Third-grade teacher Deborah D. Blair submitted these student blogs from Logos Academy. The theme (in honor of the Hope Street Garden and Learning Lab): Why Do You Want a Garden?

I want a school garden because it is a peaceful and pretty sight. It would help us because some kids eat junk all the time and need to have healthy foods in their bodies. — Arlette Morales, Grade 4

I want a school garden because it’s fun to have a garden and you get to see many plants grow. You can be more healthy by eating vegetables. It could clean the air and this could also make older and younger kids get closer to nature. — Sophia Juiliano, Grade 6

I want a garden in my school because in our Fruit and Vegetable program we can have fresh fruits and vegetables. I think the people in the school would like the idea that they grew great tasting food. They would probably be encouraged by that and may possibly grow their own garden at home. Another reason is they could be more active outside growing these gardens. If they grow gardens at home they will be eating healthy foods there as well and there will be less chances of students getting sick. This also means they would attend school more and be smarter. — Naelli Ann Soto, Grade 5

The York Symphony Orchestra will hold its 13th annual Summer Music Camp, My Opus Magnum, July 22-26 at Logos Academy, York.

The camp will offer youth musicians in grades 3 through 12 the opportunity to learn the steps of creating a song, preparing it on music manuscript, and filling out the necessary forms to copyright the created material. The camp emphasizes a hands-on creative approach with group instruction on individual keyboards and computer software as well as personalized coaching through the songwriting process.

Camp will conclude with a performance of each student’s composition and a pizza party. Students of all ability levels are encouraged to attend however, it is suggested that they have some private lesson experience with the instrument of their choice.

Camp hours are 9 a.m. to noon and the cost is $95 per student. For an application, visit www.yorksymphony.org or call (717) 812-0717.

Southern York County School District students recently performed in the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Choir in Hartford, Conn. The students, who were selected by audition, rehearsed with others from 32 state.

Southern Elementary students, from left, Riley Clark, Julia Kelbaugh and Olivia Schroeder, performed in the OAKE choir.

From Southern Middle School, Hannah Munch, Julia Twaddle and Michaela Bryan performed in the OAKE choir.

From Friendship Elementary, Carly Farmer performed in the OAKE choir.

Registration opens at 5 a.m. May 24 for Family Zumbatomic classes at the York Jewish Community Center, 2000 Hollywood Drive.

Fuse the Zumba program’s unique formula with the psychology and physiology relevant to kids. Zumbatomic classes are high-energy fitness-parties packed with specially choreographed, kid-friendly routines and all the music kids love, like hip-hop, reggaeton, cumbia and more.

The event is for ages 7 and older. It will be held from 5:15-6 p.m. Thursdays, JUne 20 to Aug. 1. The cost is $60 each.

A free Family Fishing Funday will be held on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, at Codorus State Park, classroom at the end of Marina Road.

The event will feature continuous family fishing demonstrations and fishing instruction during two sessions, 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All ages are welcome and no license will be required for fishing. Equipment, training and bait will be provided at no cost. Fish cleaning and Dutch oven cast iron cooking demonstrations will be offered and pontoon rides will be available for $5. There will also be telescopes for viewing osprey and eagles.

The event is co-sponsored by the Codorus Trout Unlimited organization and the Outcast Bass Club.

For more information, call the park at (717) 637-2816.

A science experiment to gauge animals’ reactions to a month in space was recently completed by Russia. Among the creatures sent up were mice, lizards, crayfish and fish. (TwoShortPlanks photo via Flickr.com)

A Russian capsule carrying mice, lizards and other small animals returned to Earth on Sunday after spending a month in space for what scientists said was the longest experiment of its kind.

Fewer than half of the 53 mice and other rodents who blasted off on April 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome survived the flight, Russian news agencies reported, quoting Vladimir Sychov, deputy director of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems and the lead researcher.

Sychov said this was to be expected and the surviving mice were sufficient to complete the study, which was designed to show the effects of weightlessness and other factors of space flight on cell structure. All 15 of the lizards survived, he said. The capsule also carried small crayfish and fish.

The capsule’s orbit reached 575 kilometers (345 miles) above Earth, according to the news agencies, which said this was far higher than the orbit of the International Space Station.

Russian state television showed the round Bion-M capsule and some of the surviving mice after it landed slightly off course but safely in a planted field near Orenburg, about 750 miles southeast of Moscow.

“This is the first time that animals have flown in space for so long on their own,” Sychov said in the television broadcast from the landing site. The last research craft to carry animals into space spent 12 days in orbit in 2007.

The mice and other animals were to be flown back to Moscow to undergo a series of tests at Sychov’s institute, which is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Reported by The Associated Press from MOSCOW, Russia.
Image by TwoShortPlanks via Flickr.com.