If I Were You — Advice to Students from the Students Ms. Neesam’s Third-grade Class

If I Were You Advice from Students for Students

If I Were You Advice From students for students

Ms. Neesam’s Third-grade Class Mitchell Elementary

FIRST EDITION 2021 A DIGITAL PUBLICATION OF 826MICHIGAN

826 National’s Commitment to Inclusion As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative

expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and

its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all

aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826

environment in which great leaps of learning occur, we commit to inclusion:

We will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender

identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, marital status,

English fluency, parental status, immigration status, military service, or

disability.

826michigan Staff Dr. Naimah Wade, Executive Director

Judy Tipton, Development Director

Catherine Calabro Cavin, Education Director

Frances Martin, Operations Director Megan Gilson, Program Manager

Ariel Kaplowitz-Hahn, Volunteer Engagement Associate Josi Ezinga, Development Associate

Copyright © 2021 by 826michigan and Blotch Books.

All rights reserved by 826michigan, the many whims of Drs. T & G Blotch, and the authors.

The views expressed in this book are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of 826michigan. We believe in the power of youth voice and

are thrilled that you picked up this book. No part of this book may be

reproduced without express written permission from the publisher, except for small excerpts for the purposes of review or scholarly study.

Many thanks to Mitchell Elementary and our volunteers for their participation in this field trip.

By purchasing this book, you are helping 826michigan continue to offer free

student programs. For more information, please visit: 826michigan.org

Table of Contents If I were you . . .

Advice from Ms. Neesam’s Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

If I were you Group Inklings Group 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Group 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Group 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Group 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If I were you . . .

Write Your Own Inklings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Kraken The Code: How to Give Great Advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 About 826michigan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

vi | Ms. Neesam’s ClASS

Advice from Ms. Neesam’s Class

Dear 826, I’m getting really bored being stuck at home during quarantine.

I’ve already played with each of my toys a million times, have read all of my books, and my grandma won’t let me be on the computer for more than 30 minutes each day. What should I do?

Sincerely, Quarantina

DEAR QUARANTINA, First, you should take a nap. Then, you could do something creative. You could draw or watch videos about life-hacks.

You could play with your pet.

Next, you could go outside, ask your parents if you can go with your friends to play at a park, or invite a friend over. You could ask your grandma to bring you to the thrift shop where you could buy a puzzle.

Last, you could play in your room. You could clean, play a game, play with your siblings or family, and write. You could also help cook with your mom by gathering ingredients and melting butter.

Sincerely, Ms. Neesam’s Third-grade Class

Inklings from the most spectacular Squids in Class | 3

If I Were You Group Inklings

DEAR STUDENTS, A time machine has suddenly appeared in my house! What time should I travel to? What should I see in that time period? Is there anything I should be concerned about?

Sincerely, Hannibal C. Quantumship

DEAR HANNIBAL C. QUANTUMSHIP, First, you need to go to 300 years in the future. You should download your brain onto a computer so that you don’t die.

The computer will be charged by your own brain power. You could make the perfect human.

Next, you should go to the past and exterminate every bad thing that happened. You should also go back and see what your parents were like when they were your age.

Finally, you should go to year one of when they started counting time. You should also go to the Stone Age.

Sincerely, Lexy, Zakia, Joshua, Sumaya, Ethan, and Jaiden

Inklings from the most spectacular Squids in Class | 7

DEAR STUDENTS, My house is definitely haunted, but no one in my family believes me. What should I do?

Sincerely, Buster Ghosts

DEAR BUSTER GHOSTS, First, you should suck the ghost into a vacuum. Then, you should put it in a place where it can’t move because it can’t be trapped in the vacuum. Ghosts can go through things, so it would leave the vacuum every time. Instead, you can use a trap of lasers that would sting the ghost if it tries to escape.

Next, you can use the Poltergust G-00 from Luigi’s Mansion 3 to make little tanks or containers to store the ghosts. You can put some of the lasers in some of the big jars so the ghosts can’t leave the jars. The jars are at least a foot wide and a foot and five inches high. You can make a little hole on the top of the jar so the ghost can get air, and then put food coloring in so you can see the ghost. You can put lasers around the holes so that the ghost can’t escape through the holes. You could also put tape over the holes. Last, you should show your family, but first see if you can see the ghost in the jar before showing them.

Sincerely, Kipp, Ajay, Ava, Victoria, and Lily

8 | Ms. Neesam’s ClASS

DEAR STUDENTS, My birthday is coming up, but because of COVID, I can’t have the party I was dreaming of. How can I still celebrate my birthday?

Sincerely, Fiesta Waitsforever

DEAR FIESTA WAITSFOREVER, First, you can go to your cousin’s house and have a cake.

Your grandma and grandpa can also come over. You can also celebrate with your parents and your family by eating cake and having fun.

Then, you can play games with each other. You can play a board game, play Twister, Monopoly, Sorry!, or even a madeup game!

Next, you can have breakfast and ice cream cake–chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, or cake with one side frosted vanilla and one side frosted chocolate–and sing happy birthday. You can also eat your favorite dinner like fish with rice and cauliflower, tacos, or pork chops with cucumbers.

You can also have popcorn while watching a movie.

Last, you can open some presents from your family and friends and watch some funny videos that make you laugh.

Then, you can go to bed.

Sincerely, Betel, Hudson, Amelia, Emery, and Saida

Inklings from the most spectacular Squids in Class | 9

DEAR STUDENTS, Everything I touch turns instantly into cheese. At first it was great, but now I miss my books and games, and also, I’m getting sick of the smell of cheddar. What do I do?

Sincerely, Cheezed Out

DEAR CHEEZED OUT, First, you should stop making cheese so addicting! After you are no longer addicted, try to find ways to get the cheese off of you.

Then, you can look into mythology about cheese so you can get rid of the cheese-touch. You can look into the story about King Midas for advice.

Next, if you don’t like the smell, wearing a mask can help, or you can use Pine Tree air freshener and carry around vanilla scented perfume with you. Try to get rid of as much cheese in your house as possible.

Last, wear latex gloves all the time to avoid turning everything into cheese. Try to find some protection for your whole body, something similar to a hazmat suit or one of those swimsuits that covers your whole body. Try not to touch the ground–you can turn other things into cheese if you do! You can also try washing your hands to get rid of the cheese touch.

If you can’t get rid of the cheese, you can turn the cheese into sculptures of humans for fun!

Sincerely, Andrei, Amelia, Bayanne, and Jeremiah 10 | Ms. Neesam’s ClASS

Illustrate your good advice Inklings from the most spectacular Squids in Class | 11

12 | Ms. Neesam’s ClASS

Write Your Own Inklings

Author Name: If I Were You: First,

Then,

14 | Ms. Neesam’s ClASS

Next

And then,

Inklings from the most spectacular Squids in Class | 15

Finally,

About the Author

16 | Ms. Neesam’s ClASS

Illustrate your good advice Inklings from the most spectacular Squids in Class | 17

Acknowledgments 826michigan Publications Team

Jessica Pace, Designer/Illustrator Annie Else, Publications Intern Robyn Charles, Publications Editor

Fieldtrip Volunteers

Yusra Mahmood Makenzee Van Buren Ronea Bailey Jillian Dunlay Elizabeth Flower

Teacher

Ms. Neesam, Third-grade teacher

The School Administration Matt Hilton, Principal

Michelle Ascrizzi Kristen Marani Alexa Weinberg Hailee Zahreddine Katherine Vannoy

Kraken the Code: HOW TO GIVE GREAT ADVICE

Wait to be asked IT’S JUST GOOD MANNERS

Tell your story

STORIES HELP US REMEMBER

Get to the point

BE SPECIFIC & KEEP OUR ATTENTION

Break it up BABY STEPS!

Give it some feeling

EMOTIONS HELP US MAKE CONNECTIONS

Inspire to action

CREATIVITY PLUS MOVEMENT EQUALS IMPROVEMENT

Be kind

EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST

inspires school-aged students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers in their communities.

Our writing and tutoring programs uphold a culture of creativity and imagination and support students in establishing strong habits of mind.

Through publication and community engagement, we provide students with an authentic and enthusiastic audience for their writing.

Our programs provide an energizing creative outlet for students and meaningful volunteer opportunities for community members.

ONLINE LEARNING LAB

For the 2020–21 school year, our programs will remain virtual. When is it safe to return to our in-person programs, we plan to continue to offer virtual program opportunities as well!

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The program formerly-known as tutoring has been given an updated name, but the same great foundations remain. We organize trained volunteer tutors to work with students one-on-one with their homework after school. Schoolwork Support is available for all subjects, for students ages 8-18.

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We offer a number of free workshops taught by professional artists, writers, and our talented volunteers. From comic books to screenplays, bookmaking to radio, our wide variety of workshops are perfect for writers of all ages and interests.

One of the most popular workshops we offer is our weekly Wee-bots program for elementary-aged writers.

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Our trained volunteers go into local public schools every day to support teachers with their classroom writing assignments. Based on the teacher’s curriculum, assignments range from writing tales to crafting college essays to exploring poetry.

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Students come as a class to our writing lab to join a group of volunteers, interns, and staff in order to help solve a problem through writing—whether that is our editor Dr. Blotch’s insomnia, our looming story deadline, a mystery in need of solving, or one of the many others we encounter. Our field trips always end in a finished publication of original writing that students take home.

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All proceeds from our stores directly fund our free student programming.

Onward robots!

WRITING IS

A way to figure things out by ourselves

We create a safe place to be ourselves and try new things We support the ways that writers work (like thinking, sketching, talking)

A way to help us connect to our world

We study the writing we want to do so we can try it We learn how to change our writing for genre, audience, and purpose

A way to help us learn who we are and who we will become

We work with a group of writers who help and support each other

A way for us to use our power to make changes and build a better world

www.826michigan.org

826 National was inspired to take a stand on issues of inclusion and diversity in light of the many events that spotlighted social and racial injustices throughout the country. We as educators, volunteers, and caring adults need to be aware of the wide range of issues our students face on a day-to-day basis. We need to support these young people as they navigate through and try to make sense of the world and their own identities.

We need the support and the feedback from our community to ensure 826 is living up to these standards.

Through our inclusion statement, our internal diversity and inclusion group, cultural competency resources provided to staff and volunteers, and partnerships with other organizations, we are always working towards being a more inclusive and supportive organization.

We at 826 have the privilege of working with the next generation of scholars, teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, and writers. It's our job to make sure they are able to take their own stands.

As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps in learning happen, we commit ourselves to inclusion: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, military service, or disability.

The 826 National network is committed to encouraging youth to express themselves and to use the written word to effectively do so. We encourage our students to write, take chances, make decisions, and finish what they start.

And 826 strives to do this in an environment free from discrimination and exclusion.

by Gerald Richards, CEO

826michigan inspires school-aged students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers in their communities.

Find out more at 826michigan.org!