Everyone in 8th grade brought money to support the cause. Almost all the students in school participated in the outreach. A total of $1350 was raised. The students are now in the process of writing letters to the children of Haiti.

Mrs. Simril, principal said, “This was an example of how the family of St. Leo the Great will give back [for a cause] especially in a time of need.”

“I think it was good and effective, but I wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for the people in Haiti,” said 7th grade student Devohn Moore.

3rd grade teacher and student council advisor, Mrs. Cephas said, “I thought it was a good thing. Almost all my students participated and some even brought more [money] than expected. The students were just excited to help!”

by Simone B., 8th Grade
Managing Editor / THE LION LEDGER

SAN FRANCISCO– Apple® today introduced the iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 in. thick and weighs just 1.5 lbs.— thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. The iTunes® Store gives you access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 8,000 films including over 2,000 in stunning high definition video. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. The iBookstore will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork® for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers® you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

iPad’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.

iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours.* Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.**

iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.

*(Apple tested wireless battery life by browsing web pages and receiving email over an AirPort® network, never letting the system go to sleep during the test, and keeping the display at half brightness. This is a typical scenario of use on the go, resulting in a battery performance number that is very relevant to mobile users).

**(A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings).

www.apple.com/ipad/

by Apple, Inc.
Press Release / NEWSWIRE

There was the economy to fix, the war to deal with, gay rights, foreclosures, and Americans getting laid off, and plenty more! So imagine yourself in the President’s position. He’s kept the country together, which is a pretty huge accomplishment considering the United States wasn’t in “tip-top” shape. On top that he has done even more!

(Continues after graphic…)

President Obama has accomplished other things, such as:

• The senate has recently passed the healthcare reform, which means health care for almost everyone!
• The economy has gotten to a 1.9% growth rate! Sounds small but is better than our previous 0.9% growth rate.
• He’s banned torturing and inhumane treatments of prisoners.
• Our President has appointed the first Latina to the Supreme Court.
• He has cut taxes 95% to all working families.
• President Obama has dedicated more than 60 billion dollars for clean energy.

President Obama has also influenced many children. He has taken time out of his busy days of fixing this country to directly talk to the young people of this country. The president didn’t just say “stay in school!” but told kids why they should stay in school and what means for their future.

Are you ready for another awesome Obama-filled year?

by Saba Kinfe, 6th Grade
Associate Editor / THE LION LEDGER

MCT is a joint venture of McClatchy and the Tribune Co.

The surge of forces that Obama has ordered will raise the U.S. commitment to 98,000 troops by next summer, at an estimated added cost of about $30 billion a year. The pace of the subsequent draw-down, however, remains uncertain and depends, administration officials said, on “conditions on the ground.”

Both the military boost and announced start of a planned withdrawal are intended to weaken and ultimately defeat the Taliban and to train Afghan security forces, administration officials said.

The goal, the president said, is “to seize the initiative,” finally, in a war that started after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and is not going well after eight years. The president said he wants to build Afghanistan’s capacity to secure itself and then allow for “a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.”

“After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home,” the president said before an audience of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “The absence of a time frame for transition would deny us any sense of urgency. … It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security.”

Acknowledging the price of the deployment, the president said, “Our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended, because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own.”

The president has in mind a time frame of 18 to 24 months for the new mission, one senior administration official said. Senior administration officials referred to the new strategy as a “surge,” a term familiar from the previous administration’s renewed Iraq war strategy.

“While we have achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated,” Obama said. “Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards.”

Already this year, the president has nearly doubled the U.S. military force in Afghanistan, with 33,000 of the existing 68,000 troops added this year. The additional force of 30,000 will include two or three combat brigades and one brigade-size group dedicated to the training of Afghan forces.

The president conducted a three-month strategy review before announcing his plans Tuesday night. During the review, the military proposed sending in additional forces over the course of a year, with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. commander in Afghanistan, seeking 40,000.

Administration officials said the deployment of additional troops would occur quickly.

“The force option that the president has chosen gets more troops into Afghanistan faster than any option that was previously presented to him,” one administration official said.

While trying to prevent al-Qaida from returning to Afghanistan, the administration also is intent on helping neighboring Pakistan with its own security issues.

“We did not ask for this fight,” Obama said, pointing to the al-Qaida-run attacks of Sept. 11 that claimed nearly 3,000 lives. “We must keep the pressure on al-Qaida. … We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country.”

___
© 2009, Tribune Co.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

by Mark Silva
Tribune Washington Bureau / (MCT)

MCT is a joint venture of McClatchy and the Tribune Co.

No offense to any Cal or Stanford fans… THIS was the “big game.”

It was the talk of the day, if not, the whole week.  ”Are you coming to the game?”  What game?  ”We’re playing St. Lawrence O’Toole.”

Enough said.

No one quite knows–well, somebody does, but they’re not talking–when this heated rivalry between the two schools began.  Maybe it’s because the schools’ two mascots are big cats.  Maybe it’s because both schools’ saints’ names start with an “L.”

One thing that’s for sure, however, is that both teams play very well, and at last night’s game, both teams were determined to win.

The Lions led for the better part of the game.  The first half, the Tigers trailed by only a basket, first quarter 4-6, and second quarter 11-13.  After the half with some pep talk by Coach Kirby Harris, the team altered their strategy, widening the lead.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 14-21, Lions still ahead.

In the fourth, the Tigers would come out of their cages to fight back in this round. Trying to defend their title, the Lions fought back just as hard.

With 1:10 on the clock, the score was 22-27, Lions’ lead.  Forty-five seconds later, with 0:27 left on the clock, the score changed to 28-29.  With a foul shot attempt by the Tigers, the “extra” point would tie the game, 29-29, closing the Lions’ lead.

The last few seconds of the game were the most intense.

Another foul on the Tigers by the Lions stopped the clock at 5:3… five seconds / three milliseconds.  Basket good, score 30-29, time out by the Lions.  After the time out, back to the second foul shot attempt by the Tigers, this one also good.

The score was now 31-29, except a mistake by the scorekeepers put the point in the Lions corner, inadvertently making the score tied at 30-30 instead of 31-29.  (Note: photos from the game taken for this newspaper reflect this fact).

After a pause in the game to fix the score, the scoreboard was changed to 32-30.  Still wrong, but “correctly” reflecting the two-point deficit, unfortunately, for the Lions’ team.

In the final seconds of the game, with the ball in St. Leo’s possession, an attempt at a basket by the Lions (to tie the game and bring it into overtime) was unsuccessful due to an aggressive block by multiple members of the St. Lawrence O’Toole team.

The clock would buzz to zero, and even with a technical foul called on the Tigers for that block–earning the Lions one foul shot, which sadly, did not go in–it was not enough, ending the game with the official score 32-30, a loss for the Lions.

by Joe Leo
Advisor / THE LION LEDGER

Wednesday, May 6th was no ordinary day for the City of Oakland. It was the day that the police department held their yearly memorial service for their officers that have died in the line of duty, protecting our city and the people who live in it. Police officers from the past and present.

They reflected upon those who went out and risked their lives every day to keep Oakland safe, but lost the battle through their deaths. In March, we lost four officers to a fatal shooting and they were recognized by their fellow officers at the ceremony.

St. Leo the Great’s gospel choir had the amazing honor of singing at the event. The choir has been participating in the ceremony for ten years now. They are always grateful for being invited back every year, but because of the big and tragic event that took place in March, they were unsure if it would be done differently this year.

Fortunately, they received the phone call through their music teacher and choir director, Mrs. Janice Reid. The choir worked very hard to keep their excitement down since they had to remember that this was a solemn occasion, and not a performance.

And they didn’t disappoint! St. Leo the Great was represented very well and made the school proud once again. The voices of the children were comforting to the families and co-workers of the fallen officers who were present, bringing some officers and family members to tears.

It was a great comfort for them to hear children’s voices in song. The choir sang off to the side, so that they wouldn’t be the center of attention. The Oakland Police Department appreciated the choir a great deal, giving many “thank yous” and gestures of gratitude. The students felt extremely privileged and honored to be part of the event.

“I felt like I did something good for the police officers and families and it was a great life experience,” 8th grader McKenzie Oldham said. 7th grader Kayla Jones said that she felt, “very honored that we were chosen out of all the other school[s].”

6th grader Devohn Moore, who sang a special solo for the police officers, felt very accomplished, “because I did something good.”

by Andrea Granera, 8th grade
Editor / THE LION LEDGER

from Staff Reports
News Team / THE LION LEDGER

The current strain hasn’t shown up in surveillance of U.S. pigs, and it can’t be caught by eating pork.

The finding about its genetic background illustrates how viruses mutate over time and in some cases jump among species.

“Until you look at that, you can’t understand the epidemiology of it,” said Peter Cowen, the animal disease moderator for ProMed, an online emerging disease early-warning system. “It’s key to understanding what our challenges may be in the future and how the virus is acting in the population.”

The current strain’s eight genetic segments are all associated with swine flu, said Raul Rabadan, a Columbia University scientist studying the new H1N1 genetic sequence that was made public this past week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two of the segments, Rabadan said, appear to come from Eurasia and are somewhat mysterious in origin. The other six can be traced to the North American pig outbreak, which turned out to include a combination of avian, swine and human flu.

“This virus was found in pigs here in the United States,” Rabadan said in an interview.  ”They were getting sick in 1998. It became a swine virus.”

It spread among pregnant sows in Newton Grove, N.C., causing them to abort their litters, and then to swine in Texas, Iowa and Minnesota– putting epidemiologists on alert about the new viral strain and the potential for a human outbreak.

That didn’t happen, but public health officials became more aware of the farm-by-farm monitoring system and its importance to public health.

“We cannot protect human health unless we’re working with what’s going on in the environment and animal species,” said Barrett Slenning, who leads the Animal Health Biosecurity Risk Management Population Health and Pathobiology Department at North Carolina State University.

Scientists don’t yet know when or where the current H1N1 strain first developed. They know only that it was first identified after people in Mexico began falling ill with the fevers and aches associated with flu.

The current virus hasn’t been found in swine, and the country’s pork industry is scrambling to reassure consumers about the safety both of pork and the U.S. farm system.

Still, the findings about the new H1N1 virus’ ancestry also has reignited concerns about the health impacts of factory farms, where thousands of hogs are housed closely together and shipped among sites as they grow.

“Pigs are amazing mixing bowls for creating new viruses,” said Bob Martin, senior officer at the Pew Environmental Group. Martin was executive director of the study.

“It’s a matter of when, not if,” Martin said of the creation of new viruses on factory hog farms. “The structure of the system is the problem.”

Cowen, who also is an epidemiologist at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said factory farms have shown their ability to contain disease in their animals.

However, he said the current H1N1 outbreak shows the need to improve surveillance of healthy swine as well as pigs that show signs of illness.

“The key to being prepared in terms of responding to this threat from influenza, wherever its coming from–humans, swine or birds–is to know as much as we can about the viruses that are circulating,” Cowen said.

This week’s discovery is, in part, just another piece of the scientific puzzle in trying to understand the new H1N1 flu’s history.

Scientists working around the world this week began tracing the virus’ origins days after the CDC published its eight-chromosome genetic sequence.

___
© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau at: www.mcclatchydc.com
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

by Barbara Barrett
McClatchy Newspapers / (MCT)

MCT is a joint venture of McClatchy and the Tribune Co.

You’ll also notice a new look, a cleaner design, and some new features / add-ons as well! We listened to some of your comments–such as adding more color to our website–and made those changes during our absence. We hope you like the new and improved site.

While our editor-in-chief and editor are away at the 8th grade’s week-long trip to Washington, D.C., we’ll keep the ship afloat by posting stories from the MCT Campus student newswire service for school newspapers. We’ll also be putting up stories that we put up on the shelf while we were taking the time off so that all efforts could go towards getting the yearbook done.

Keep checking back every week. You won’t know what’s news unless you do!

from Staff Reports
News Team / THE LION LEDGER

A very special day was planned for the students, parents, and staff. Everyone came to school dressed up fancy in black and white, looking so nice. When people arrive to the front doors, there was even a red carpet at the entrance!

In the morning every class was able to watch the Inauguration on television. Eighth and second grade got an opportunity to watch it in the auditorium projected on a huge screen. The student council had their own section to sit in.

Everyone there held hands at the defining moment that Barack Obama was made our official president.

Afterwards, back in their classrooms, the students did presidential-related activities. Some of the lower grades colored in pictures of Obama while the eighth grade worked on packets about the history of the presidency.

Just before lunch, people got a chance to have their picture taken with the President. Except, it was a life-sized cardboard cutout of Barack Obama. After that it was lunch time and every class got the opportunity to have a delicious catered lunch– baked chicken, rice pilaf, green beans, and Caesar salad. (The students had to order and pay for the lunch ahead of time).

In the afternoon there was a special prayer service held in honor of President Obama, with songs, poems, and reflections.

During the morning assembly on the school yard, principal Mrs. Simril told the students, “When those of us who were the adults in your lives and the authoritative figures are long gone, and someone asks you 40 or 50 years from now, ‘Where were you on the day when President Barack Obama was inaugurated?’ ”

St. Leo’s students were at school, celebrating the inauguration with him!

by Andrea Granera, 8th grade
Editor / THE LION LEDGER