The Puzzle Piece May 2021 Current Events-Daniel S. Monkeys were on the loose in Cincinnati A volcano erupts on St. Vincent a day after authorities warn of an imminent threat. South Korea is expecting to roll out the KF-21 fighter jet by 2032. Highlights of the Year-Grant I. New Mascot-Jaggie the Jaguar! The Heidt Center of Excellence By The Children’s Home got a new mascot this year named Jaggie the Jaguar. We all voted on possible names and Jaggie was the one that won. It is proudly displayed on the floor in the gym. Covid-19 This school year was different because of COVID-19. This year due to Governor DeWine’s mask mandate for schools we were required to wear masks all day unless we were eating or drinking. It was hard for some students to wear masks all day, but they did it and everyone is proud of them. We were social distancing all day and the rotating kids did not rotate classrooms and for part of the year the teachers rotated to different classes but that stopped mid-year due to COVID. Classes had 20 minutes of gym time every day and they were able to take their masks off in the gym if they were 6 feet apart from others, so it was nice because students got to move around. The New Kitchen The Heidt Center has a new commercial kitchen opening next year. This replaces the nutrition classroom but there is still a kitchenette in the mock apartment. It looks wonderful and is set to open next year. Guess That Picture- Christian F. A.Hermit crab eyes B.Mushrooms C.Mold (C) Lego Fun Facts-Ijah W. TV Fun Facts Although John Baird demonstrated color TV in 1928, the first version was released in 1975. The word television comes from the Greek word τῆλε (tele) 'far', and Latin visio 'sight’. The longest running television show is Meet the Press. It currently has 70 seasons with a total of over 3,600 episodes. The longest running television show for kids is Sesame Street. It currently has 41 seasons with a total of 4,256 episodes. The most viewed TV show in the last decade is Game of Thrones. It caught the attention of over 10 million people. Teacher of the Month-Ryan S. Mr. Walker 1. What makes a ‘good day’ at school? When everybody greets me at the door or they smile at me. And when the students are engaged in class. 2. What is your first memory from school? I remember my first grade teacher's name was Mrs. Walker, but it wasn't my mom. 3. What would the students be surprised to find out about you? That I invented colored glue in the third grade. Crayola took all the money. 4. What are some pets you’ve had or would like to own? My first dog was a beagle that I named Bugger. He ran away from home. I also had a Cockatiel when I was in high school. 5. What is your dream vacation? I would like to go to the mountains in Colorado and hike in the mountains. 6. How do you spend your summer breaks? I like to read a lot. I also work at the library. I also like to take walks and ride bikes with my son. 7. What inspired you to work within an educational setting? I love learning new things and the students teach me so much and I love sharing knowledge with others. Game Review: Super Mario 64 vs. Super Mario 64 DS -Sheldon E. So I got nothing better to do. I’ll just put Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS side by side. While Super Mario 64 is a beloved classic, it’s DS remake is a different story. It was praised for including new playable characters, improved graphics, and minigames. However it has gotten criticized for making the game use the D-Pad though that would eventually be solved when the 3DS was released. So I’m here to give out my thoughts and recommendations on what I think is the more recommended game. When it comes to the plot of the game, they’re almost completely different. Sure the premise is the same, rescue Peach but Super Mario 64 DS has a more expanded plot that includes Wario, Luigi, and Yoshi. Yoshi’s appearance in the original, while notable, was nothing more than a little appearance for collecting all the Power Stars. Of course, the graphics are far better than the original. The original game’s graphics aren’t as bad as people make it out to be. Given Super Mario 64´s release date, I find it to be the most diverse and colorful 3D game released in the Fifth Generation in 1996. Of course, I find the DS version looks far better since the models have clearly seen an upgrade. Sound-wise, it sounds identical to the original. The reason I find the gameplay better since you get a couple of stuff in this game. More isn't always better but the use of new playable characters adds something new to the overall game. There are even a few new bonus levels. Of course, the controls are the biggest problem. It was impossible to emulate the joystick that the original N64 game so they had to compromise. What we get is moving only in eight directions and needing to press Y to run as opposed to slightly tilting the joystick to walk. I find this to be a problem considering Super Mario 64 was never designed with 8 direction walking. This is a genuine reason to dislike this remake as it takes time to get used to. It works the other way around too if you played the DS version first and eventually play the N64 game. I believe the reason for this comes to people being very familiar with the original game´s controls. I wish there was an option to at least change it so people could´ve been more familiar. Keep in mind it was designed with a D-Pad in mind. Eventually, the 3DS would be released having a control stick which makes the game feel closer to the original so just play it on a 3DS or a Wii U which has it on the Virtual Console. Likewise, Replay Value, while better than the original, doesn't make the original game´s replay value not worth it. Both games are at decent lengths so it really doesn't affect the score. The DS game is better to me since it adds something new to the game that is worth it. More good is better. So which game would I recommend? Honestly, both games are worth it. As much as I find Super Mario 64 DS better, Super Mario 64 has some unique attributes that makes it worth playing too. Unfortunately, neither games are available easily. Maybe in the near future, Nintendo will release both games individually on the Switch but nothing is telling me that could happen. If it does, I would recommend getting them. Memes- Tom J., Jeremy N., and Christian F. Thanks for reading The Puzzle Piece.