Squirrel Monkeys

   Squirrel monkeys can live in groups up to 10-70, but they can also be in groups 100-300. They are shy and don't fight. They rarely squeak, but when they are scared they make small squeaks. They will rarely come to the ground, but they will come down sometimes to get food. They eat bugs, bird eggs, small birds, fruit and nuts. They mostly eat soft small tropical fruits. 
 They leap from tree to tree with their small hind legs. Their legs help them have more force when they jump. The baby squirrel monkeys will cling on their mothers back and let the mom do the climbing job. 
   These monkeys are in terrible danger do to habitat loss. This is because some of these monkeys live in Costa Rica and this area has less than 2,000 animals there. Luckily they are raising money to save animals there. 
  Body: They are skinny and built to have a short gray warm coat. Most of the body is yellow and grayish and green. They have 36 teeth. Males have k-9 teeth at the top. These monkeys have nails in stead of claws. They have been called small nervous monkeys. The length of its body is 9 to 19 inches long. Their tail is about 14 to 19 inches long. Just so you know squirrel monkeys don't look like squirrels at all.

The Old Golden Girl

                 They called her the wise one,
                             the gentle one,
                                the golden girl

                                They would gently whisk their
                                           fingers through her fur

               She was the old queen of the 
               neighborhood who everyone
                        knew and loved

                She was the ruler of all wind

             But one day she asked the wind
                          to take her away

                              And it did

                She was my dog, my big sister
                                    Luna
By: Victoria Reynolds
Editor: Ms. Martin

Harbor Seals

The Body:
   Harbor Seals are brown, tan, or gray with V-shaped nostrils. Their body is rounded and spindle-shaped. The body and flippers are very short, with a big, large, rounded head.

Habitat:
   Harbor Seals are found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Harbor Seals spend half of their lives in water, but depend on land to care and raise their young.                       
Diet:
   Harbor Seals are meat eating animals (carnivores). They eat fish such as anchovy, sea bass, herring, cod, whiting, and flatfish. Some other foods are shrimp, mollusks, and squid. Harbor Seals do not chew their food; they either tear it into chunks or swallow it whole. 

Predators:
   Some of their predators are great white sharks and killer whales. Both great white sharks and killer whales are able to swallow smaller harbor seal pups whole, but also have the ability to tear off large pieces of full grown seals.

Behavior:
   Harbor Seals are adventuress, but shy. They prefer quiet and secluded areas. These seals like to hang out on protected beaches, logs, and love to lay in the sun and sleep. Males fight over mates underwater. Females like to mate with strong males.

 I decided to research this species because they have always been one of my favorite animals. I recently observed a harbor seal laying on Loop Beach in Cotuit. He looked to be medium sized and was grey with black spots. I felt excited to see a harbor seal for the first time, especially because he was only 4 yards away. My mom and I didn't go any closer because we didn't want the seal to become upset or worried. When it was time to leave, I felt sad and happy at the same time because I didn't want to leave,  but knew I was very fortunate to have this experience.
        By:Sarah Landry & Ms. Martin
        Edited by: Amiyah & Ms. Martin

Resources: Wikipedia and sealsworld.com
   

Cotuit Center for the Arts

                                          Students pose with "A little bit of everything"

          " Safety and Risk"

   On February 3rd, Miss Manning's and Ms Martin's classes went on a field trip to the Cotuit Center for the Arts.The theme of the exhibit was "Opposites Attract."

   After we were split into two groups, each group went in opposite ways. The first group to view  the exhibits was Ms Martin's group. "We began our tour on the first floor, which was very colorful,"Rhiannon remembered.The first creation that we saw was a collage called "Safety and Risk." It was made out of  porcupine quills and soft peacock feathers.It was the only exhibit you could touch.

   Meanwhile, Miss Manning's group was making a craft in the Art Barn (a separate building). We were using the paper cutting technique, a technique used to make outstanding pieces of artwork.It goes like this: I took a piece of paper, one side white and the other side pink, and traced on the white side. Then, I cut it out and glued it to make an opposite design.

   At the museum,the tour group was going up the stairs.They were greeted by a large, colorful , sculpture called "Something Fishy." There were four fish. "It really popped out at you," Rhiannon told the guide,"Massive too." They moved on to a art piece called "Circus Illusion." The creator of the piece came over to them and explained how she made it. "It took a very long time and lots of delicate folding to make this piece," she said.      

     When they were ready to move on, they saw a painting by fellow classmate Jillian Burdge's mother. "It was an asparagus and a heart. The heart represented her mom and the asparagus represented her dad,"classmate Erin said. Then they came along a painting called "Laughing Dogs 2" The painting is living up to its name.

Next they stopped at a sculpture called "A little bit of everything." It was beautiful. The name confused our teacher, Miss.Manning. "When we said we liked "A little bit of everything" (the sculpture), our teacher said to try to pick one painting we liked best." Stella told Rhiannon.

The last painting we saw was a painting of a little girl feeding a cracker to a giraffe."I saw the reason it was hanging in this exhibit instantly." Rhiannon said "Wild animals and humans are opposite, but the giraffe was attracted to the young girl."

Soon though, it was time to leave. "The field trip overall was very enjoyable and some of the vibrant colors were really pleasing to the eye," Rhiannon described. "I really enjoy the excitement and inspiration our field trip brings to students each year,'' Mrs. Richards, our art teacher, said about the field trip.

By: Rhiannon and Harry
Edited by: Ms. Martin

Moon Bears

They are called Moon Bears because of the crescent moon on their chest. Moon Bears have their own vocabulary they make clucking sounds and huffing sounds for warning other bears. They can climb trees easily. They make their dens in caves and can also sleep in trees. Each Moon Bear weighs about one hundred ten pounds. These bears are usually 4-6 feet tall. Moon Bears live in China, Russia, and North Korea. Some of the bears body parts are sold in China for 20 thousand dollars. Asian Black Bear is another name for the Moon Bear. Moon Bears can be very violent against humans, because  humans have been trapping and killing Moon Bears for a special kind of medicine. One last fact about the Moon Bear is its also called the White-Chested Bear. We got this information from Wikipedia. 
By: Sarah and Rachel 
Edited by: Sadie