnson (right) receive proclamations from the Fulton County Commissioners in Atlanta, Georgia, declaring March 17, 2010, Scholastic Kid Reporter Day! (Photo Courtesy Andrew Liang)

Kid Reporter Day in Georgia!

Atlanta Kid Reporters honored for their work.

As a Scholastic Kid Reporter in Georgia, I have been interviewed live on local and national TV and NPR radio, and profiled by local newspapers. Last week, I received the biggest honor yet. I received a proclamation from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners for the work I have done for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

During a board meeting, the commissioners presented me and fellow Atlanta Kid Reporter N’Naserri Carew-Johnson with a framed document declaring March 17, 2010 as Scholastic Kid Reporter Andrew Liang Day in Fulton County, Georgia. Serri got one too, proclaiming it N'Naserri Carew-Johnson Day. 

“It is fitting to acknowledge how valuable the Scholastic Kids Press Corps program is in the Fulton County community, teaching Fulton County youth the importance of a Journalism career and the use of media in a positive, fun, and interactive way," said Board Chairman John Eaves.

Arriving at the meeting on the designated day, I sat through a televised meeting among seven Commissioners who discussed issues about how to improve the community. Then after the proclamation honoring a retiring staff member for her 30 plus years of outstanding service, the Kid Reporter proclamations were next.

Sitting in a chair and being interviewed by a TV anchor was easier than this! I felt tense walking down the stairs to join Chairman Eaves, who was waiting at the podium smiling at me with encouragement. That helped me relax as I walked over.

Chairman Eaves began reading my attributes, while I was standing on his right side. N’Naserri stood to his left. I was so excited, I was barely able to make my acceptance speech as I smiled and smiled.

I made what I thought was a pretty good speech. The audience applauded loudly. It seemed as if I was a celebrity…or something close to that.

What I am, however, is a Kid Reporter. N'Naserri and I and about 50 other Kid Reporters around the country cover the news for Scholastic readers. Our goal is to give school aged children information about the world around us in a "positive, fun, and interactive way" like Chairman Eaves said. I hop our work teachers us and empowers us all to grow into good citizens. The Fulton County proclamation was a really nice way for the grownups to recognize that. Thanks, Fulton County!

—Andrew Liang

(PHOTO: TOP: Andrew Liang makes an acceptance speech as his fellow kid reporter N’Naserri Carew Johnson and Chairman of the Board John Eaves look on. BOTTOM: The Proclamation. (Photo Courtesy Andrew Liang)