Kidsday: What we spied in Raynham Hall

My class and I went to Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay. The home belonged to Robert Townsend, who was one of George Washington's spies during the American Revolution and was part of the Culper Spy Ring. His network of spies gathered lots of useful information about the British for Gen. Washington.

Townsend lived with his wife and their three daughters at Raynham Hall. Their life was very different from ours today. I also don't know if I should believe the next thing I learned about Raynham Hall. People say it is haunted by the spirit of Robert Townsend's youngest daughter, Sally.

The story comes from when Raynham Hall was occupied by British soldiers during the Revolutionary War because of the Quartering Act. A young British officer named Major John Andre visited the house a lot. Sally fell in love with him. He even wrote her the first known Valentine in the United States. At the end of the war, he left and never came back. Sally never married and died at age 82. They say she haunts the house, waiting for Major Andre to come back.

Raynham Hall is at 20 W. Main St., Oyster Bay. To plan a class trip, call 516-922-6808 or visit raynhamhallmuseum.org.

Game review: Super Mario 3D Land

I tested the new Nintendo 3DS video game Super Mario 3D Land. I like this game a lot. It has lots of cool levels, and it's in 3-D. The new power-ups, enemies and transportation cubes are awesome. If you get a star and a fire flower, you become invincible for a short time and shoot flames out of your finger. That is one of the new features.

Another new feature is the golden flag. If you can get to the top with a tanooki suit or a propeller box, you get a 1-up and a gold flag. Last but not least are the fun bosses. These giant turtles are red and mean with strong abilities. After you beat Bowser, there are more levels. They are called the special world with tons of surprises, but I don't want to spoil it. There's also a new power-up called "rock tanooki suit," which is when you jump up, then press R and turn into stone and you can squish anything!

I hope you enjoy the game as much as I do.

RATING: 5 of 5

--Kidsday Reporter John Lopes

CLASS OF THE WEEK Rob Owen's fourth-grade class, NORTH SIDE SCHOOL, East Williston