Student News

Write-On Competition

Congratulations to Carina L from 3B for being selected to represent Stage 2 at Carlingford West in the Annual WriteOn competition. 

We are proud of your accomplishment and wish you the best of luck!

The Firefly’s Flicker

The evening canopy of Whispering Pines turned a deep violet. A tiny firefly named

Amber stared at her own tail. It remained stubbornly dark. All her friends glowed with brilliant, steady gold light. They danced in beautiful ribbons through the humid air.

 

Amber squeezed her eyes shut and pushed with all her might. Nothing

happened. Not even a faint spot appeared. “Come on, Amber!" called her sister,

Nova. Her abdomen filled the mossy clearing with a warm radiance. “The Great

Meadow gathering is starting!" she yelled again. Amber sighed, a small puff of dust

rising from her twig. “You go ahead," she muttered, looking at the forest floor. “I will

just slow the dance down. “Nova buzzed sympathetically but flew off to join the

swarm. Left alone, Amber flew down to a giant fern leaf. The forest grew darker and

the shadows stretched long. Suddenly, a soft whimpering sounded from the thick

roots below. Amber crawled to the edge of the leaf and peered down.A young field

mouse was tangled in a web of sticky burrs. “Help," the mouse squeaked, shivering

in the pitch black. “I cannot see the path back to my burrow."

 

Amber knew she had to help the frightened creature. She leaped into the air and

flew close to the mouse. She strained her tiny body, wishing for light to guide

them. Suddenly, a sharp, bright zapped tingled in her core. Flash! A brilliant,

diamond-blue light erupted from her tail. Then, it went instantly dark again. “What

was that?" the mouse gasped, looking up. Amber blinked in surprise. She tried

again, focusing on the mouse's trapped paws. Flash! The blue light burst forth, lasting only a single second. It was not a steady glow like the others.  It

was a rhythmic, piercing flicker. Each time Amber's tail flashed, the mouse saw a

burr. Flash. The mouse chewed through a prickly stem. Flash. Another burr fell away

into the dirt. Flash. The little mouse burst free from the trap. “Follow my rhythm!"

Amber cheered, her confidence soaring. Flash... flash... flash...Like a tiny beacon,

Amber pulsed her unique blue light. She illuminated the path step by step through

the dark. The mouse hopped safely into her cozy underground home. “Thank you,

flicker-fly!" he called out happily. Amber flew high into the canopy, her tail pulsing

proudly. He finally understood his purpose in the forest. She was not meant to blend

into the golden glow. She was born to be the firefly's flicker.

 

News of the blue-flickering hero spread quickly through the woods. The other

fireflies swarmed around him in amazement, realizing that his strobe-like rhythm

could signal hidden dangers. It was a small thing but made a difference. From that

night on, Amber led the evening flights, proud to be the vital spark of the forest.

Evelyn Seebacher,

Assistant Principal (Year 3).