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ALBEMARLE 2011 Fessenden Boys Grades 5-9
Dedication and Thanks The 2011 Albemarle is dedicated to the Teachers and Staff of Fessenden in recognition of the enthusiasm for learning they inspire in the boys. Many thanks to Todd Eveleth, The English Department Faculty and Interns, Richard Gaskell, The Art Department Faculty and to the Parents Association Albemarle committee in making the publication of the 2011 Albemarle possible.
Cover Art by Michael Wiggill
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Contributors: Quinton Abrecht Alex Ackerman Craig Ackerman Peter Ackerman Max Alsarraf James Ammirato Koby Antwi Sam Armstrong Josh Aronson Matthew Barron Teddy Batchelder Ethan Borsook Ben Bramley Zacchary Bresilla Eric Brock Sam Caccavale Jeronimo Caceres Alex Calmas Ben Calmas Pate Campbell Dominic Carlozzi Andrew Chang Warren Charleston George Clayson Bobby Cleary Chris Cleary Noah Cohen-Harding Andrew Conway Stephen Cox Noah D’Angelo Will D’Orsi Charlie Danziger Tommy DeAngelis Jack DeGhetto Alex Denman Alex Denomme Charley Dickey Chris Doherty Jack Donnelly Sam Evans Axel Fay
Will Findlay Eddie Fish Jake Fogarty Neil Gallagher Harrison Gill Sam Goldberg DJ Gopie Marcus Green Dwight Greenhouse Owen Greenwood Alec Gustafson Ian Harris Bradley Hart Michael Hazard Stewart Hickey Henry Hollingsworth Greg Horn Mackey Howe Robert Ix Zach Katz Ryan Kelley Logan Kelly Kai Kim Peter Knowlton John Koury Taylor Kyles Sammy LeBrasseur Spencer Lehrer Ethan Lemley Collin Lenfest Andy Lin Teddy Livingston Julian Lombard Jack Long Nick Loring Charlie Mangum Oliver McCabe Ryan McCarthy Ryan McGuirk Connor Melvin
Johnny Morgart Will Murphy Bing Nawbhanich Summet Nicholas Joe Okafore Alex Ortiz Christopher Overmeer Leon Palandjian Henry Palmier Tom Phoenix Rajiv Ram Ray Rivers Jerry Rogan Ben Rogers Sam Rowley Mack Rush Harry Schiller Fred Seo Charlie Shadek Will Shadek Connor Shallek David Shamritsky Ned Sheehan Ben Snow Jack St. Clari Eric Su William Su Mateen Tabatabaei Sawyer Tracy Noah Urell Parker Wallace Kyle Welch David Westcott Michael Wiggill Hunter Willis Karl Wright Philip Young Alex Yu Tim Zhi Peter Zwack
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 My Grandma Taking care of four children alone and hustling on the beach is a tough life for 30 year-old Pearl Forester. She fled a detrimental relationship, taking her four children back to family land near her father situated in a sleepy beach-side community. My Grandmother lived in a small shack without A.C. or any of the amenities we take for granted today. As her children got older, she had them out on the beach hustling for money for that night’s meal. As her children grew older and wanted to pursue great things, she needed money and fast. She came up with the idea of juicing oranges and bottling them for quick money. As the business took off, she built a nicer home for her family, started a little shop in the front of their property, and built cabins to rent to tourists. Now, it is a very successful business. It all started from one orange. She has shown me that perseverance can take you a long way. My Grandma has earned respect in her community for her many kind gestures and also for being a woman of principle. She is loving and cares about everyone. One great example is her taking in a young man named Hedley. Hedley had nothing. No place to live, no guarantee of dinner, and no moral support. Grandma helped him and he plays a important role around the house. Grandma is a major donor to her church, providing money for Bibles and Bible school for children. She cooks for all the workers before they go home. I think of her not only as a Grandma, but a supportive and loving person who will always be there to support us even in the darkest of times. Grandma wasn't always in a position to give handouts. Her inner strength helped her grow from a poor housewife to a successful business owner. Her perseverance and will to succeed helped her accomplish this. It was her choice to leave her struggling relationship and it was her choice to move back home, and these moves worked out for the better. When she has an idea to do something, she thinks about it carefully. If she goes through with her idea, she won’t stop in the middle and decide not to do it. Her ability to focus and move through tasks methodically is something I hope to do through my career and for the rest of my life. Karl Wright Grade 7 Protection It was a Tuesday when I woke up from a bad dream, the dream was about the president getting assassinated. Normally this would not have bothered a normal person but I am not a “normal person”, I am actually a secret service agent. Today was my day off but I decided to go in anyway. I wanted to to tell the head of security about my thoughts and it wouldn’t hurt to tell the vice president. When I got to work, I told the head of security about my thoughts. He asked for my source and I told him about my dream. When I finished, he completely cracked up laughing. I asked him
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 why he was laughing and he said he didn’t believe me because it was a dream. I have a short temper and it got the better of me. I started yelling at him that it was true and I called him a dirty cockroach. That didn’t get me so far and I got kicked out of the building. I sat on the curb thinking of a way to convince them that I was right. I came up with nothing, so I went to my house and made some coffee because when I am mad or stressed out coffee always helps. I decided that if the secret service would not back me up on this one, I was going to have to work alone. I got on the Internet and Googled assassin. I wanted to know as much as possible about them as I could. When I finished my research, I called my therapist, he had an open slot in half an hour so I went over and he asked me, “Why do you need therapy?” “I think there is an assassin after the president," I answer. “That is a serious matter John” he said. "Have you told the head of security?" “Yes, he only laughed at me. Do you think I am going insane?” “No," he said. "I think you are fine and you just need some sleep.” I went home on a happy note and watched TV. The show was about assassins and their planned movements. On one segment there was an assassin planning to kill the president. I jumped up and said I knew I was right. I called the head of security and he wouldn't pick up. I started cussing his guts but then I got hungry and I had a steak at a nearby restaurant and then headed home. I took a shower, the warm water felt good on my neck. I climbed into bed and turned off the lights. That night I had another dream, it was about the president. I was very worried the next day. I went to work and told the head security officer about the show. He dismissed me and said that the president was having dinner with the Prime Minister of England. He said, “I can’t have all this nonsense while trying to keep the 'real' security in check.” I went to my normal spot in the hall outside the oval office and waited. At six o’clock, he left. I went with him to the cars. We drove to the restaurant and I noticed some “different” people. I was a little worried, but I was hoping there was no trouble. During dinner, I saw someone come in with a “guitar” shaped thing and I asked to check it. There was a guitar in the case. But just then I heard a scream come from outside. I called in the black ops team and they surrounded the building. A squad of men with riot shields surrounded the President and Prime Minister, but I heard a disturbance coming from the heater. I shot on instinct and the assassin got two bullets in each arm. The black ops team pulled him out of the vent and a couple of my fellow agents and I escorted the President and Prime Minister to the safety of the President’s car. I got back and cleared the restaurant. I went back to the White House
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 the next day to receive a medal of honor. The assassins were sent to prison and I got an apology from the head of security and it all turned out all right. Noah Urell Grade 5
Tranquility My shoulders relax as I walk through the doorway of my bedroom. Straight ahead is the window, but often the azure-colored curtain is hiding the light and view from outside. The four walls that surround my room are painted two different colors. The top half of the wall is yellow; the bottom is painted white. The most noticeable items, and easily seen from anywhere you stand in the room, are three autographed pictures. The one furthest to the left is Rajon Rondo, in the middle is the immense poster of Manny Ramirez, and on the left is an autographed picture of Andrew Raycroft, an old Bruins goalie. Once you walk through the doorway, to your right is a door to a closet painted glossy white. Next to the door is a brown wooden hamper that goes up to my waist, and almost always has a towel, or some clothes hanging over the edge. Further down, at the corner of the room, is one more door, also painted white, which leads to the bathroom. Looking to the left, the room transforms. There is one bed in each corner. They are to the right and the left, with a desk in the middle. Each bed is three feet tall with poles on each corner. The cover on each bed is a multi colored plaid and conveys happiness. The desk in between the two beds is hazel colored with five books scattered over the surface. It is oblong with one leg in the middle that eventually spreads out into four. The wall, to the left of the entry door, has a set of drawers where I keep all my clothes. It is five feet tall and it stretches from the door all the way to the bed on the left. When walking out of the room you are back in the hallway. That is my whole room and, for some of you it may not seem special, but for me it is tranquility. Charlie Mangum Grade 7 The Owl I watch an owl up in a tree. I watch him howl. How can this be? He makes another sound, “Bree, bree, bree!�
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 To me he seems so very wound, Perhaps it’s cuz’ of glee? What is going through his mind, maybe it is a mouse. And if his thoughts are of that kind, I have one in my house! The sounds, they are quite rippulous, and they begin to bore. But now they sound ridiculous, Perhaps I’ll listen more. By chance it’s cuz’ of Easter that he’s whining up a storm. I’ll kick him in the keister, if he keeps it up much more. Again, he starts with,“Konk, konk, konk!” (It’s like he’s a broken record) I’ll have to climb up and give him a bonk, he’s quite a noisy yecord. I’ve grown tired of his yippy-yaps I can’t take much more. It’s time for me to take some naps, I hope you liked my lore! James Ammirato Grade 6
Sarah On December 15, 2007, a little girl was born. That little girl was my sister Sarah. In order to reach her that night I had to sit in the car for 4 hours as we drove through roads filled with snow banks and distressed Bostonians trying to dig their cars out of the after effects of the blizzard. Many times I have asked myself “Was it worth it?” and “Do I really want a sister?”. I would say that the answer to both of those questions is obvious going by the warm feeling I got when I fed her her first bottle and she opened her eyes for the first time. Sarah has always been rather tall for her age. She has long brown hair that she insists is kept in a ponytail and orange eyes which appear layered like the stump of an ancient tree. She has a round pug nose which is strangely fun to squeeze.When she was three, she was running on a concrete side walk, fell, and knocked out a tooth. So now she looks older then she is. But, I like her just the way she is. My little sister loves pretty much every main-stream cartoon character with her favorite being Spongebob. She enjoys making her many stuffed animals talk to each
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 other. After that she often builds a house for them out of blocks. She loves to jump on the tiny trampoline she got as a Christmas present. However, 50% of the time she is just running around being annoying. One fond memory I have of my sister is something I call sittiup sessions. When she couldn't walk yet, we used to see how long she could sit up until she fell down.We go to Florida every year. One year I remember watching her walk around the house picking up tennis balls and putting them in their tube. This really made me think about how far she came along in such a short time. When I told Sarah that I was writing this report about her she twisted her hands, as she always does when she is excited and told me all of the wonderful things she wanted me to write about her. Even though I often rip on her, she still loves me unconditionally. Over the years I have called her many nick names including Fluffy, Squshum, and Cheese and Cracker. But, no matter what, in the end she will always be my little sister. John Koury Grade 7 The Dragon The mollished trees are green at dawn A mother plays with her fawn. Darkness looms in the wabe If your pride raths outgrade. “Dragon, Dragon of the south,” lives in the dark caves mouth!” The breath that melts, the teeth that bite! “She’ll eat you up with just one site!” He took his Foral sword in hand: And gaulauphed into the forward land. “I can do this, I can’t be stopped!” The knight said as the sun dropped. As The “proud” Knight stood in jeer He saw the dragon in his Fear! The scarred Knight yelled, “Beast, come forth!” And the dragon charged with such force! Crackle, Swipe! Crackle, Swipe! With hate and pain The Dragons breath was a massive FLAME! The Knight fell dead with his head back, The Dragon had not a single crack! “Were is our knight? The only so brave?” “For he now faces a shallowly grave!”
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 A sad day, but a lesson learned Do not mess with pride unearned. The mollished trees are green at dawn A mother plays with her fawn. Darkness looms in the wabe If your pride raths outgrade. 1.) The Meaning of the Jabberwocky is to overcome your fears. The structure of the poem is 4 lines in each stanza and 7 stanzas. Louise Carrol repeats the 1st and last stanza of the Jabberwocky Because he wanted to show that it was infinite and that is a Fairy-tail. In the Jabberwocky the rhyme scheme is an ABAB. A rhyme scheme is the different rhymes in a stanza in a poem. Nonsense words add to the poem by making the poem more fun and free. One nonsense word is VORPAL. This makes the poem more interesting by adding mystery and making the reader think, “What could this mean in the content?” This word also just sounds cool! Adding nonsense words add a fun affect to poems. Kyle Welch Grade 6 My Meds Had you met me before I underwent a major turning point, you would probably notice the following: bad grades, struggled while concentrating on the most basic of things, underwent crazy mood swings after the medicine would wear off, and not being able to get any work done. All of that is in the past now that I have switched my medicine. Ever since I remember, my old medicine caused more problems than it solved. With the old medicine, every night would be long and difficult for me and my family. My mood swings would cause tempers to rise and every one would be upset by the night’s end. The lack of punch in this medicine had made it hard to concentrate even when it was working its best. This would cause bad grades in school because I was unable to concentrate. Every night was a struggle, it was hard to do work at home. I would come home every evening feeling snappy and emotional even after the medicine wore off. As my medicine wore off there would be no focus on my homework. The medicine would unfortunately make me extremely emotional and hard to work with because I could often break down or snap at any moment. My lack of focus, high temper and unstable emotions would upset my family and most of all my mother. My family decided they had had enough of the old me and decided to go back to the psychiatrist that had prescribed the medicine. She said that I should try a new type of medication. This new medicine has had a life changing effect on me. It has changed my life for the better. With the new medicine I am now receiving better grades in all of my
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 classes and am on an honor role. In addition, life at home is great. There is no fighting because I am all worked up about nothing and no upset mother or family. The new medicine has also helped me begin to conquer my spelling problems. This is truly a good thing because my spelling is atrocious. All of this could never have happened when I was on my old medicine. I have now realized that changing my medicine has been the biggest turning point in my life. My life is now ever changed by switching my medicine and I owe it all to my family and more importantly my mother. Without my mother this miraculous turning point in my life would never have happened. It truly is a good thing that I switched my medicine and everybody including me can tell. Teddy Batchelder Grade 8
The Tale of The Talking Bratwurst and His Mustard Minions One day near a small diner, a bus carrying a small sausage looking for a job stopped in front of May’s Boutique. The sausage got out, collected its belongings, and set on his way. “Ahhh... what a beautiful day...,” said the Brat (aka, Mr. Drizzled N. Chili, but he prefers to be called the Brat). “It almost seems like the last city I was in, before I lost my job.” The brat turned the corner near the Wells Fargo Tower and walked toward the Red River Diner on King Avenue. He entered the diner feeling confident and strong. He hopped onto the counter and asked a waitress, “Hello! I would like to apply for a job! Can you help me?” By job he means: “To become food”. So the waitress brought him to the cook, who brought him to the executive chef, who placed him on a piping hot grill with a bunch of burgers and hot dogs all sizzling and becoming flavorful and tender. “Hey, look!” said a burger, “It’s a new guy!” And, to liven his welcome, a couple of steamed buns offered to help get a nice “sunburn.” “I have finally found my place in the food world, and that is flipping over every five or ten minutes, depending on how the customer wants me cooked,” said the brat. So he stayed for a while, but for some reason, no one wanted to eat him. They said he was too well done or too hot. So day after day, it was back to the trash can, where he would break down and become soft and mushy overnight, just like a new brat, so he was ready for the grill the next morning. His only friend was BOB, which stands for Burger Overly Burnt. He was put on a grill too long and caught on fire. By the time the flames were out, he had burnt into a black crisp, just like a hockey puck. Every night, the brat would scream at the trash can like it was torture being put in there. “THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!” screamed the Brat, night after night. “I can’t spend the rest of my life in here!!!” So as the drama unfolded, the brat became more and more upset. “I’ll do something about this. You mark my word.”
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So, months went by and still, no one would eat the brat. So, one day, he snuck out of the trash and walked around the restaurant. He met a couple of mustard bottles along the way, and they were facing the same problem as the brat was. “We’ve never been squirted,” said one mustard bottle. “No one wants to. We don’t know why, but it has to do with us. People just don’t like mustard these days.” “I feel the same way,” said the brat. “I get cooked, but I don’t get eaten, and every sleepless night I spend in the trash can, I feel more unwanted. I feel lonely.” “Well, what if we got them cooks and them customers back?” asked a mustard bottle. “That is actually not a bad idea,” said the brat. “Let’s do it!” So on a busy Saturday night at the diner, the brat and mustard launched their plan. At 6:00 sharp, the mustard bottles popped up from behind a counter and sent a shower of Coney Island Mustard onto the customers. While a waiter was watching in a state of panic, the brat pressed a hot spatula onto his finger. Everyone in the diner was running and screaming and trying to find a place to hide. An army of waitresses and waiters came running out of the kitchen with pots and pans and knives. They tried to protect the customers, but it was too late. Everyone was either drenched in spicy mustard or had a burn mark on their rear end. The customers left, and the brat and mustard regrouped. “Next Saturday, fill yourselves with chili. I have another plan.” said the brat. So the week passed as always. The brat would be cooked, and thrown in the trash, where he would get soft and mushy overnight. But on that Saturday night, the brat hatched his devious plan. “OK. Tonight is the big night. Now, what we’re going to do is, you mustard are going to hide under a table, and when someone comes, spray the chili at their face. OK?” “Got it,” said the mustard. So the mustard hid under a table, and at 7:56, a customer walked in and sat down right above the mustard. “OK guys, this is it!” exclaimed a mustard bottle. The bottles jumped up onto the table where a man was sitting. The bottles reared back and sent out a spray of super hot chili onto the man’s face. “AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!” screamed the man. He jumped out of his seat and ran
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 around looking for relief. He couldn’t find any. Eventually he had to go to the hospital, because the chili was so hot, some of his face melted off. The brat was so scared he ran off into the empty kitchen, threw himself on the floor, and had a quiet moment to himself. He didn’t speak for another hour. An hour later, the brat finally came to his senses. The brat walked all the way to the hospital, and entered the operating room. The man had gotten stitches but his face was still hot. “I know what to do!” said the brat. So he went and got a cold bottle of water from a vending machine (he found 50 cents on the ground), and poured it on the wound. The water immediately soothed the wound and his face cleared up. “Thanks, man,” said the man. “No. Thank you,” said the brat. So the two became friends, and somebody finally came in with a taste for mustard, so the mustard bottles were squirted for the first time. The group disbanded and the diner became peaceful again. The brat didn’t stay to watch himself being eaten. He left for a different diner before someone could order him off the menu. He eventually left town, but the memory of the talking brat at the Red River Diner will never be forgotten. Will Findlay Grade 5
Bird Report Circling in the sky, an osprey dives head first into the water and grabs a big trout. The osprey is a very unique bird that is called the “Fishing Machine”. Ospreys live everywhere except Antarctica. Ospreys are one of the smartest birds in North America! The osprey are migratory birds which means it migrates to warm places in the winter. They migrate to Europe and the west part of North America. The osprey is one of the biggest birds in North America. The osprey’s scientific name is Pandion Taliaetus. It is a white and brown bird with a wonderful brown and white patch of feathers under the wing. Ospreys has a six foot wingspan! The field mark of the osprey is a dark carpal patch under the tail. Their oily feathers help them from soaking up in the water. It has no ordinary body; its body is plain muscle which is made for catching slimy fish and eating fish. The osprey’s feet are meant to carry fish to their nests. There might be an osprey in your backyard if you don’t live in Antarctica. They mostly live in northern places, but migrate to warmer places, like Florida, in the winter. They migrate in small flocks or alone. Also, ospreys migrate four- hundred
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 miles in the winter. The osprey live in colonies on bridges with heavy traffic or next to boat docks. They build huge nests on top of cliffs and dead trees. Their nests are made from sticks, seaweed, and garbage. The osprey nests are one of the largest nests in North America. The osprey has a very loud bird call. They use a guard call, a scream call, or solicitation call to guard their young ones. Also, the shank of their leg is scaled (no feathers) so they can catch fish without absorbing the water. The pads of their toes are covered with spicules to grasp fish. Their outer toe is for carrying fish back to their nests. An osprey once killed a white- tailed deer! Ospreys eat fish that is half pound and they eat frogs, turtles, water snakes, young alligators, squirrels, and mice. The osprey is called the “Fishing Machine”, and it mostly eats fish such as trout and bass. Ospreys love fish and it is their favorite food to eat. Ospreys are specialists at catching fish, and they have a very interesting technique. They use their talons to scoop up fish from the water. Ospreys hover around the fish and wait for the moment to scoop up the fish from the water. When they dive, they fold up their wings and dive headfirst into the water. Then, they grasp the fish back to their nest and eat it. The osprey is a monogamous bird which means it only has one mate at a time. It takes six weeks to incubate the eggs. Also, it takes eight weeks for the young ones to fledge. The osprey only has one brood per year. In the incubation process, the father goes fishing and the mother takes care of the young ones. The ospreys have courtship feeding which means the male will go get food and give the food to the female. The female will eat the food. In the 1950s, the osprey was endangered in the chemical pollution era, but then the osprey bounced back and became non-endangered. The osprey predators are eagles, owls, raccoons, and snakes. Bald eagles are known for stealing osprey fish. The osprey’s predators eat the juvenile ospreys or osprey eggs. Today, there are laws around the world that don’t allow people to hunt ospreys. Ospreys are sometimes confused with bald eagles because of the white patch of feathers underneath the wing. Ospreys are raptors which means that they are birds of prey. Once in a while, an osprey helps a bald eagle by building a nest for the bald eagle. Ospreys are predators like hawks, falcons, and eagles. Native Americans say that an osprey and a whale made an orca. Ospreys are not scared of humans like other raptors. An osprey can close their talons faster than blinking your eye. The oldest osprey is thirty- one years old. Three week baby ospreys can tear fish. The osprey is called the “Fish Hawk”.
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The osprey is a wonderful bird. Ospreys are carnivores which means they eat meat. The osprey is not endangered but it used to be endangered by the 1950s chemical pollution. Ospreys have weird feathers that are oily so they can grasp fish out of the water without soaking up the water. Charlie Shadek Grade 5
Curtis Martin: The Life and Story of a Third Down Back Curtis Martin, the man, the myth, and the legend is still around today, currently residing in Garden City, New York. Before he got to be the man you know today as the hall of fame finalist for the Jets and the Patriots, he started off in a nice little cozy town in Pennsylvania known as Pittsburgh. Martin was born May 1, 1973. Martin probably got into the sport of football because he lived in Pittsburgh. When he was growing up, Pittsburgh was economically depressed but had a winning football team, known as the Steelers. When Martin was growing up, the most popular thing to do in Pittsburgh was play football. He first played football at a little high school called, Taylor Allderdice High School. After Martin graduated from the high school, he went on to play at the University of Pittsburgh, otherwise known as Pitt. He was a good football player and he knew that he had the chance to become and NFL player. He took that chance and he was picked up in the third round, 74th overall. He was picked up by none other than the New England Patriots in 1995. Curtis Martin was scouted by Greg Rollage from Union/Finley. He debuted with the Patriots in 1995. Throughout his career he was known as a third down back. (A third down back means that they used him when they needed to gain small yards for first down.) He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after rushing for 1,487 yards. He was also named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. It is jaw-dropping to go to the Pro Bowl when you are in your second season, but Curtis Martin in his rookie season managed to be the best running back in the AFC conference. After the 1997 season, Curtis Martin became a restricted free agent. The Jets offered him a 36 million dollar contract, the Patriots could not match that contract, so Curtis Martin ended up going to the Jets. Curtis Martin finished his NFL career with these numbers - 168 total games played, 3,518 rushing attempts, 14,101 yards gained, his average YPC 4 (YPC means Yards Per Carry), and 90 touchdowns. If you compare him to great running backs like Thurman Thomas, Emmit Smith, Franco Harris, or even Barry Sanders, he might not be the best, but with the stats listed above, he emerges as one of the best. Four seasons later in 2011, his first year of eligibility, he is a finalist in the selection to go the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He is currently married to Carolina Williams, and he lives in Garden City, New York. If you go to a
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Knicks game, you might be able to see him. Right now he is probably waiting to see if he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If he does go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then if you are a Jets’ fan or a Patriots’ fan, you might see him on the television over the summer giving his speech before he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Curtis Martin is someone that I acclaim. He is someone that kids could look up to because he never did anything wrong. On the field, he showed me what ideal sportsmanship was and, off the field, he showed me what a perfect gentleman he was. I want to be like him when I get older. He is someone that I am proud to say I based my style of football play after, and my lifestyle choices. If I were Curtis Martin, I would be kicking myself knowing that, if I had stayed with the Patriots throughout my career, I would have had four rings on my hand, the wedding ring, and the three Super Bowl rings the Patriots won throughout the years of 2001 to 2004. This is the phenomenal tale of Curtis James Martin. He went from being a little boy from the town of Pittsburgh, to being the fourth leading rusher of all time in the NFL. Sam Goldberg Grade 7
My Cousin Rowan Of all my cousins, I think that my maternal cousin, Rowan, is my favorite. Since he lives in Chestnut Hill, I usually go to his house once a month. When I get there, his Labradoodle runs up to the door and barks, and my aunt comes to the door and welcomes me in. I walk up the stairs of the split-ranch home, and come to the dining table, where Rowan is either completing his demanding homework or listening to Stewboss on his iPhone. When he sees me, he kindly stops what he is doing, and says, “Hello”, or some greeting of that sort. “How are things going?” he’ll ask. “Well” I respond, as I sit on a couch nearby. Rowan was born on August 5th, 1994, in the United Kingdom, and moved to Massachusetts at the age of 3. Since I am younger than he is, and also because I did not live in Massachusetts until 2008, I do not know much about his childhood. I do, however, know about his current favorites and likes! He wears T-shirts and shorts, even in winter, and has short, black hair. He is about six feet tall, and goes to Noble and Greenough. His room is very bright, with blue walls, and posters of Red Hot Chili Peppers, South Park, Bob Marley, and Che Guevara. He mostly likes rock music, and his favorite school subject is History. Rowan enjoys Latin, a subject in which he does well. As a result of doing many, many Latin translations, Rowan has become very eloquent in his speech. He has many interesting books, from the Alex Rider series to The Cartoon Guide to Physics, because he and his sister are sure bibliophiles. Rowan likes to sing aloud and watch YouTube videos, but, on the other hand, is sometimes recalcitrant about helping my aunt clean his room and doing other household tasks. He is a strict vegetarian, and likes to eat Indian food, and peanut butter ice-cream, which happens to be a toothsome treat. Along with his
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 interesting personality, he has a good heart. The paramount reason I like to spend time with Rowan is for his caring and kind attitude. Even though he is four years older, he does not ignore me, but instead spends time with me. He always asks me how things are going, and lets me use his various possessions, such as his books, Wii, computer, iPod, and bed. Rowan does voluntary work at post offices, shelters, and other public places in need of help, making him a benevolent young man. Sometimes, all of my maternal cousins have gatherings at my aunt’s house in Texas. Since all of my other cousins are older than I am, they are inclined to boss me around. I was once about to bring a sleeping bag to where my cousins were, but my other cousin did not want me to sleep in the same place, and suggested I go away. Rowan argued with him, saying that I should be allowed to “camp out” with everyone else. He found me a spot, and I will always remember his kindness towards me that day. Rowan is my favorite cousin because of all his attributes, his wonderful personality, and his consideration for me! Rajiv Ram Grade 7 20 Years Later It was a hot, humid January day in Port-au-Prince and Jeremie and Djo had started a new life as they had promised. Djo and his three sons sat on their front porch, overlooking the hillside of Port-au-Prince. Since the end of his story, many things had happened. Not only had he started a new story with Jeremie, but they had become some of the wealthiest Haitians in Port-au-Prince. A few years ago, Jeremie had gone to college in the United States and had come back as one of the best doctors in Haiti. Shortly after coming back, Jeremie and Djo got married and started another journey together, a journey that had started when they had triplets, Donay, Cate, and Julio. Djo was telling his kids a story when Cate interrupted, “Daddy, why is the earth rumbling?” Surely enough, the earth had started to shake. Djo yelled at his children to get to an open area, and they ran as fast as their small legs could carry them. Suddenly, the earth shook more ferociously than before. “Daddy, what is happening?” yelled Julio. The earthquake threw Djo down to the ground before he had time to answer, and the last thing that he remembered was seeing the house fall on top of his children. When Djo finally became conscious again, he took in his surroundings very quickly. All around, trees and houses had fallen, and as he looked down the hillside at the poorer neighborhoods, Djo became speechless. “Oh Bondye mwen!” Djo muttered. Tin and cardboard houses had crumpled in the earthquake, trapping people under the rubble. The hospital was in ruins and it looked like the city had been bombed. The next thing that Djo remembered were his kids. He turned around
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 and ran to the pile of rubble that used to be their house. From underneath he heard his kids yelling, “Help daddy, help!” The first thought that came to Jeremie after she regained consciousness was Where am I? As the previous events came back to her, she started to cry. The last thing that Jeremie remembered before losing consciousness was the terrible shaking of the floor and then the crack of the hospital collapsing. Jeremie did not know how long she had been trapped under the hospital. It had become nighttime while she was unconscious, and she had become thirsty and hungry. She wondered if and when someone would find her, and if she would ever see her family again. Up the hillside, Djo was frantically trying to dig his kids out from the rubble. Once every few minutes Cate would whimper down from under the pile. Finally, at five o’clock in the morning, Djo dug the three of them out. All three of his kids were very hungry and had passed out for lack of water while trapped in the remains of the house. Only after digging his kids out did he remember about Jeremie again. Djo knew that there was no way of getting down the hill to the hospital, and he decided to stay with his kids until search parties started to go out. After two long days, Jeremie was finally found in the remains of the hospital. When Jeremie was in condition to come back to what used to be their home, Djo had to decide on what to do. Djo had suggested to go up north, to Cap Haiten, where Jeremie’s mother and aunt lived. Jeremie agreed and the whole family started going through the rubble trying to find things of use, passports, money. After hours of searching, Donay yelled out that he had found something, and indeed he had found something. He had found Djo’s and Jeremie’s passports. These were their tickets out of the country and to start a new life away from Haiti. The only problem for them now was that there was no way of getting up north other than by foot or horse. Jeremie woke up the following morning to find that Djo had disappeared. At first, Jeremie thought that he had been taken away, but she soon found a note stuck in her clothes. It read: I am sorry for leaving without telling you, I went out to find a horse to get to Cap Haiten, Love, Djo. Jeremie was relieved and started digging through the rubble again. She spent hours digging through the ruins, finding mostly trash. The one thing of importance that she found was 40,000 gourde, the equivalent of $1000. By the time Djo returned with two horses, Jeremie had already packed the kids up and they were ready to go. Riding on a horse from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haiten in normal circumstances would have been hard, but riding in the after-math of an earthquake was nearly impossible. Djo led the way on his horse which carried all the supplies and items that they had found in the rubble, and Jeremie followed with the three kids on her horse. It took the family three full days to ride to Cap Haiten. Jeremie took the kids straight to her mother’s house while Djo went to see if Cap Haiten had suffered as much damage as Port-au-Prince.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 As Djo rode down the main road, he noticed a sign that said, “Ayiti pa Lafrans bato pou sèlman 40,000 goud!”, or “Haiti to France by ship for only 1000 dollars!” As soon as Djo saw the sign he knew that they had to go, otherwise they would be stuck in Haiti for the rest of their lives, a nation that had suffered so much in the last 20 years. Djo walked his horse back to Jeremie’s mother’s house and told Jeremie the good news. Jeremie was so excited because it had been mother’s life dream for Jeremie to live in France. The following day Djo and Jeremie packed up again and went off to the port, and, sure enough, there was a large passenger ship sailing into port. David Shamritsky Grade 6 Reflections on Stereotypes and How People Feel A stereotype is a biased decision often about a general group of people that states they all have certain traits. This of course is not true, because no matter what one’s race or ethnicity, no one really has a right to think a way of all people just because of some examples of people from that group. For example, since many terrorists come from Arabic countries, one may infer that any person originally from an Arab country should be classified as dangerous, and not able to be trusted, only because of few extremists who put strange inferences in other people’s heads. Therefore, believing that anyone from an Arab country is a terrorist would be a biased stereotype. Identify the ethnic/racial/religious groups of which you are a member. Discuss one way in which one or all of these groups are stereotyped. How does this make you feel? As I mentioned, many people are unsure of the Arab population simply because of a few Arab reactionaries. I, myself, having my mother and her family raised in Morocco, am half-Moroccan. Morocco is in many cases considered an Arab country. I admit terrorists are wrong to defend beliefs in such a harsh way, but I feel a bit sad and frustrated that some people think of Arabs and Muslims as almost different kinds of people. Once you get to know a greater majority of the people, you will realize that they are actually very peaceful, humble people. Give examples of stereotyping of white Americans, African Americans, Asians. White Americans, for some time, were considered by the blacks to be snobby rich people who were not understanding of different skin colors and traditions. As I read about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, I realized that not all white people were biased about African people. Some even demanded outlawing segregation and supported King. African Americans, some time ago and sadly still a bit today, were being treated as inferior to white men because of their skin color. People believed African descendants to be not as sophisticated and knowledgeable as white people. However, prominent people in history have proved this theory wrong. Stereotyping of Asians is not as common, but many people believe Asian people, particularly Korean, to be super-humans when computing math. While it is true that people can be better at mathematics than others, you can not have a general opinion of all Asian people. In
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 fact, some are not very skilled at math at all. Using any stereotype you have been subjected to, explain the basis for this stereotype. How did this make you feel ? Thankfully, I have not been subjected to stereotyping very much, but one other common stereotype of Muslims is “the God-lovers with the scarves over their heads praying all day.” I believe that Muslim people are very religious, but people often issue stereotypes because they do not understand a certain idea. Many people may not understand Muslims’ stories, so they make up something to believe to cover up for the fact that they are confused by their customs to which they are only vaguely exposed. This does not make me feel that great, that people are judged without being understood, but it has not interfered with me personally. Alas, there is not much I can do to change the mind of such a biased person. Using any stereotype of an ethnic/racial /religious group of which you are not a member, explain the basis for the stereotype. I believe the basis of stereotyping of African-American people is the same as for Muslim people. That is, people who do not understand each and every one's story make inferences about people as a group. Since people were not used to the ideas of African-American people long ago, they rejected them, simply because they were different. This has greatly impacted the members of the group’s ability to succeed, as black-skinned people were treated as inferior in many ways in society. African people were put down for some time, but they were finally able to overcome their depression. I used to be stereotyped towards some kinds of animals, thinking they were rather unruly, and not very trustworthy. I felt a bit uncomfortable around some kinds of animals, and did not like to be with them to much. I soon realized, however, that all animals are gentle and no longer distrust animals. What is meant by prejudice? How do stereotypes relate to prejudice? A prejudice is an opinion of someone often about one particular thing or idea that is one-sided, and in some ways not completely fair. Prejudiced people are often not understanding as they have their minds set a certain way about things. This relates almost exactly to stereotyping. Stereotyping, however is more an inference of a group, that is also biased. Sammy LeBrasseur Grade 7 The Great Adventure of Odysseus Gather round audience and for you shall know, Of the great adventure of Odysseus, He cheated death and is barely alive, We will him and his journey O’a day!
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 He gathered his men on a trip to sea, To sack Troy by a wooden horse At the night they would strike what was to be, ruble and fire, he would spread his men and charge from the shores. He would fly like a beast and fight the fight, Achillles would strike with all his might, They would return happy and weak, There woman would prepare a feast, The man would eat like they were a beast, They would eat there dine and finish their yeast. Unfortunately, that would not end their journey, for they would sail the seas and that was not only, They would sail on in the briny sea, They would land upon the shores of Charbydis Most would not make home, For the 6 heads of Charbydis would turn they blood to foam, And they would be helpless like a gnome, Then I pray for their sake, That Odysseus would not keep them late. Odysseus would be treated by Alcinoos, After all his men were killed by Poseidon, And Odysseus was the only one who was hidden, By the mighty wrath of the ocean God, That could kill the innocent and leave the guilty loose, Alcinoos would keep Odysseus in the den, Until he would be sent back to Ithaca for his bride. There he slayed his foul enemies from his beloved wife, The suitors that attempted to claim her from her husband, But he threw his spear like an arrow that left his hand, But the spear he threw caused the fathers of the men a strife, But he slayed them too until Athena broke the fight, And they laid down there weapons which broke Athena into a light, That would end the journey of Odysseus once and for all. Christopher Overmeer Grade 6 Disasters on the Trail I warn you, do not follow in the footsteps of crazy kids you may have unmistakable pain. If you are a kid you should never do the following unless you are watched by an adult. This happened on a large hill followed by a dangerous path. On this ride lots of people either are hurt or have broken something.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Bikers are usually trained in every which way you can think of and do it right, but the problem is they are not kids. They go to training school and always wear pads and a helmet. Bikers are the usual people you see in your neighborhood passing by riding on their bikes everyday, well those are the people who were trained. So do not try and be like a biking star if you do not know what you are doing half the time. My brother, father, and I were riding in Franklin Park and we came along a long steep trail followed by a huge rock filled, dirt crusted hill patched nicely with weeds, and grass at the top and a few benches for the view. My father told us that this was Dead Man’s Trail, a long winding trail full of dirt and rocks and sand at the bottom. The path was rocky and harsh, not the regular path you would take a trip on. He told us to be careful and not to go too fast, he also advised us to not come up the hill with him but being kids we did it anyway. We finally got to the top and took a quick water break. After a few minutes of resting we were at it again. We started back down the hill dodging all the rocks and fallen trees. By now my father was way ahead of us. I, being more skilled than my brother, took the lead after my father was gone. As usual, some people think the younger sibling has more biking skill because they’re smaller and more athletic. Well that’s not the case in this story. I am more skilled than my brother mostly because I pay attention and don’t play around but also because I can do more tricks and I am more precise. So lets get back on with the story. My brother was not the best when riding bikes, so while we were riding down, a couple minutes later I heard a loud “THUMP”. I looked behind me and saw him tumbling down the hill, he had dirt all over his back, and twigs and sticks on his head. The worst part was that he was coming right at me so I could not stop. I sped down the mountain scared he might hit me, and when I got farther down away from him I stopped. I tried to stop him but I hesitated and he flew past me knocking my bike down. Just as I was about to fall I grabbed a tree that was next to me, hoping it would hold me. A minute later I pulled myself up and I went to get my bike and noticed it was gone then I heard something hit pavement. I ran down the mountain and there was my brother his bike and my bike on top of him, his bike was on his arm and mine was on his back. Luckily my bike was really light and it didn’t hurt him as much. The only thing wrong with the bikes were that their alignment was messed up. After he relaxed for a little bit and we fixed the alignment on the bikes we started down the path of DEAD MAN’S TRAIL. Everything went well until we got down to the bottom of the path. As we got closer to the bottom we started to speed up and what we didn’t notice was that there was a whole lot of sand at the bottom of the path. When we got to the bottom I slipped on the sand and my bike went out of control, and so did my brother’s. We were going head first downward but at least it was on the grass.We were lucky to not have any broken bones. We had really hurt our legs because they got tangled in the bikes, also our arms hurt because we used them to break our fall.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 After we cleaned up we rode back to the car with my father and went home. We had dinner, our favorite fried chicken, corn, and macaroni. It was a painful trip and after that we realized to take advice next time and to wear helmets and pads for our knees and elbows. Later that night before we went to bed we recognized it as THE BEST TRIP EVER. ( P.S. Never do this alone unless you are an expert.) Ray Rivers Grade 6 The eighth grade read Billy Collins’ poem “Litany” and just as Billy Collins took two lines from a poem by Jacques Crickillon, the eighth graders wrote a poem based on two lines from Collins’ poem. Litany You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. -Jacques Crickillon You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker and the marsh birds suddenly in flight. However, you are not the wind in the orchard, the plums on the counter, or the house of cards. And you are certainly not the pine-scented air. There is just no way you are the pine-scented air. It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, maybe even the pigeon on the general's head, but you are not even close to being the field of cornflowers at dusk. And a quick look in the mirror will show that you are neither the boots in the corner nor the boat asleep in its boathouse. It might interest you to know, speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world, that I am the sound of rain on the roof.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing down an alley, and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table. I am also the moon in the trees and the blind woman's tea cup. But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife. You are still the bread and the knife. You will always be the bread and the knife, not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow-- the wine. Billy Collins
I Am I am the sound of rain on the roof, and the marsh birds suddenly in flight, - Billy Collins I am the sound of rain on the roof, and the marsh birds suddenly in flight, I am the wick on a candle stick, and you are simply the light. I am the strong summer breeze on the sea, I am the fish in the net, You are the honey, pursued by the bees, And even the vivid sunset. I am a cloud that drifts overhead, And the sand that covers the beaches, You are the covers, lying on the bed, and the perfectly ripened peaches. I stand in front, where the sun shines brighter, And you look at me as the leader, Even right now, I am the writer, and you are simply the reader. Dwight Greenhouse Grade 8 I Am I am the sound of rain on the roof I am also the moon in the trees, -Billy Collins
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 I am the sound of rain on the roof I am also the moon in the trees And the stroke in swimming but I am not the player of hockey For I do not play hockey Nor do I play Lacrosse Nor do I snowboard I am the spin of a baseball And the ace of a serve I am the fishing rod but I am not the sunset For you are the sunset and the morning dew but you are not the sound of rain on the roof for I am the sound of rain on the roof but you still are the morning dew and the sunset Will Murphy Grade 8 The Sound of the Rain on the Roof I am the sound of the rain on the roof -Billy Collins I am the sound of the rain on the roof, the sound of the crickets eating. You are the heart of the brave lover, the I am the sound of it beating. He is the fiercest bear, I am his roar. We are the sound of the crashing waves, breaking upon the shore. Standing amongst ourselves, pondering our strife. As we think of the sounds, the ones that represent life. Sam Caccavale Grade 8
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 You Are There is just no way you are the pine-scented air, nor the boat asleep in the boathouse. - Billy Collins There is just no way you are the pine-scented air, nor the boat asleep in the boathouse. You are not the glistening snow. You are neither the silver lined clouds, nor are you the slick ice. You have never been the soaring snowball. You are not the whistling wind, and you are definitely not the frigid air blowing through the trees. You are boring unlike a snow day. This I know, unless I am blind. Dominic Carlozzi Grade 8 Litany You are the wind in the orchard The shooting star in the sky -- Billy Collins You are the wind in the orchard, the shooting star in the sky. You are the flourishing tree in winter, and the only thing that I desire. You are not a spec of dirt on a path, because that is me, or another crow sitting on a telephone pole, waiting to flee.
I am a piece of falling snow in a mighty blizzard and another warrior fighting for our beliefs. I am not, however, the glowing moon at night, because I am sure that is you. I am a burnt piece of wood from a fire, because the fire is a symbol for you.
I don’t understand how you could be the prized possession and I am only another piece of something useless to mention. I know that it’s possible that only I could see the spectacular beauty waiting in front of me. If anyone ever denies that you are the greatest you can easily ignore it,
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 because they aren’t the wind in the orchard, that is you. And it isn’t possible that they are the only shooting star in the sky because that is the only worthy place for you. Johnny Morgart Grade 8
I Am I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star, -Billy Collins I am the sound of the rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star. I am the one who thinks of snow, When others think of water. I am also the one who listens, When you think no one can hear. I am the one who smiles, When in a worrying situation. I am the one who keeps trying, When others have already given up. I am the one who thinks, When others have already leapt. I am the difference, In a world of similarities. Sam Armstrong Grade 8
You Are There is just no possible way you are the pine-scented air. It is possible that you are fish under the bridge -Billy Collins There is just no possible way you are the pine-scented air. It is possible that you are fish under the bridge, That are swimming slowly then swiftly, Then don’t swim, just glide on the waves. For they are dead. I am the wind on a summers night, That breezes on the boardwalk. While people eat ice cream.
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You are everything and anything. While I am just something, You are you and me. While I am just me. It’s hard to say to you sometimes. I’ve tried to say it a million times. The truth is that I love you, More than a kid loves chocolate fondue. When you’re mad at me I’m sadder than a deportee I honor you And everything you do. I am the phone with no one answering. While you are the phone that has voice mail. I am the child crying. And you are the G6 flying. It’s you that I want And it’s you that I need. If I’m up at two in the morning, It’s you I would call and hope to see. So when I go six feet under, I hope you show your face, Don’t look at me, Just remember the last time you saw me and go on. Marcus Green Grade 8
The Dew on the Morning Grass You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. -Billy Collins You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the wood, burning on the fire in the deep hours of the night, and the soothing scent of the tepid blaze. At times, you are the patter of the rain drops,
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 continuously hitting the damp, wood roofs. Then you are the dark storm clouds, slowly departing, giving us a peaceful, blue sky. You are the sun setting on the horizon, whose warm colors create a soothing moment. Later, you are the radiant glow of the moon, whose bright lights cast a romantic scene. You will always be the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. Ben Rogers Grade 8
The Sound of Rain on the Roof I am the sound of rain on the roof I also happen to be the shooting star. -Billy Collins I am the sound of rain on the roof I also happen to be the shooting star I will always be the snow falling down from the sky and the breeze flowing through your hair However you are the thunder roaring up through the night You are also the leak in the roof flooding the house, and the black ice on the sidewalk You are also the lightning lighting up the night sky I forgot that I am also the present under the Christmas tree The taste of hot chocolate on a cold winter day The feeling of relief when you finish a test and I will always be the sound of rain on the roof, I will always be the shooting star in the sky. Oliver McCabe Grade 8
Identity I am the moon in the trees and the blind women’s tea cup. -Billy Collins I am the moon in the trees
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 and the blind women’s tea cup. I am the silent stone and the watchful owl. I am the awaiting bloom and the crumpled leaf. Though I am certainly not the house razing tremor, nor the apple picked before frost. I shall never wish to be the apple picked before frost. I foresee myself as the deafening roar or the glistening quartz. I care not to be the glare of the portrait or the peak of the spear, but at least I know that I am the moon in the trees and the blind women’s tea cup. Warren Charleston Grade 8
I Am You are the white apron of the baker And the marsh birds suddenly in flight. -Billy Collins You are the white apron of the baker And the marsh birds suddenly in flight. However, I am the wind that pushes the sail, And the spark that starts the fire. I am the beach’s sunset, The luscious meadow's grass, And the eagle soaring above the clouds. Do not worry, you will always be the fireworks in the night sky, Or the king of the jungle. But I will be the cold rain on a burning day, The silence on top of a mountain, and The rainbow after a storm. You will lead planet earth But I will make it spin.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Josh Aronson Grade 8
I Am I am the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table. I am also the moon in the trees. - Billy Collins
I am the golden leaf that gracefully falls to the ground, and the sun that shines through the window on a chilly fall morning. You are the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table, and the moon in the trees. I am the smile of a gentlemen who grows old, a father who lives the American dream, and a newborn. You are the rain that pours down from the heavens, the stranger lurking in the darkness and the feeling of acceptance. I am the glass, half full of sparkling soda, that sits next the basket of chestnuts on the window sill. You are the Rubik cube, which is unfortunately never solved. We want what we don’t have, and so I want to be more like the moon, who looms over life at night You want to be more like the sun, who lights up the world. We rise every morning on different planets, wishing we could be the person we’re not. However, I am who I am, and nothing is ever going to change me. I will be the sun which rises in the east, and brings light to the leaves, chestnuts, strangers, windows, and glasses forever. Ryan Kelley Grade 8
I Am You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun -Billy Collins
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You are the dew on the morning grass And the burning wheel of the sun You are also the destruction of the twister And the apex of the mighty sword’s blade Yet you are also the bandage on the wounded brow And the firm, sweet hand held tight Whereas I am the joey in the pouch and the pup in the den I feel like the newborn Mercury Though I am truly, simply a newborn I am also the eye of the storm And the trigger of the rifle Yet I am also the vexed bee hive And the bear awoken from his slumber Taylor Kyles Grade 8 The Boat in the Boathouse It might interest you to know that you are neither the boots in the corner nor the boat asleep in the boathouse. -Billy Collins It might interest you to know that I am the boat asleep in the boathouse. No, you are not the sailboat in the harbor, because I am the sailboat, gliding across the harbor, pushed by the gentle breeze. You are the car, waiting to take me home after a long day at school. You are the first snow of the season, covering the town in a blanket of snow. I am the first rays of sun in spring showering warmth all around. I am not the car, who drives a little too slowly in front of you Friday afternoon. I could never be the car, that keeps you from your weekend. But always remember that I am the boat asleep in the boat house. Connor Melvin Grade 8
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Me I am the dew on the morning grass. I am the shooting star in the sky. -Billy Collins I am the cool sea breeze in the summer. However I will never be the smell of a new textbook. I am the laughter of the world. I am the humor that keeps you going. I am the leaves changing color in the fall, without being the leaves falling in the fall. I am the sweet juice of a strawberry and the sour taste of candy. I am the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach and the roar of the crowd after a big play. I also am the crack of the bat and the dive of the fielder. If there is one thing I will never be it is the sound of the alarm clock at 6:20 AM. Charlie Danziger Grade 8
I Am I am the sound of rain on the roof. and also happen to be the shooting star. -Billy Collins I am the sound of rain on the roof. and also happen to be the shooting star, and snow on the mountains. I am the water in the river and the trees in the valley. I am the leaves on the trees and the dirt down below, the dew on the lawn and the grass on the ground. the wall in the woods the old bridge over the stream. But I am not the sound of busy streets
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 or the face of the moon. Julian Lombard Grade 8
I Am I am the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. -Billy Collins I am the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. I touch the ground for the first time I become wet and slick. Laughter fills the morning air and emotions cross my head I suddenly change directions Not knowing my final destiny Advancing as I meet new people and going through different experiences I do not know where I am going to end up but I will never lose sight of my final goal. Jeronimo Caceres Grade 8 Litany Adaptation You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun But I am the hearth of the fire and the light of the shining beacon You are the mysterious dweller of the night and the silence of death I am the beautiful pink of the the sunset and the gentle breeze from the sea Though you are the roaring and crashing tidal waves of a bad storm the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder There is no way that you’re the babbling brook nor are you the weightless clouds You can’t be the tumbleweeds of the desert and the lone ranger of the west because I am the tumbleweeds of the desert and the lone ranger of the west
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 but you will always be the mysterious dweller of the night and the silence of death Henry Palmier Grade 8
Shooting Star I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing down an alley -Billy Collins I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing down an alley. I am the frost outlining a window, a snowflake melting on your tongue. But, you are the howl of the wind in an empty chimney, and the draft coming from under a door. You are also coldness biting at the warmth, and the sound of winter boots hammering on the floor. However, you are not the powder snow sitting on my window, nor the candle showing me the way. Neither are you the first footsteps on a snow covered pathway, nor the icicle forming under the gutter. I am the sound of a branch scratching a window, and also the hustle and bustle of a first snow-day. But, I am not the howl of the wind in an empty chimney, nor the draft coming from under a door. You are still the coldness biting at the warmth, and the sound of winter boots hammering on the floor. Chris Doherty Grade 8 The next generation And a quick look in the mirror will show, and the blind woman’s tea cup. - Billy Collins You are the seeing woman’s tea cup the beaten trail, you are the sun in the sky the fish in the ocean,
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 the sand on the beach, the wind in the air. But I am not the seeing woman’s tea cup the beaten trail, the sun in the sky, or the fish in the ocean. As a quick look in the mirror will show, I am the trailblazer, the layer of paths. I am a new book, with pages empty, craving for words. For I am the future, the fork in the road, with the direction still to be chosen, not set into stone. As the future unravels, and to stone I am set, I too become the beaten path, the sun in the sky, the fish in the ocean, the sand on the beach, and the wind in the air. Michael Hazard Grade 8
I Am I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star. -Billy Collins I am the sound of rain on the roof, the sound of trees tapping on your window. I also happen to be the shooting star, the athlete and the musician. You are the glistening of the sun on the ocean water, the chirping bird in the early morning. You are the rare jewel in the old attic, and the warm touch of the afternoon sun on the beach in the summer. Tommy DeAngelis Grade 8
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I Am I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star -Billy Collins I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star I am the cat’s meow, the bees knees You, you are the opposite You are the the bread and the butter The simplest of all things You are no shooting star I am a shooting star You are the snow on the ground I am the sound of the rain on the roof, Beautiful birds singing the songs, And the waves crashing along the shore You are the snow falling on the ground, The icicles hanging from rooftops The paper drifting down the alley There is no comparison between us I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star Ryan McGuirk Grade 8 You and I You are the white apron of the baker And the marsh birds in flight. - Billy Collins You are the white apron of the baker and the marsh birds suddenly in flight. You are the boy playing in the snow, the pillows resting on the bed. But you are not the T.V. on the wall
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 and absolutely not the plane in the sky. You could be the pie in the oven, and possibly the snow falling from the sky. But don’t stress, you are still the white apron of the baker and the marsh birds in flight. If you would like to know, I am the boots on the ground and the bird in the tree. I am also the picture hanging on the wall, the light shining down on the world, and the piano in the living room. A long walk down around the reservoir will tell you that I am the pine cones on the grass, and the leaves blowing in the wind. However, you will always be the white apron of the baker. Nothing can change that. And surprisingly you are the marsh birds in flight. Will Shadek Grade 8 You Are That I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star. -Billy Collins I am the sound of rain on the roof, The dandelion floating through the air. I am the forgotten nickel, The broken chair. While you, you are the sun at dawn, And the moon at dusk. You are the early wind, on a March morning. The mist sauntering And rain dancing. You are the cloud, Resting on a blue sky. But above all you are, A shooting Star.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Michael Wiggill Grade 8 The Choice You are not the wind in the orchard, The plums on the counter, -Billy Collins You are not the wind in the orchard, The plums on the counter, The sweaty shoulder pads tossed in the corner, You are the product, I am the product, Of the hard work, Of the pain, Of the determination, You can be the leader, The legend, The winner, And the champion, I can be the champion, But first comes the team, First comes family, First comes dedication, You will win, You will lose, You will live, And you will choose, I will choose, To be the team mate, To be the winner, To be the captain, However you are not the legend, You are not the champion, You are not the best, You are just a boy, But a boy, Is just the beginning... Mack Rush Grade 8
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 I Am Brazil I also happen to be the shooting star, The evening paper blowing down an alley. -Billy Collins I love soccer and I love parties, I love the city, I love the ocean, I speak the language that sounds like I’m singing, I’m everybodys second country to love, I can be as beautiful as two flying doves, I also happen to be the shooting star, The evening paper blowing down an alley. My national colors are green, yellow, and blue, My national dish is rice and beans, I call the dish “Arroz com Feijao”, My soccer team has won the most World Cups, When people see my team play soccer, They get pumped up. Philip Young Grade 8 I am what you’re not It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, But it might interest you to know, -Billy Collins It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, But it might interest you to know That I am not the cricket in the grass, Rather the bear in the woods. I feel not of the jacks and ball, but the apples and pears not of the art teacher’s smock, but the tissue on the shelf. I look not like cool blue ice, but rather the burning yellow fire less of the leaking faucet in the kitchen, than the sharp blade in the pantry. I taste not of the salty skin on the potato, but the ripe core of the watermelon not even the chocolate shake in the evening,
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 but of the fresh juice in the morning. I am neither the damp window pane, nor the wrinkled paper in the drawer but the vibrant painting on the wall, and the new pencil in its box. Don’t worry, you can still be the light switch flipped down, and even the less-than-moist toothbrush in the washroom But it is important to know that I am not the crack of the bat, As much as I am the animation of the base-runner. Will D’Orsi Grade 8
The Shooting Star You are the sound of the rain on the roof. You also happen to be the shooting star, - Billy Collins You are the sound of the rain on the roof. You also happen to be the shooting star, You are the glisten of the dawning sun and the mysterious glow of the nightly moon. You are the crown on the head of the queen and the sun setting in the horizon. Nevertheless, you are not the coconuts on the palm tree, the peanuts in the jar, or the clouds in the sky. And you are definitely not the quills on a porcupine. There is just no way you are the quills on a porcupine. It is possible that you are the barnacles clinging to a rock or, maybe even the parrot on the pirate’s shoulder, but you are not even close to being the smoldering glow of the erupting volcano, And the reflection a pond will show. You are neither the warts on a toad nor the lapping of the water against the rocky shore. It is relevant to know I am sweet as a strawberry in summer, beautiful as a palm tree on the beach, and sneaky as a salamander slithering in the pond.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 But don’t fret, I am not the sounds of the rain on the roof, You are still the sound of the rain on the roof, you will always be the sound of the rain on the roof, and not to mention the shooting star. Connor Shalleck Grade 8 Dawn You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun -Billy Collins You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. For there are birds singing as the mighty clouds turn orange. The sound of the rain dripping from the gutter is heard as well as the thunder and lighting. There is a faint sound of the first door slamming as the dogs bark in fear. The trees cast a frightening shadow a monster-like figure. I shield my eyes in fear under the covers, for they are my only protection. I see the street lights flicker off, letting mother nature take its morning roll. I hear my mother putting the dishes away and baby sister attempting to speak I look at my watch in drowsiness It says 5:14 Sunday. For heaven sake Why am I awake!? Peter Zwack Grade 8
Bread and Knife You are the bread and knife, the pencil and paper. -Billy Collins You are the bread and knife,
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 the pencil and paper. And the tie and jacket, worn throughout the day. You are the air I breathe, but you are not the baker and the cookies. Not the teacher and the test, certainly not the birds in the snow not the boots and mittens. There is no way you are the fish at the aquarium, but you could be the apples in the orchard. Maybe the student in the front of the class, certainly not the story in the newspaper, nor the puck in the net. Perhaps the ref at a game, or the leaves on the tree. I am the whole loaf of bread, the star on the tree, and the full water glass. You are the bread and knife, not to mention the pencil and paper. Sam Evans Grade 8
You Are Being the field of cornflowers at dusk And you are certainly not the pine scented air -Billy Collins You are the opposite of love... I am the reciprocal. I am the eager child who approaches you, the jealous trap that the cornflowers easily hide at dusk. You are certainly not the comforting pine scented air but the heart pounding silence of isolation. I’m the night light for the young child, yet you are the darkness that causes me to be here. I am the coat for the freezing person and the umbrella for the ungrateful.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 but sadly, you are the starvation in many bellies and the raising hair on the back of a wolf. you are the dream killer, and I am the dream maker. You are the fictitious monster under the bed. You are my brother, yet we are so far apart. you are what so many fear, you are fear itself... Logan Kelly Grade 8 I Am You are the dew on the morning grass And the burning wheel of the sun -Billy Collins You are the dew on the morning grass And the burning wheel of the sun. But I am the glimmering light on the moon And the forgotten dust in the attic. And you are the spotlight on Broadway, Shining on the brightest of stars. I am the tortoise Hiding in its shell I am the anchor Making sure we don’t stray away But you are the captain Always leading us in the right direction. I am the rat Chasing down pipe dreams I was the novice But now I’m the expert I am the soul-mate Always here beside you. Alec Gustafson Grade 8
You Are You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 -Billy Collins You are the peanut butter, or the jelly. You are not the foam on top of a freshly poured Mountain Dew, or the carbonation in the Pepsi can. You are definitely not the homework that I finally got done, or the TV show that I watched instead of doing my work. You are not the new paint job on a new car. You are, however the long ugly scratch on the hood of a new Ferrari. I am the smell of a fresh, new book. I am the secret ingredient in a timeless recipe, but not the creator of the delicacy. Greg Horn Grade 8 The Wheel of the Sun You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun -Billy Collins You are the dew on the morning grass and the wheel of the sun You are the heart of your team you are what makes it pump Everywhere you go, you want to be the center of attention you have always dreamt of being a sensation You are all about succeeding And never about losing I have heard the same But sometimes I feel like a mime that is trapped in a box A box that I can never escape but iIget no help, I am left there like an unwanted grape I am the kid whose first love was sports All I need is the ball and a pair of shorts Listening to everyone tell me I cant do it Brings out my anger like a candle that is lit But there are more important things to me than sports so hold your words I have no interest in your reports You are the dew on the morning grass and the wheel of the sun
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Koby Antwi Grade 8 Two Lines from the Litany Poem You are the crystal goblet and the wine ...and the burning wheel of the sun. -Billy Collins The crystal goblet the wine and the burning wheel Can not inspire the amount of awe that you do. You are speeding by, at unreachable speeds. While you still know you could go faster. You are the speeding bullet, and ski on edge. That hooks, and sling shots you forward. Every now and then, you crash and burn. Only to pop back into your bindings. I am not the speeding bullet, or the crystal goblet. Though I am striving to be more. I am working every day, to hopefully beat you But for now, I am not the burning wheel, or the ski on edge. That title belongs to you. Pate Campbell Grade 8
Litany Poem It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, maybe even the pigeon on the general’s head. -Billy Collins However, I am the red on the leaf pile in autumn, I am also the sea breeze sweeping through your hair, there is a chance that I am the lone patch of snow atop the mountain, I also happen to be the scent of freshly cut grass. I will never be mud seeping into your boot,
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 nor the day of coming home with no fish. I am the owl, perched on a branch, and I am the ant hauling food over a hill. I try to be the spark lighting the fire, and the orange sunset, sinking away. I will always be the throbbing heart, never stopping. Andrew Conway Grade 8 I Am That I am the sound of the rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star … - Billy Collins I am the sound of the rain on the roof, And the shooting star. I also happen to be the first snow day of the school year, Or your first A on your test. Often I’m the coffee you drink in the morning, And the cup of tea in the afternoon. But sometimes I could also be the carrot on your plate. I’m the tennis ball passing over the net, as well as the Nike shoes dashing over the field. But not always the pencil and the book. I am the island that has not yet been discovered, And the lost man trying to find his way home, It’s okay though. Because I’ll still be your first snow day, And your first A. But still, Not the pencil and the book. Eric Su Grade 8 I am A quick look in the mirror will show I also happen to be the shooting star —Billy Collins I am a super star.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 My fame is worldwide. My dreams are nothing short of something far, And I know that God is on my side. I am a famous NFL player. Best linebacker admitted to the hall of fame. Even my own mayor, Gave me championship tickets to my own game. I also happen to be the shooting star, On the Boston Celtics sports car. Draining threes around the ark Leaving my own legacy as a mark. But a quick look in the mirror will show, I am not a famous superstar, And I think I would know. For now I am me, a little sub par, But that is good enough for me, Because I love my own quaint life, And right now I’m not stuck in a dead sea. I move on, with the occasional strife. But for now, my NFL career will stay in my dreams And my game winning buzzer-beater Will be only an extreme, Because I would probably be called a cheater. But I am a superstar, in my head. My fame is worldwide, At least within my bunk-bed And most of my dreams are kept inside, But I still know that God is on my side. Andrew Chang Grade 8
What we wish we had You are the bread and the knife the crystal goblet and the wine. -Billy Collins You are the bread and the knife the crystal goblet and the wine. All about the shine, Which only lasted a short time
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 You always loved the lime light forgot the wrong only when the time was right, Just come and fly with what you’ve lost. Never focused on what you have, only what you’ve lost. All about your money but never the cost. Broaden your results with productivity, With perseverance remember what you’ve forgotten We have lost everything, you have lost it all. Leon Palandjian Grade 8
Disciplinary Litany You are not the wind in the orchard, or the house of cards. -Billy Collins You are not the wind in the orchard, or the house of cards. I am not the tortured intelligence agent, or the window pane’s glass. But you are the hawk flying overhead with glaring eyes and knife-like talons. I am the turtle sunbathing on the stepping stones. I catch you swooping down at me, and at the final second, I jump to the next stepping stone. You swivel back into the sky and inspect me again, icy eyes flashing contempt. You are the kung fu master’s whip, launching yourself at the sleeping and dreary apprentices. You are the predator, and I am the prey, I am the victim of your pain. In a split second, my pride vanishes into thin air, and my attempt to run fails. I fall to the ground and bleed.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 But you are the blazing fire spreading love and warmth to me, always healing my injuries and helping me rise. I find myself running back to you, despite being the hawk and whip, because you are the teacher, and I am the student. Only with your constant pressure may I grow wings to fly off of the stepping stones and into the sky. Alex Yu Grade 8
I Am It might interest you to know, that I am the sound of rain on the roof. -Billy Collins It might interest you to know, that I am the sound of rain on the roof. You, are the sound of the pebbles being stepped on, and the shavings of a twig. But you can’t be the grazing cows, because he is the grazing cows. He is the manure scented field, and the barn full of wheat. What you can be is the tractor. The tractor that cuts the manure scented field, or the tractor that cuts the green crisp grass behind the barn. I am the rain boots lying by the door, and the pothole in the flooded road. But I can’t be the hay filled wagon, you are the hay filled wagon. You lie in the road with the rain, and sit atop the clean cut grass. You might be the car, but I am the driver. Summet Nicholas Grade 8
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I Am You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. -Billy Collins You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. I am the brilliant red sky at dusk and the cold winter night air. You are the heat of the summer and the heavy rain of the spring. I am the cold of the winter and the wind of the fall. You say we are not opposites and I say we are. If you are the dog then I must be the cat This is how it is. You are the empty black of space and I am the dense white clouds. You the summer and I the winter. You will always be the dew on the morning grass and I will always be the brilliant red sky at dusk. Alex Ortiz Grade 8
The Burning Wheel of the Sun I am the sound of the rain on the roof and the burning wheel of the sun. -Billy Collins I am the sound of the rain on the roof and the burning wheel of the sun I am the feeling of a Bears win and of a White Sox victory I am the feeling of a snow day which should be tomorrow I am wind in you face
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 as you run up to the lead I am the feeling of a cold Dr Pepper on a hot day I am also the feeling of hot chocolate on a cold day I am the feeling of sleeping in past noon I am also the feeling of staying up until 3 in the morning I am the feeling of listening to The Beatles I am a vinyl record playing I am the sound of the rain on the roof and the burning wheel of the sun David Westcott Grade 8
White Breasted Nuthatch Gracefully, the white breasted nuthatch hangs in the air looking for food or places to build a nest. The nuthatch is a very interesting bird because of its perching habits. The white breasted nuthatch has many interesting characteristics. The nuthatch is very social. It loves to be around other birds. The nuthatch is also very smart. This bird is one of the smaller type birds; the nuthatch is six inches which is proven to sparrow size. The nuthatch likes to spend its day in the trees. The nuthatch is small and it is also very light so it can fly quickly. It is not a migrating bird. It is an amazing creature! The nuthatch has many other interesting characteristics. It likes to hang above the feeder instead of right next to the precious food. However, it is very quick to accept feeders. The nuthatch has a short tail which is also part of its smallness. It likes to stay near its nest because it is very protective of its young. The beautiful bird’s scientific name is Sitta Carolinensis. It is a Latin word, but I am not quite sure what it means. The nuthatch is a very simple eater. It eats various nuts, spiders, seeds, insects and fruit. The bird mainly does not eat a lot. The nuthatch seems to like North America. It mostly lives in trees. It lives all over America. The amazing bird does not like to live up north in Canada because it prefers the warm weather. It mostly lives in deciduous forests and it roosts in tree cavities in the winter. The nuthatch is immediately vulnerable to its habitat. The nuthatch has many very interesting adaptations. The nuthatch has rapid
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 wings. However, it has a weak fluttering flight. It has a long bill with an upturned tip. It sings a “wee-wee-wee-wee� song. It is very strong in the chest. The nuthatch is another amazingly talented bird for its size. The white breasted nuthatch has an amazing reproduction process. The nuthatch is also monogamous, which means it only has one mate at a time. The incubation takes twelve days by the female. Baby nuthatches are brooded by the female. The baby nuthatch stays near its nest for fourteen days and then it goes to find its own food. The baby nuthatch is fed by both mother and father. The nuthatch lays five to nine eggs. Also, there is only one brood per year. The nuthatch is not even close to being endangered. Many people are starting to use feeders, which are a big supply of food for the nuthatch and many other birds. Its safer habitat is in the trees. The nuthatch is lucky because it is not hunted. There are also many nuthatches around the United States. As a result, it is a very safe bird. The nuthatch perches a very strange way. It is upside down when it is perching. Its beak points up. The nuthatch looks like it is flying straight down. Also, no other bird perches like it. It is very funny. After they are secured to the tree, they can also walk upside down. I had a great time researching the white breasted nuthatch and I’m sure that the white breasted nuthatch's most similar bird, the red breasted nuthatch, is just as interesting as the the white breasted nuthatch. This is a great bird to study! Nick Loring Grade 5
The Herring Gull The herring gull is a very interesting and smart bird. This is a great bird to read about, and it is a great bird to learn about because some people find this bird to be gross. This Herring Gull is also a very kind bird when it comes to baby and juvenile herring gulls. There are many characteristics for an adult herring gull. The herring gull has a white head and neck in the summer. It also has a yellow bill that is marked in red. Another characteristic of the herring gull is that its neck is extensively streaked in brown in the winter time. The herring gull has white underparts. When someone is talking about bird characteristics you would say underparts where the underpants would be on a human. The fifth characteristic of the bird is that it has black wing tips spotted with white. The last characteristic for an adult herring gull is that it has pink legs and feet. If you are trying to identify a herring gull then these are the things people should look for. These are some interesting characteristics of the adult and juvenile herring gull.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 One of them is that it has a dark brown head. Another characteristic for the herring gull is that it has a paler face and nape than the head. The juvenile herring gull also has a blackish color around its eye. These are the few differences between an adult herring gull and a juvenile herring gull. The third thing that is important to know are the herring gull’s habitats. These are a few of them. If someone is looking for this bird they will mainly find them in the United States. People can find these birds near water, coastal areas, large lakes, fishing docks, islets, harbors, sand dunes, cliffs, and in a landfill. If you are trying to find a herring gull these are some places you could look. Finally, the most interesting thing that people like to know about are the adaptations. One of them is that they have webbed feet for swimming. Another one is that they can swim well on water which enables them to get the food they need. Another strange adaptation is that they cannot dive into water. They can only dip their head in the water and eat any fish that comes by. Also they have long, strong bills that help them catch and hold slippery fish. They also have long, strong legs that are useful for swimming. The herring gull also has a stretchy mouth that helps it swallow its prey whole. These are six of the many herring gull adaptations. Next is the interesting things a herring gull will eat. If someone want to get really simple it will eat pretty much anything, but the herring gull does eat things that you might want to know about that you wouldn’t think a bird would be eating. The main place to find a herring gull eating is at a garbage dump. They will also eat scraps that are thrown off a boat. These are all the less appetizing things herring gulls will eat. In addition these are the more normal things a herring gull will eat. The smartest thing a herring gull will do is drop small shellfish on a rock so it will break, and they can get all the meat out of the shellfish. They will also eat small crustaceans. Another thing they will eat is small fish. The last thing they will eat is chicks and small mammals. These are all the normal things a herring gull will eat. The next thing is about breeding season. They breed in large colonies on inlets, beaches, or cliffs. The incubation period is 28-30 days. Strangely, the nest is made of seaweed or grass on the ground and not in a tree. Each Spring the bird breeds with the same mate and at the same spot. This bird will lay 2 or 3 bluish or olive, dark-blotched eggs. The number of broods in one year is 1. The fledging time is 35-40 days. This birds’ sexual maturity is 3-7 years. The herring gull will breed with several different kinds of gulls. These are all the details on breeding. The last thing that someone will want to know is the cool facts of the herring gull. The scientific name of the herring gull is Larsus Argentatus. The oldest herring gull in captivity lived to be 44 years old. The herring gull is related to the Ring-Billed gull, the Thayer’s gull, and the California gull. These are all the things you need to know about the herring gull.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 The herring gull is a great bird to learn about. It is also a great bird to examine while it is scavenging. While this bird is very interesting, it is also not endangered which is amazing considering the fact that there are so many animals that are endangered or already extinct. Jack Donnelly Grade 5
Two experiences I have gone through or know about relating to discrimination and inclusion. There are many examples of discrimination and inclusion going on in the world. I had seen some cases like this in Korea and America. My first experience was when I went to the Korean subway to go to the movies. At the second station, I saw a foreigner looking like a Canadian or a North American enter the subway. However, what I had seen in front of me was very shocking. I had lived in Hawaii for two years so I am very used to talking and being friends with foreigners like right now. In the Korean subway, it wasn’t like that. They showed great hospitality to the foreigner by leaving the seat next to him even though there was no where else to sit. When the foreigner was having trouble figuring out which station to get off at, they would look somewhere else or just put their earphones in their years. It wasn’t usually, like this. That was why I was shocked from what I saw. Another discrimination I saw was in the airport. When I was at the LA airport I saw men who look like they are from Iraq going through the entrance. They were covered in some kind of traditional clothes from Iraq, they had few layers of thick silk around them like Indian clothes. When they were going through the metal detectors the security pulled them aside even though it did not beep. They checked their luggage thoroughly. As I passed by walking towards my flight I still see them struggling with the employees of the airport. I thought it was not fair. It was a complete stereotype. The security might have though that they are terrorists or drug dealers because of what happened during 9/11. This problem is not that big of a deal because it does not occur very frequently, and when it does it is for the safety of the travellers. Kai Kim Grade 7
Getting Lost in Toys “R” Us I was thrilled. I had boarded a train with my mom and my dad to head from Boston, MA to New York City, NY when I was 6 years old. My anticipation in visiting the city was heightened by the fact that I knew I would be seeing my family and the big giraffe at Toys “R” Us. I stayed close to my parents on the train, so I wouldn’t get lost. It was Spring, late March, early April. The train pulled in to Penn Station. My mom, my dad, and I took a cab to Times Square. I got out of the cab, and there it was. The biggest Toys “R” Us ever. It was huge, and from the outside It looked awesome. I was hoping that I would have fun at Toys “R” Us. Luckily, there weren’t that many
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 people in the Toys “R” Us. But, I wasn’t really careful about staying with my mom in the store because I was excited about seeing the Giraffe. Seeing the big giraffe mascot was exhilarating. My dad went to find something to eat while I stayed with my mom. I saw the big giraffe and went after it. I would go back to my mom every couple seconds because I was a little scared, but once I got used to it I wouldn’t go back to my mom. I guess my mom called me to tell me it was time to go. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear her. Then I turned around and she wasn’t there. I was looking around but she still wasn’t there. I didn’t know what to do and I was in the biggest Toys “R” Us in New York City! I didn’t know what to do. I waited for a few minutes, worried. Then I thought my mom is always buying presents for people so she was probably getting something for a family member, and that made me less worried. So I kept on talking to the giraffe mascot. I waited some more, but my mom wasn’t there. Still, she usually takes a while to get presents for people so that made me even less worried. Then I waited longer and she still wasn’t there! That’s when I got worried. I was really scared. I felt like I was going to cry because I didn’t know where anybody was. My mom wasn’t there and anyone there. I thought my mom could be anywhere in the city. That’s when I found out the biggest thing that happened to me that day. I was lost and frightened. I had a worried look on my face and I was looking for anyone of my parents. I didn’t see them. I was so scared. I almost started to cry, but then it hit me. I remembered where my dad said he would be. In the Food Court. That was a relief but I still was worried. I was worried because I didn’t even know where the Food Court was. So I had to ask a few people. Some of those people were wondering where my parents were too. I could see it in their eyes even if they didn’t say it. Every few feet I would stop and ask someone where the Food Court was because... well because I was six years old. I finally saw it, and there was my dad. Stuffing his face with a cheeseburger. I ran to him and told him the whole story. Once I told my dad the story he asked me again, even though I just told him, “You don’t know where your mother is?” And I said: “Yes.” That’s when my dad got worried. So he said that we should stay in the food court and look around to see if we can find my mom. I was happy I was with my dad but if we can’t find my mom we couldn’t go home. We kept on looking and looking and we still didn’t see her. We both didn’t know what to do. We were both worried about her. We both thought that she could have been anywhere in the huge mall. We kept on looking but we still couldn’t find her. My dad and I kept on looking but still couldn’t see her. Then I faced my dad and I said, “I give up.” I felt like we would never find her. Then my dad said that he thought he saw her. So then I went back to it. I looked around then I thought I saw her. I went closer to where I saw her and there she was! She was looking for me. I was so happy that I found her, but I was standing where I was, not running to her. When I realized that, I ran as fast as I could neglecting everybody in my way. When I got to her I gave
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 her a big hug, and she gave one back to me. I dragged her to the Food Court and my dad was relieved. He was probably happy that he could have some of her cooking again, so was I. The lesson that came out of this story was to always pay attention to your parents and love them very much. Zacchary Bresilla Grade 6
Bird Report Buntings in general are very interesting birds, but the one that is in this report is the Indigo Bunting. The Indigo Bunting is abundant. The Scientific name for Indigo Bunting is Passerina Cyanea. This is a great bird to learn about. The Indigo Bunting has many interesting characteristics, first this bird leaves the nest 9-12 days after hatching. While flying the Indigo Bunting flaps a lot. The summer male is fully bright blue, also the summer female is dull brown with streaking under parts and a sort of white throat. The winter male is blue with brown buffeting, lastly the winter female has blurry streaking on the breast and the flank, the male is more colorful than the female but they are both interesting. The Indigo Bunting lives in a lot of different places. The Indigo Bunting is a migratory bird that migrates to Mexico. This bird lives in trees, near forests, and on the edge of fields. It also lives in shrubs. The Indigo Bunting is found near the edge of swamps. Wow! That is a lot of places to make a home. Indigo Buntings are mainly vegetarians, but they also eat insects and larvae. The Indigo Bunting eats seeds and grain. This bird eats weeds and grass. Last but not least the Indigo Bunting eats berries. That is a large variety of food for just one species. Adult Indigo Buntings mainly breed in April - September. They have 0.5 inch eggs and three - four of them. That is a lot because the bird itself only weighs 0.5 ounces. The eggs are incubated for 12-14 days.There are only two broods per year, and they are fed by the mother. A cool but sad fact is that parasitic Cowbirds lay their eggs in Indigo Bunting’s nests and when they hatch the broods have to fight for food. The female is the one who builds the nest. An Indigo Bunting nest is usually 15 feet above the ground. This nest is built out of leaves, bark weeds, and grass. The female has her eggs here. The female is the one who protects the birds, the female Indigo Buntings are brown, and they blend in with their habitat. As a result she is the on who protects the eggs. Most importantly, this bird is a song bird. This bird has many different calls, and it also has a flight song. It sings the flight song above its territory, mostly. One of the songs this bird has is, “Sweet Sweet Chew Chew”. Another song it has is “ Sweet
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Tweet Tweet Tweet”. This bird has a wet metallic “pink” noise as-well. These songs or calls enable the Indigo Bunting to communicate with others. That’s a lot of facts for just one bird. A cool fact about this bird is that it sometimes breeds with the Lazuli Bunting. The Indigo Bunting is darker and more tan when it is not breeding. It also is fatter when it’s not breeding. This is one interesting bird. Ben Calmas Grade 5
The Phone Call That Changed My Life I rolled on to my left shoulder, lifted the phone, and heard the weak sounding voice of my Uncle John. I could tell he had been crying. He asked me to pass the phone to my father. I paused for a minute, put the phone down on the table and just stood there. I knew that my family's life would change drastically after that phone call. I woke my dad up, he came to the phone, picked it up and said "Hello John,” soon his smile turned to a frown. Just seconds later my father hung up the phone. My father stared blankly at my mother and I and said "my father just died.” My mouth dropped, I stood there dumbfounded. My father walked out of the room sniffling, my mom swiftly followed and tried to comfort him. I had never felt so shocked or confused in my life. I felt a sudden emptiness in my heart, a sinking feeling came over me, I was in total disbelief. Immediately, I realized that I was never going to see him or hear his voice again. I was overwhelmed. As reality began to sink in, I began thinking about what a powerful presence he had been in my life. I sat on my bed thinking about the amazing things we had done together. Fishing trips, football games, golf matches and just spending time together. To my grandfather, family was always his top priority; even though he was running a multi-million dollar construction company, he always put us ahead of work. My grandfather is my hero. He worked hard, owned several successful businesses and was an extremely generous man. Two pieces of advice he had given to me were to always keep your word no matter what, and that with a dream and a meticulous work ethic anything, no matter how large or small the task can be accomplished. He accomplished this in his own life. This is why I strive to be like him as much as I can. Not only can I be successful but, I can become a great father and grandfather like he was. I know that if my grandfather could have said one last thing to me, it would probably be something that he had always told me from a young age, and that is to give your best effort no matter what it is, because even if you fail, you will always know that you tried your hardest and did your very best and that’s all that matters when it’s all said and done. This was the biggest turning point in my life because, I realized that family is the most important thing in the world and they can never be replaced. Also one of, if
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 not the most valuable lesson he ever taught me was, hard work and sportsmanship. I remember every time I saw my grandfather he would ask me, "How's school going?" I would always reply, "It's going well.” He invariably added,” Do you try your hardest every day, because that's all that matters in life. If you are the kind of person that is willing to do that little bit of extra work you will always be successful.” I honestly never really thought about all of the valuable lessons my grandfather had taught me while he was alive. He has inspired me to become the hardest working student- athlete I can be. After he died, I really thought long and hard about everything he had taught me. I feel a great sense of pride of knowing this. I want my grandfather to be proud of me, I want to work hard and be successful. Have a family of my own and hopefully a son to keep my grandfathers legacy alive. Most importantly, I will always keep a huge special place in my heart for the man who has helped me make a path to success in my life. Eddie Fish Grade 8
Stargirl: Individuality and Change Being an individual can result in many different things. At Mica Area High School, MAHS, if one is and individual, it means they are either a leader or a loser. Wayne Parr and Hillari Kimble are individuals, and they lead the group. Stargirl is an individual, and she goes from leader to loser. Kids at MAHS think people should follow the most popular person who sets the standards. “Mica Area High School was not exactly a hotbed of non-conformity. There were individual variants here and there, of coarse but within pretty shallow limits we all wore the same clothes, talked the same way, ate the same food, listened to the same music. Even our dorks and nerds had a MAHS stamp on them. If we happened to somehow distinguish ourselves, we quickly snapped back into place, like rubber bands.” This shows that kids at MAHS will follow the most popular individual at the time. At one point, Stargirl becomes the most popular kid at school, but then some of her actions make her lose that title. One can be forced to change or change at will. After Stargirl loses her title as leader, her boyfriend, Leo, is affected by the sudden change. He and Stargirl are ignored by the group, and even though Stargirl takes no notice of it, it really affects Leo. He asks Stargirl to change, but it’s really hard for Stargirl because she doesn’t know what the kids at MAHS think. But she really wants to help Leo. “I think you should try to be more like the rest of us, I said. Why? she said.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Because, I said. Tell me, she said. It’s hard, I said. Say it, she said. Because nobody likes you, I said. That’s why. Nobody likes you.” Stargirl wants to be with Leo, so she changes to Susan. But she sees that being Susan doesn’t change how people think. Stargirl becomes Susan and tries to act like the group. But then, after coming to school after winning a contest and expecting a huge mob, she sees only one person there to greet her. She realizes that even though she acts like the group, still no one likes her. Two days later she comes back to school as Stargirl again. “She sat beside me, staring vacantly at the sign through the windshield. Her hands were no longer holding mine. I groped for words but could not find them. When her parents came, she allowed herself to be led away. As she got out of the car, the silver plate slid from her lap and rang like a dying bell against the asphalt. Her father picked it up. I thought he would take it, but instead he leaned into the back seat where I sat and with a strange smile gave it to me” Stargirl sees that no matter how she acts, she will always be hated. But then as she’s dancing wildly at a party, people start to join her, and soon she is leading a huge line through a golf coarse. And even though people like Stargirl now, she decides to leave MAHS. But now, MAHS kids have learned to live their own life. Peter Knowlton Grade 6
Poetry Poetry, Enjoying the sensation As it filled my ears At first I hadn’t liked it But as I grew older I understood it How the words fit together with thoughts and meanings Different Formats And Designs To rhyme or not to rhyme Acronyms and Haikus
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 Epic poems and stories Many more to Discover Many more to Explore Ray Rivers Grade 6
My Favorite Room My favorite room is in the Hyde I dorm. It is not my favorite because of its size, but because it feels just right. To start with it is easy to keep clean, as it does not have much furniture. My swivel chair and desk are my haven, for I have my books and my music which are easily accessible on my shelves. Without these, there would be chaos there! My bed feels just like my one at home, which is an added bonus. I have grown attached to my room which feels cozy and comfortable and has become my favorite place on Campus. My room is extraordinary! Alex Denman Grade 7
The Hard Fall Accidents do happen, but sometimes having fun is just worth the risk. I think the things that are the most fun are also the most risky. It was a bright sunny Tuesday at my New Hampshire house, and my sister Katie and I were playing downstairs in our basement. My basement has a big couch and a TV. As usual my mom was outside gardening and my dad was taking a nap. We were playing a game where my sister and I jump off our bunk bed ladder onto the other bed. We kept on going higher and higher up the ladder after each jump. One time my foot slipped off the top step of the ladder and I came falling down and hit my head on Katie’s bedside table. Right after it happened all that I could see was blood and all I could feel was pain. I ran into the bathroom to see what my head looked like. I saw a big gash in between between eyes. When Katie saw all the blood, she ran and told my mom that I was hurt. My Mom put a cold wet towel on it and told me to lie down. It was about an hour before the bleeding stopped. Dad called a doctor he knew, who said to keep it wet by using Bacitracin. We left the next day to come home so we could get ready to go to the hospital. My mom took me to the hospital early in the morning. I had to have surgery and get stitches. I was hungry and tired and a little nervous. I was hungry because the doctor said that I could not eat until after the surgery. They kept asking me
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 questions about how it happened. They put an IV into my arm, and kept asking me questions about my health. Then a nurse gave me an electric blanket which could be warm or cold. They set it on cold so I wouldn’t be too hot. Then I said goodbye to my mom and they wheeled me into the operating room. I don’t remember anything about the operating room except for seeing huge black equipment with bright lights and dials on them. The next thing I knew I was out. When I woke up it felt like I had just blinked and there I was in the recovery room. My face was wrapped like a mummy with very strong adhesive tape. Under the tape was a cast over my nose and forehead. The nurses gave me Saltine crackers and a cup of Sprite to drink. I wasn’t in Children’s Hospital so the gas they gave me had a taste that was revolting. Even in the recovery room I could still taste it when I drank the Sprite. My mom came in and sat next to me while they took the IV out. I got dressed and my mom took me home. I had received 32 stitches and had to wear a mask over my face for protection. When I took off the mask to clean the cut, almost all of my facial hair was ripped out. Boy did it hurt! About one week later my mom took me to the doctor to have my stitches removed. I have been back to our New Hampshire house many times since the accident but I am always careful about the games we play. Katie and I have learned our lesson and won’t play dangerous games like that anymore. I know it was an accident but I learned that accidents happen very quickly. If I look closely between my eyes I can still see the scar as a reminder. Teddy Livingston Grade 6
Did You Get It Over? When you play on the Biddeford Pool, Maine, 9 hole golf course, you will have an interesting experience. That hole is the Par 4 sixth hole in the middle of the golf course. The second half of the hole is totally normal. The fairway slightly tilts to the right with a few sand traps along the sides, and the break of the green does not take a rocket scientist to figure out. However, there is an enormous 30 yard deep pit right in front of the tee box. It is filled with chopped down plants from other parts of the golf course. It really is not that hard to hit your ball over the pit, but the pit is so intimidating that when you are about to take your shot, you become very nervous. It takes an enormous amount of concentration to be successful when playing this hole. On the par 3 fifth hole, most people usually do not do well because one can see the big pit out of the corner of your right eye. The thought of the upcoming pit stays in the back of one's mind throughout the hole. When you are putting on the short fifth hole you can feel yourself become more nervous preventing you from sinking your first putt. When you finish the fifth hole you are about to face your biggest enemy, yourself.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 As you finish the fifth hole, you walk up a small hill that leads to the pit and you approach the tee box which is behind the left side of the pit. After you put your tee in the ground you notice that the pit is raised a little bit higher on the other side as you survey the hole. One can also observe that there is dune grass on both sides of the fairway, so there is even more pressure to hit the ball onto the fairway. There is a small patch of tall trees to the left of the pit. In the patch of tall trees there is a gravel path that you take to get to the fairway. The pit itself is about 30 yards deep and 60 yards wide. In it are lots of dead plants and chopped down trees as well as old golf balls. There is also a wispy layer of fescue that blows over it in the breeze. To top it off, if you are playing in the evening, there is blinding sun that invades your eyes as you tee off. Even if you clear the pit, you may never see the ball again because of the intense sunlight. Overall, the pit is a very exciting hole. The appearance of the pit makes you try very hard to have an excellent drive. It proves to be a mental and physical test for all ages. If you have a decent drive, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you hit your ball over the pit. Sam Rowley Grade 7
Turfy Mess of Paint Paintball is a competitive and physical sport in which you have a gun filled with paintballs and you shoot and dodge little balls filled with paint. Last man standing is the winner and if you get hit you’re out. That rule is so nobody can get nailed multiple times in the field, except it didn’t exactly work out that way. Fear is an emotion caused by being scared or nervous. It can change and effect your actions and if nobody had fear in this story it would’ve played out a lot differently. As I got out of the limo, I could smell paint already. I was starting to have butterflies in my stomach. When I walked into the building the first thing I noticed was a big red sign saying “Indoor Paintball”. Then I saw all my friends: William, Dineh, Brian, John Curtis, Patrick, Fred Seo, Sean, and Max Shim. They were all talking while they were waiting for me. All of them were saying how great it was going to be, but I knew as well as them, that they were as nervous as me. After my mom filled out the papers saying “We are not responsible for an lost items and injuries” and that kind of stuff we entered a room which had about 30 picnic tables. We got our equipment and started filling our guns. Feeling the paintball realizing that it was a lot harder than I first thought. That was not helping. Then William Slater made me laugh after he spilled all the paintballs, stepping on all of them by accident. I felt better, until I walked into the arena. The playing field was a turfy mess of dirt, blockades, and paint. After choosing teams we got to our sides. Since Brian Tanabe and John Curtis were the only
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 “veterans”, we split them up into different teams. I was getting more and more nervous, the closer the man counted to one. Then I heard “GO!!!” and I sprinted to the nearest blockade. I looked around me trying to spot my teammates and I saw all my friends except Dineh. Then I saw a body on the ground. I got the courage to go in the open. It was Dineh. He was covered in paint because he never said, “I’m Out!!!”. I helped get off the field getting hit myself. Dineh didn’t play for the rest of the day because of his mistake. Later the same thing happened to Fred Seo. He got teamed up against by Max and Sean. He was only wearing shorts which was the biggest mistake he made. They knew that he would back out so they decided to get him first. It worked. By our third game the teams were only 4 on 4. With less people you had less to worry about, but by then everybody knew who was good and who wasn’t. So everybody would avoid Brian and pay less attention to other kids; which gave me an advantage. The first thing I did when I heard “GO!!!” was run to the biggest balloon. Max Shim had followed me and we eventually were the last two people on our team. I heard Max exclaim “Oww! I’m Out!!!”. So I knew it was just me and the other team. I changed cover avoiding getting pelted hard successfully. While doing so; I shot William Slater and Peter Flaherty. It was just me and Brian Tanabe. I couldn’t find Brian, but I heard him before I saw him. He startled me when he said “Mercy!!!”. I looked behind where I was standing and I saw Brian in a prone position. He had snuck up on me and I was too distracted to even notice!!! I walked off the field disappointed but later that day I got a chance to prove my self capable with the help of Brian of course. Since it was my birthday party all my friends said goodbye, gave me a present, then left. I had a lot of fun that day and I want to play paintball again this year. This year I will know who to invite depending on who backed out and who didn’t and I learned how fear can change your actions. I hope I can do it again soon. As long as Brian’s my team. Ian Harris Grade 6 Popularity Being popular means having friends because one appeals to the tastes of the general public. This definition can be seen both in real life and in the book Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli. In life, when a person becomes popular, they seem more normal or ordinary, and everyone wants to be their friend. In contrast, at the start of the book, because she only cares about being herself, Stargirl is not popular to the ordinary person and has the few friends she does because she is different, nice, and funny, like when she plays the ukulele and sings each student “Happy Birthday.” People will tend to follow others and sometimes imitate what they do just because they are
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 popular and want to be like them. In the book, Stargirl becomes popular only when people begin to emulate the way she acts and what she does, even though whatever she does is always different than what the normal person would do. Popularity is not important in life, but in the book Stargirl being popular is all that matters to the students at Mica High. If a person is not popular then they can be themselves and no one will notice, but if they are popular they have to be like everyone else in order to stay popular. In Mica High, for a person like Hillari Kimble or Wayne Parr it is important to be popular because they are very insecure people and care what everyone else thinks, but with Stargirl she is just being herself and could care less if she is popular. If popularity matters to someone, then they normally go out of their way to make themselves “fit in,” even if it means doing something that they do not want to do or like. Stargirl is liked by everyone when they all try to copy her, but even when they change their opinion of her and she is liked by very few people, like when she cheers for the other school’s basketball team, she remains happy because what she cares about is being herself. Even though she is now not popular, she still acts the same way as she did when she was popular, because she knows that popularity is not the important thing. If a person relies upon popularity for their happiness, in life and in the book Stargirl, then it will seem to be the only thing that matters. Because Stargirl is happy being herself regardless of what other people think, she shows that popularity is not important. Max Alsarraf Grade 6
A Childhood Memory When I was younger, my friends and I would love to roam around of neighborhood looking for things to do. I live in a heavily settled, suburban area. This region of Brookline, known as Chestnut Hill, looks like it shouldn’t be a place near a city. The many trees and quiet streets make it a very comfortable place to live. I have lived there all my life, and I have gotten in my fair share of trouble. One of these times I vividly remember was a cold October day about two or three years ago. I had been playing football at my old school, across the street from my house, when a good friend of mine suggested we go Ding-Dong Ditching. My friends and I had done this tons of times before and we thought ‘Why not, we never get in trouble for it’. So we set off. We took our usual route down Fairway Road and went from house to house. I rarely was the one who rang the doorbell, in fear of being caught. We kept going down the avenue and we came to a house fairly far down the road. We got to the front and checked out the scene. We thought that this house would be the perfect house! A friend of mine then spoke out. “Guys, I hear this house is bad news. I’ve heard they have dogs, huge ones”. We smirked at him and ignored the comment. My
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 friends told me I had to do this house since I hadn’t done one yet. They instructed me where to run after I had pushed the bell and where they would be hiding. I crept up to the door and hit the bell. A tremendous bark came from inside the door, then another, and another, all coming from different beasts. I got a chill down my back. I sprinted away from the door towards the street where my friends were hiding. I was running and I heard my friend yelling my name. “Sawyer! Sawyer!, we’re over here”. They had changed their hiding place to behind a long white fence right across from the house. I stopped and looked, but it was too late. A man in his late 20’s to early 30’s came out of his house with 3 monstrous dogs trailing him. I ducked behind the fence where my friends stood and let out a sigh of relief. Their happiness only lasted a short time. “Sick’em!” came from the booming voice of the man in the house. Barks followed the command. Hearing the dogs terrified us, we ran for our lives. We went through the backyard of the house with the white fence. The barking getting closer. We hopped a gate to their front yard and ran until we got home. Now, I can’t be entirely sure that the owner of the house sent his dogs to get us. If he was just trying to scare us and make sure we didn’t do it again, it worked. The barking could have come from our minds thinking they were after us but we still don’t know. All I know is that I will never, ever go up the front steps of that house again, for as long as I live. Sawyer Tracy Grade 8
Fenway Hot dogs and onions grilling at the stand on my favorite corner, the one I always love to go to. The frosty rush that goes down your throat when you sip on an ice cold coke. The sound of the wooden bat making contact with the ball! Emotions wave through my body. This is a perfect day. A day at Fenway Park. When I walk up the back alley onto Yawkey Way, memories rush through my body. The Red Sox winning The World Series in ‘04 and ‘07, the first time I worked in the store, and when I first laid eyes on the towering Green Monster. I take a right into my father’s store, and am greeted by all the employees whom I have known for many years. I walk to the back room with a perfect set up of TV’s to watch the baseball game at any angle. I jump on to the couch and my body embeds it’s self on the cushion. Once I get a good rest, I head out to the ballpark. I walk through the shopping area where all the jackets and jerseys are. As I walk through the doorway the music gets louder and louder, making my heart beat faster and faster. The light sneaks its way through the doorway, only blinding me for a second. I finally emerge onto Yawkey Way. The music is going, the people are screaming and the weather is perfect. This makes it a perfect place to be on a perfect day.
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I walk into the ancient ballpark with the dim lighting, grab a sizzling hot dog and work my way up to my seat, pushing my way through. It used to be easier to navigate Fenway when I was small because I could just weave my way around. This is no longer true, adding a dilemma to my attempt at finding my seat. I finally locate my seat and sit down. I chat with the people around me who would be strangers on a normal basis, but I was at Fenway, nobody is a stranger; unless you are a Yankee fan! Next, I walk down to my grandpa’s seat in the front row. I know it’s his seat by all the sausage wrappers bordering it. I have a conversation with him till the game starts. “Play Ball”. Those are the words that involuntarily turn my head towards the field, and now I know that the game is going to start. The monstrous sound when the ball hits the catcher’s glove gives me goosebumps, because I know that pitcher threw a flamer. Now that the game has started I don’t take my eyes off the field for four hours. I eat hot dogs without looking, I drink soda without looking and I talk to people without looking. Between the innings I watch the jumbo tron, and during the seventh inning stretch I get more food. This is my simple day at Fenway Park. You might call it boring, but it is my favorite spot in every single aspect. It is truly perfect, and I love it. Fenway will always be my special place! Noah D’Angelo Grade 8
The Comic Caper Part I I just need to ink in one more panel of my comic book. I pull out my red pen for the final line and finish it perfectly. After months, I have finally finished my first comic book. One day my name, Sam Green, will become a household name because of my comics. I’ve been drawing comics of all sorts since I was little. I’ve tried everything from New Yorker/political cartoons to superheroes. My latest comic creation is called Adventure Comics. My plan is that Adventure Comics will be featured among several other titles owned by my yet to be formed comic company. There is only one thing in the way of this: my mother. My parents own a business selling office supplies. One day, according to my parents, I’ll own this chain of stores. However, there’s one problem with that plan; I want to be a cartoonist. It makes no difference to dad whether I get the biz’ or it goes to my 9-year-old brother, John. My mom, on the other hand, thinks that John and my four year old brother, William, aren’t “responsible enough” to own a business. Just as I finished my comic book, my problem walked into my room. It was mom. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Hey. I just finished my comic book! Do you wanna read it?” “No, actually I don’t.”
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“Why not? I’ve been working on this book for a month. It is going to become really popular one day!” “No Sam, it isn’t because it isn’t going to be for sale. You are going to own our company one day. Face it!” “But Dad said I can be whatever I want.” “Dad is wrong. Plus, did you hear about John, using William as a scapegoat, set off a stink bomb in one of the desks we are selling? The entire shop cleared out for an hour and a half.” “If you give me the company I’ll probably just sell it.” “HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT YOU LITTLE PUNK! THIS COMPANY HAS GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! IF JOHN GETS IT HE’LL PROBABLY TURN IT INTO ZONKO’S PRANK SHOP.” My mother was screaming by this point. “I’d rather run a prank shop than an office supplies shop any day. I’d even rather own William’s idea, a big store selling Thomas the Train stuff. Plus, why would I want to own a shop that nobody under the age of thirty would buy something from?” “I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ARE SAYING THIS! COMICS ARE A BUNCH OF CHEAPLY DRAWN GUYS IN TIGHTS THAT NOBODY READS!!” “Don’t stereotype. My characters don’t wear tights. If I get your company, I’ll get rid of the office supplies and turn it into my comic company’s headquarters.” Looking back, I should have just said, “OK” and put my comic book away. I shouldn’t have baited her so much. “THAT’S IT!!!” All of a sudden, my mother looked possessed. She threw my comic into the wastebasket. Then, she took the notebook that had all of my ideas since the comic strip I had done in first grade and threw that away too. Now, it was my turn to scream. “DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME I SPENT ON THAT NOTEBOOK?? YOU ARE SO THOUGHTLESS! STAY OUT OF MY ROOM!” If mom didn’t know me better, she would have called a child counselor when I pulled out my paintball gun. She walked out of the room and I slammed the door behind her. My mind was in a mad blur of thoughts. They ranged from plain crazy to almost evil. I hope the business tanks. I wish I could fire a bottle rocket and burn the business down. I hope mom gets amnesia and forgets she wants me to take over
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 the business. Then there came the thought that is the sole reason I’m not running an office supplies store right now. I wish my heroes could come out of the comic book and teach mom a lesson! I cried myself to sleep. I don’t know exactly what happened while I was sleeping, but I know it was the supernatural. I woke up a couple of hours later, but my mom wasn’t shaking me awake. I saw a creature right in front of me. I realized that the monster’s face was my own creation – The Mask! “No way!” I murmured. All of a sudden there was a bright light. Molten Man! “What? How?” I sputtered. “Hi Sam. You wished us alive I see.” It was in the gravelly voice I had imagined that The Scarlet Avenger would have. “No way!” I exclaimed. “How do you think we should teach your mom a lesson?” asked The Fin. “Maybe we could level her stores,” suggested Son of Satan. “Uh…that would put me on the street, and there would be no paper to draw more adventures for you,” I responded. “I do have one idea,” Molten Man started. “We could throw fire balls at the truck that’s delivering the desks your mom sells.” “Possibly,” said The Fin, “we could flood one of her stores.” “Or, we could keep your dad as a hostage,” suggested The Mask. “Guys, those are potentially catastrophic ideas,” began The Scarlet Avenger. “Maybe we should do something a little more innocent. More like a prank.” “Um, actually,” I added, “scratch the ‘potentially.’” “I still cannot believe this is happening. If this isn’t a dream, I already have a plan. Maybe you guys can help me.” Right there in the center of my room, I huddled up with my own creations and relayed my master plan. Part II
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 I woke up the next morning expecting that this was all just a crazy dream. I didn’t see anyone but there was a note. We went out to breakfast. Have a good day at school. In school, I could barely focus. In math, I muffed up five word problems. On my English quiz, I forgot what an Auslander was. The most embarrassing of my mistakes was in science class. When I was called on, I blurted, “The Mask.” It turned out the question was, “What is the difference between a Tufted Titmouse and a Blue Jay?” I needed the day to end. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was able to go home. I looked at the cake mom baked in the fridge. It was for her book club that night. I ran upstairs and walked into my room. Under my breath, but loud enough for everybody in that room to hear, I murmured, “Activate phase 1.” Son of Satan hopped out of his hiding spot and dashed down the stairs. The doorbell started ringing a couple of hours later with ladies from the book club. Son of Satan, from his hiding spot, watched with satisfaction. As usual, the book club talked about just about anything except for sports and the book they were reading. The moment had arrived. All of a sudden I heard a shriek. One of the ladies yelled, “This cake is piping hot!” A minute later, when they tried the cake again, it was as frozen as ice. After putting it in the microwave to thaw it, it was as hard as a rock and on the top of it the flower decorations had been replaced with the letters “SS .“ After that experience, most of the ladies (quite rudely) left the house leaving my mother stunned and alone. Son of Satan did notice one weird thing. My mother cut the letters off the top of the cake before throwing the cake out. Son of Satan hustled up the stairs. “Phase 1 went perfectly,” he boasted to the rest of us. (I did give him plenty of ego when I created him.) “Commence Phase 2,” I said with a lot more confidence. The Fin, still wearing his flippers, waddled down the hall to my parents’ room. Mom, who had had a long day, changed into pajamas in her closet and walked into the bedroom ready for a nice sleep. As she tucked herself in, she realized that her pillow was soaking wet. The Fin tossed a flipper into mom’s room and dashed back down the hallway. The next day at school I did much better, but I still couldn’t wait to get home. When I got there, I ran up to my room and almost yelled, “Let’s get Phase 3 going!” Mom arrived home in a good mood. She had a dinner party to go to that night. As she was just about to put on a brand new dress, she realized that it had a hole the shape of a hand print in it. Where the hole was, there was a burn on the dress. She was about to start screaming when she noticed some steaming orange goo on the floor. She put the goo on some plastic wrap and decided to test what it could do. She smeared a tiny bit on one of William’s toy cars and watched. For a second, the metal began to boil, but then it melted. All of a sudden, mom was determined to figure out
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 what was going on. First she called the hosts of the party and said she couldn’t make it. Then she began looking around the entire house. At last, she came upon a comic book that I had made. On the cover she saw a couple of characters that caught her eye. She flipped past The Scarlet Avenger, The Mask, and the character I dropped early in the development process. Then she came upon Molten Man. She read, with horror, a part where Molten Man melts his way through a six inch steel door. Then she flipped to The Fin. She gasped when she read about him flooding an entire room by willing water to come. Finally, she read about Son of Satan. She looked at an elaborate drawing showing him super-heating a wooden chair. All of a sudden, she put two and two together. She turned around and saw a tall man dressed in red and black (he wasn’t wearing tights), The Scarlet Avenger. She screamed and started to run away. Molten Man blocked her path. She was about to dive out the window when The Fin flooded the entire window area. The Mask and Son of Satan grabbed onto each of her arms. The Scarlet Avenger had established himself as the voice of reason in the group and sat down across the table from her. The Mask and Son of Satan blocked the possible exits. The Fin and Molten Man stood next to her. In his gravelly voice The Scarlet Avenger started talking, “First of all, we do not want to scare you. Nor do we want to hurt you.” Molten Man murmured to The Fin, “He should speak for himself.” “What, what? How?” sputtered my mom. “That’s exactly what Sam said when he first met us in person. You guys may be more alike than you think.” The Fin whispered to Molten Man, “That’s debatable.” “First of all, it is ridiculous that you are trying to stop Sam from doing his comics. He’s 11 years old. Plus, why should you trample on his dream? You’ll never know how good his work is until you read it. Trust me, I’ve lived it! He’s been doing comics for 5 years, and on average, he spends 45 minutes a day on them. He spends most of his free time creating comics, he’s taken his once crude drawing technique to near perfection. If you look at the work in his notebooks, even with the characters he ditched, you’d be impressed. You have to be a little more open minded. It might even help you run your business supply store,” The Scarlet Avenger finished. Then my mom picked up my notebook. She looked through everything, she marveled at the improvements of my drawing techniques. She loved everything, even the political cartoons I had tried and thought I had done really badly on during the 2008 elections.
___________________________________________________________ ALBEMARLE 2011 “These are great. Could you pass me his latest comic book?” “The one you put in the trash after Sam told you he had been working on it for a month?!” This time it was The Fin’s turn to talk, “You should be ashamed of yourself.” “I need to go talk with Sam. I’m sorry I threw the book out that you guys star in. I just hope he took it out of the garbage can. Please let me go up to his room.” They stepped out of the way of the door and let her pass. She dashed up the stairs to Sam’s room. I was just finishing my homework when my door flew open. It was my mother. “It was horrible of me to throw out your comic. Did you take it out of the trash?” she asked. “Yes.” I answered. “May I read it? I read your notebook, and I was so proud of you. It is very impressive.” “You can read it,” I replied. After 10 minutes, she put it down. “This is twice as good as any comic I have ever read. Probably better than anything I’ve read with the book club.” “I’m surprised you still have a book club after the cake incident,” I said with a grin. She playfully chased me around the room and when she was done we sat down and talked for a little while. Then I asked one of the biggest questions of my comic career, “Would you mind copying this and giving it out at the store?” She considered it for a little while. And then she said, “I don’t see why not. If there is anything we aren’t short on it’s copy machines.” Then my heroes walked in the room. This time The Mask spoke up, “Is there a way that you can get us back in our comic? Our work here is done.” I opened up my comic and all of a sudden a hole appeared. Molten Man jumped through followed by everyone else. They disappeared. I turned to the cover and there was a little note that said, We had a fun time in your world. Have a good life and whatever you do, don’t abandon our characters or your dream! Good luck!!!! My mom and I hopped in the car and drove to the supply store to get my comics business started. Ned Sheehan Grade 5
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