Kids Standard January 2019

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I S S U E 3 7 | JA N UA RY 2 01 9

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MY FRIENDS AND I

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

F E AT U R E

Index:

My Friends and I

Feature..................................................2 Editorial Calendar...............................3

Dear Readers and Writers,

Perspectives..........................................4

n 2008, thirty four students from the University of Virginia were taken to the base of a steep hill and given weighted backpacks. Then, they were asked to estimate how steep the hill was. Some of the students were next to their friends; others stood alone. The results of this study showed that students who stood with friends perceived the hill as less steep as compared to those who were alone.

What’s even more interesting is that the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared (Parker-Pope).

There is likely no person in this world who doesn’t long to have at least one close friend. As human beings, we are social creatures, which means that we cannot strive alone.

Being around our friends fills up our lives with meaningful conversations, deep caring and support, and the healing sound of laughter. When the times are hard, friends help us put things in perspective. When we are successful, they’re happy for us and build us up. Our true friends are positive people who inspire us to be

Experiences .........................................5 Reflections..........................................10 Poetry..................................................12 Animals...............................................14 Activities.............................................16 After School Club..............................20 Book Review......................................21 Educators............................................22 Parent’s Corner..................................23 Volunteer opportunity is available for students and adults.

Contact us info@kidsstandard.com Let us know if your school wants to partner with us.

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I

Arina Bokas

Kids’ Standard Editor & Author of Building Powerful Learning Environments: From Schools to Communities

the best we can be. In other words, with friends by our side, we don’t just live, we thrive.

Friendships are just as vital to our wellbeing as healthy eating and exercising. Our January issue “My Friends and I” is all about friendships!

Have fun reading it with your friends!

Reference: Parker-Pope, Tara.

“What Are Friends For? A Longer Life” The New York Times. Web April 20, 2009

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Disclaimer: All editorial and advertising material submitted to Kids Standard becomes the property of Kids Standard to be reproduced as seen fit. It will not be returned unless by prior arrangement. Submitted material includes advertising artwork and editorial content (including but not limited to: articles and images, art work and creative writing). All the designs remain the copyright of Kids Standard. Kids Standard welcomes comments and suggestions, as well as information about errors that call for corrections. Kids Standard is committed to presenting information fairly and accurately.

Feedback: info@kidsstandard.org

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Phone: 248-330-2408

E DFIETAT O RUI R AE L CALENDAR

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate February 2019 Taking A Stand

or fitness routine. Why is it important to you? How does it make you feel? Share stories of athletes, dancers, and other people whose lives revolve around moving.

April 2019

One of the common definitions of taking a stand is to publicly assert one's support of, defense of, or opposition to something. Nearly every day, we are faced with something that brings out intense feelings – something that we feel strongly about. Whether it is a political, social, or personal choice, we feel compelled to speak up. Why is it important to take a stand on issues? Is there something that brings up strong feelings in you? Write about something that you either support or oppose.

Research historical figures who took a stand on an important issue and made a difference for others.

March 2019

Embracing Wellness The term “wellness” is very popular nowadays. However, it has become so broad that it often lacks meaning.

American Heart Association recommends that, for health purposes, people accumulate 10,000 steps or more a day (about five miles of walking.) Few people do, however. Any regular physical activity can relieve stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. What are other benefits of being active? What gets you up and moving? Write about your favorite physical activity, sport, dance, JANUARY 2019

Creative Expressions This issue invites you to creatively express yourself. Do you like photography? Take a photo of something that catches your attention, add special effects, create collages, and share how this image captures your thoughts and emotions. Do you like art? Paint or draw a picture and write how this artwork expresses your ideas and feelings. Do you like to build and create using clay, wood, Lego, glass, or any other media?

Create your piece of art and capture on paper what it represents. You can write a creative story or share with us what other creative outlet (music, filmmaking, dance, acting, writing, etc) allows you to best express yourself and why.

May 2019

This issue is dedicated to Michigan Youth Project

Pontiac

Michigan

PROJECTS

1st annual Project for Youth: PAST,

2018-2019 Editorial Calendar PRESENT, FUTURE. Through the 2019 academic year students from public schools will be mentored by information specialists, designers, engineers, teachers, and university students to understand their city, County or State rich history, complex contemporary as well as create the vision of their successful future. Participating students will first learn how to research historical information and summarize their findings. Then, they will learn from their community and peers, through guided conversation, about their city or county, even State as it stands today. And lastly, student teams will work to envision the future—supported by all their prior work—and create an output to represent their ideas (e.g. video, models, drawings, creative writing, the actual prototype, etc.).

This project engages youth in the lives of their communities and helps them design their future. How would they like their personal future to look? How do they want to see their city? Their community? And what are they willing to do (the work they need to do today) to have that future?

Student final presentations will be held at The Crofoot in Pontiac.

June 2019

How Kids’ Standard Helped Me Grow Video Contest Each Kids’ Standard club is invited to work as a team to create a video of team members’ experiences with Kids’ Standard. Students will write a script, assume various roles in video preparation, and put together a short 4-5 minute video. Creators of the best-voted video will receive cash prizes.

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PERSPECTIVES

5th Grade Students, Herrington Elementary, Pontiac

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By: De’Andre Johnson

riends are important because they are helpful and we learn new things from each other.

The relationship between my friends and me developed over the long time we have known each other.

Traveon and I met in kindergarten, and Ry-Quon and I have also known each other since kindergarten and we have become good friends.

The difference between fake friends and real friends is important. Fake friends use you for money and snacks and don’t pay any attention to you.

Real friends don’t care if you have snacks, and they stand up by you when bullies try to intimidate you.

People need friends because they don’t want to be alone. They want to have somebody to talk and share.

Friends are special and can make a difference in your life.

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By : Promise Clarke

riendship means you are friends with people for a long time and they are kind to you and are respectful to you. They never stop being your best friends.

What does friendship look like?

When we are playing tag or hide and seek, that is what friendship looks likes.

Friends impact my life because they make me happy and proud of myself; they make me want to be an even better friend and person.

To be a friend requires that you act like a friend. Respect is so important when being a friend; respect your friends and yourself.

By : Vanessa Veloz- Jimenez

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riendship is about having fun and having someone to support you in bad situations.

You will have bad times, but your friends will get everything better.

Friends look nice. Friends never lie.

Friends will never talk badly about you.

Life would be horrible without my friends. I would be in a bad place, if my parents did not teach me respect.

I can be a good friend by not making or getting into trouble. My heart is full with friendship. Friendship is more than money; it is about having great people in your life and about having fun.

I

By: Rashard Villalta

like to talk and laugh when I am with my friends. Friends should be there on your good and bad days. Friendship looks like you and a friend having fun and laughing. I can be a friend by being there whenever someone needs me to be.

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EXPERIENCES

Caribbean Coconut

By: Rachel Troszak, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

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here were the guy drama, the friend group drama, the family incoveces, the future plans discussions that only two close friends could figure out together. This huge mess of thoughts scattered my head as I sat in my bathtub (which is where you can find me most nights) with a guava peel-off face mask spread across my oily teenage skin. It was 11 o’clock at night, and the only thing entertaining me in that bath was my best friend, talking to me on the screen of Facetime. I ranted about the week that I had just walked through.

“Jo, you’re frozen. Jo. Jo. JO! Dang, this service sucks!” I kept tapping the screen to try to get Jocelynn’s call to keep up with our conversation. I huffed a few times, and soon it all came back.

JANUARY 2019

“This would be a lot easier if I were just there,” I said frantically.

“Well, head over!”

“Are you sure?”

It was late, and I was worried because I didn’t want to bother everyone else in the Detvo household. But soon enough, I was out of the tub and pulling my skin tight leggings on, which wasn’t the greatest idea for semi wet legs. As the mask dried, I hopped in my dad’s car with a charger, extra clothes, homework, and a makeup bag, all half falling out of my backpack.

It was insane to make my dad go out on a chilly late night, but he agreed, and by 11:30 pm, I was walking into my second home, with my now crusty mask still on, some leggings that probably hadn’t been washed in two weeks, a radom crew neck, and my tangled curls thrown up and falling out of a velvet

scrunchie. To my relief, Jo looked just as big of a mess as me! Her tired almond eyes perked up when I arrived and ready to make us both feel a little better.

Her heated tile floors made my feet feel cozy as I set down my bag. No one in her family was up, and although I love them, I welcomed it.

As I was heaving myself up on the granite counter tops, Jo appeared from behind the freezer door. She pulled her hands back and I saw a container of white gelato labeled ¨Caribbean Coconut.” We both giggled, knowing that this was something we always ate.

And, of course, she had some at this perfect time.

Sometimes, Jo knows me better than I know myself. She knows what choice I’m going to make before I make it. She knows what I will want after being told something, and she even knows how I’m feeling that day before I even tell her. She scooted over and grabbed the spoons kept in the giant wood drawer painted black. Graciously sliding up on the counter, such as a seal would, Jocelynn sat criscrosed across from me.

And so it began.

That night, the amount of tears spilled on the floor could flood China in a foot of it. I sat there, thinking how amazing it felt to actually have someone there to listen and support me, not to mention laughing until we cried. That container, once full of creamy goodness, now only held the two sticky spoons, and the counter, once cold, was now warm from our bodies being there for so long. The rest of the night we layed in bed, online shopping and still talking about whatever came to mind. Finally falling asleep at two in the morning, I called it a good night.

I don’t think we ever fully stop to think how good it feels to just be with someone close to us. I’m thankful for the memories I have made and the realization how important friendships are to us.

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EXPERIENCES

At the Park

Swimming Class

By: Ella Lynch, 2nd Grade, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston

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By: Lilly Lynch,

ne time, I went to the park with my mom and my twin sister and best friend, Lilly. When I got there, I ran right to the swings. The swings are my favorite, they are so much fun! After that I went down the slide; the slide is fun, too, but, definitely, not as fun as the swings. Once I got bored from swinging and going down the slide a bunch of times, I wanted to climb on the rock wall.

When I started climbing the rock wall, it was very slippery and it caused me to fall onto the ground. This was a problem because after I fell, I struggled to go back on the rock wall because I was scared. When Lilly saw my fear, she smiled and said that I should go back slowly and make sure it was not too slippery, that way I would not fall off it again. I did that and after using the rock wall a little more, I overcame my fear. Soon, my mom called for me and Lilly because it was time to go home. It’s great to have people who are there for you!

2nd Grade, Bailey Lake Elementary,

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Clarkston

irst when Ella, Makena, and I got to swimming class, we were early, so we decided to swim a little before the class started. Once swim class started, we learned some new strokes. This was a problem for me because I was not used to the new strokes and it was hard for me to learn all of them.

After learning the new strokes, back kick, front kick and freestyle it was difficult for me, but I asked for

help. My friends were there for me, and they encourage me to practice more. Once I got used to the new swim strokes and practiced more, I learned that my new favorite stroke is freestyle because I think it’s fun and I like to do it. Once swim class was done, we got the chance to jump off the side and into the pool.

This is my favorite part because I enjoy hanging fun with my friends Makena and Ella and being able to jump. When we had to leave, I was very sad because I didn’t want to go home, I wanted to continue practicing the new swim strokes and jump in the pool more with Makena and Ella. Friends make everything better!

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EXPERIENCES

Another Chapter By: Jocelynn Detvo, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

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couldn’t believe it. It never really hit me until that moment. Of course, I knew that I was leaving, I’d known for two years, but I never really thought it would happen. When my parents told me they were starting to build a new house and we would have to be moving schools, I was stunned. My mind raced as I thought about why we were moving and when. I whined, and I cried, and I complained, and I was awful. I told my parents I wouldn’t do well in Clarkston.

Something in me thought that the house my parents were building would never be finished and I wouldn’t ever have to leave. I thought that I would be going to school in Waterford and graduating with the people I had known since my Daycare.

When my last day at Haviland Elementary came, I still refused to believe I wouldn’t be coming back. I was overflowing with denial as I continued the day like it was normal, but when the last hour of the day came, my teachers set time aside for me to say goodbye.

This was when the reality hit me. It was like I was living in a bubble and someone had just popped it. We really were moving away.

The thought of this made my world start to shake. I began to worry. I wanted to run to my parents and talk them out of this, convince them that moving was a terrible idea. I began to think about my life in Clarkston. Would I have any friends? Would I be as smart as other students? Would people like me?

I didn’t know the answers to any of my questions. I wanted to stay in Waterford.

I went around, hugging all of my friends and saying my final goodbyes.

Then, when I got to my best friend, the one who had been with me since

JANUARY 2019

Daycare, I couldn’t hold it together anymore. The wall that I had been keeping up fell. Each person, whom I hugged and said goodbye to one last time, chipped away at my wall, but seeing Michelle and having to tell goodbye to her made my wall crumble to pieces.

Tears started to flow down my cheeks, and my face flushed. I stood in front of Michelle, telling her how much I would miss her. All that came out was a soft “I’ll miss you.” My voice seemed to have left me. She was the one who shaped me into who I was that day. We were the best of friends and continued to better each other. I noticed that she was wearing her usual brightly colored floral dress with black leggings and her hair pulled back in a pink headband that matched her dress. Her face, that usually wore a welcoming and bright smile, was now stained with tears. She was trying her best to smile and look happy for me, but she was struggling. I felt like a glass bottle that someone had just thrown onto the pavement. I was shattered.

I hugged Michelle as tears streamed down both of our faces. Our breathing was uneven and ended up leaving both of us with the hiccups. We looked at each other and laughed. This moment

seemed to spark a sense of reassurance, but before I knew it, the bell went off for dismissal. The bell that I had been dying to hear every single day had turned into the bell that I was dreading. One last time, we told each other we would miss each other and hang out as much as possible, but I knew in my mind that things just wouldn’t be the same.

I pulled away from her after giving her one last hug, but before I turned to leave, I heard her say, “I’m really going to miss you. I love you and I know you are going to love Clarkston Schools.” I smiled at her again and turned away to get into my mom’s car. Tears were still continuing to stream down my face as we pulled out of the school parking lot.

I thought about what Michelle, my teachers, my parents and everyone else had told me. Finally, as I turned back to look at the school one last time, I accepted that it was okay to move. Something about the reassurance in Michelle’s voice and the moment that we bursted out laughing told me I was going to be okay, that we were going to be okay, and that this wasn’t the end of the world.

Friendships don’t end at the end of one chapter; they stay with us through the entire book of our lives.

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EXPERIENCES

The Not So ‘Greatest Show’ By: Cristina Tet , 6th grade, Avondale Middle School

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y heart pounded with anticipation as my friends and I shuffled into the crowded bathroom filled with nervous tension, turning the air electric. Talent? To be honest, I really have many, but I still found myself dragged in by my friends’ grasp, getting ready for a Talent Show!

I was especially nervous for this was my first and last time doing the annual Deerfield Elementary Talent Show. ​I was in 5th grade, and this was my last year here, so I felt I had to do it.

The tangy smell of bleach from the janitors’ spray bottle infiltrated my nose, breaking my thoughts and jolting me back to my reality. Soon, we pushed our way through people tending to their hair and putting on accessories, until we stopped at the bathroom stalls, where a few girls were leaning against the wall, waiting to change. We crowded together, taking a place on the wall, while I watched three third graders giving themselves pep-talks. I could really use a pep-talk myself, since we had just found out that we were going to be the first act, and the butterflies in my stomach had turned into birds.

Thinking of that, I looked at my friends, spilling out what was on my mind, “ Hey, guys, do we have to do this?” I pleaded.

“Yes!” they immediately shouted in unison, having heard this question many times before. I groaned at the exact same answer.

“Come on, Cristina, it’s going to be fun!” Isabelle told me, pushing me into the stall that had just opened. With nothing but my jelly legs supporting me, I wobbled into the stall. Before long Sophia, Sydney, Vivian, Isabelle, and I were ready for our act. Sophia and I were wearing matching white shirts and black pants with shiny red suspenders and bowties, while Sydney and Vivian were wearing shimmering white and golden dresses, and Isabelle in a tight red suit

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jacket. We grabbed our matching top hats, and we’re finally ready for our act.

The hats were a bit too big for me and Sophia, so we glued little cotton balls on the inside to support our heads. “ Hey, guys, if you’re in one of the first three acts, could you please hurry up, we are starting soon!” one of the girls yelled through the bathroom door, her voice bouncing on the walls and hushing the loud bathroom.

We looked at each other, realizing

what this meant. In nervous silence, we slowly walked forward. There was no turning back now.

“Welcome, everyone, to Deerfield Annual Talent Show!” our principal, Mr. Goetz’s, voice blared across the loudspeaker. We came up behind the stage and were nervously talking behind the shadows of the curtains, while Mr. Goetz was giving his speech. My hands trembled, and my back went stiff, when I heard Mr. Goetz call out our names.

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EXPERIENCES “ May we, please, welcome these five girls, Isabelle Bahorski, Sydney Baliet, Vivian Provo, Sophia Le, and Cristina Tet! They will be performing a dance to the song “The Greatest Show”!”

The auditorium burst into a round of applause, and some “WOOOO!!!!

Go girls!!” rang out. Our embarrassed smiles stretched up on our faces, as we slowly shuffled onto the stage, getting into our rehearsed positions.

I slowly looked up, feeling the warm light shining on us, stinging my face, and making me feel like I was slowly melting. I saw the whole crowd staring at me, and I suddenly felt light-headed.

“Come on, guys, this is gonna be fun!”

Isabelle told us encouragingly, before I could pass out. We all shifted nervously, looking at each other. ​I can do this, I can do this, I CAN DO THIS! ​ “Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for!” The deep voice from our music boomed. We grabbed our hats... and we started to move. Soon

we were jumping, kicking, raising our hands, and doing cartwheels, all with our trained smiles glued on our faces.

Honestly, I started to have a little fun, when things took a roll downhill.

Close to the end of the song, Isabelle was doing her knee roll, and for that she had to put her hat aside. In a quick movement, with a kick of her foot, the hat went flying somewhere over the rainbow. Isabelle nervously smiled, and I heard a few giggles, but we continued on to the last verse “ THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW!!”

Now, Sophia and I were supposed to jump onto Vivian’s and Sydney’s backs, like a piggy back ride. I jumped onto Vivian, but onto her right side, putting all of my weight on her side, and she buckled under me! We fell to the ground groaning and laughing at the same time.

Sophia and Sydney managed to perform the stunt, but while jumping, Sophia dropped her full of cotton balls hat. The cotton balls fell out of her hat and littered the floor, making it look like it had

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The audience burst into laughter, and so did we. Awkwardly, picking up the cotton ball winter wonderland and giggling, we walked off the stage, with a round of applause following us off. My heart fluttered a bit at that moment, and I realized that even though we messed up a little bit, it had been really fun and the audience still enjoyed our little show.

“Well, that was.....interesting...” I breathed breaking the silence between us. We let out a long stream of laughter, melting our small failure. We talked about everything we did wrong and laughed at all of it, being shushed by a hard-faced woman for being loud. I closed my eyes right there, the murmur of the crowd, the music from the next act filling my ears. I took a deep breath in and let it out. Though we might have messed up, I found it couldn’t stop me from smiling and having an amazing time with my friends. ​ Wow what a day.....

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REFLECTIONS

Being a Good Friend By: Norah Evans, 3rd grade, Springfield Plains Elementary, Clarkston

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ho wouldn’t want a nice friend? Being a nice friend is good. If you are kind and loyal to your friends, then they will be nice to you, and you can have fun with lots of people.

When you treat your friends nicely, they will treat you well, too. You can be playing with them, helping them, and giving them compliments. If you do these things, you are on your way to a good friendship. A good friendship is where both people are nice to each other, and they get along by bringing each other up. You can’t have friends if you aren’t good to them, so be nice to people and they will do the same!

A good friend helps others when they need it. If you see your friends are sad, then cheer them up and don’t just watch them be sad. You can cheer friends up by talking about happy things to get their mind off sadness, playing with them, and even just telling them that you are

there for them. Think about the times when you were sad and you needed someone to help cheer you up. It’s always comforting to have someone there to help you, and it is just as important to be that person for someone else.

Part of being a good friend is always including everyone. Leaving people out makes people sad because they will have no one to play with. Including everyone is a good way to make people happy, and playing with more people is always better than being by yourself. It is very important to ask people to play

with you, even if they aren’t your close friends, because maybe they could turn out to be your best friends once you get to know them. Including everyone is a great way to show people how good of a friend you are; it shows how you want everyone to be happy and have fun.

Being a good friend is very important.

To have friends, you have to be a good friend yourself. When you are nice to your friends, they will be nice to you.

You can help them when they need it, and you can have fun with lots of people by including everyone.

By: Audrey Esbrook,

FAKE

FRIENDS

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2nd grade, Springfield Plains Elementary, Clarkston

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e often consider many people to be our friends. But not everyone is a real friend to us.

There are also fake friends, or friends that don’t go out of their way to be kind.

Fake friends don’t care one bit about you. They don’t want to spend a lot of time with you. He or she pretends to be busy with others! If you ask to be included, they will say, “Sorry, there is already enough people,” so you have to play alone.

Secondly, fake friends are really mean, but might pretend to be

nice. Watch for when your fake friend (if you have one) is being a big bully! Bullies may push people and say mean words to them. Fake friends won’t try to find you on the playground when you are alone and can say really mean things on purpose because they know it will be mean and hurt your feelings.

So as you can see, fake friends don’t want to spend a lot of time with you. They’re really mean, pretend to be nice, and don’t care one bit about you.

Fake friends are the worst kind of friend to have! You should be able to tell the difference between fake friends and real friends; real friends don’t hurt your feelings; they build you up.

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REAL FRIENDS

What Makes A Good Friend By: Kiyan Shushtari,

I By: Olivia Spitznas, 5th grade, Springfield Plains Elementary, Clarkston

T

hink about your friends and ask yourself, “Are they true friends?” A true friend loves hanging out with you and cares about you. If you have a fake friend, you’ll notice that you’re not their first choice of people they want to hang out with; they might not even want to hang out with you at all.

These friends prefer to talk only about themselves, and worst of all, they’re mean but pretend to be nice to you. Real friends are different.

You probably have a best friend. Maybe you wear matching outfits, go on vacations together, and tell each other just about anything. How does it make you feel when you laugh with your best friend? When you spend time with your friends? It feels really good. You want to find a friend that cares about you. I have a best friend with whom I go on vacations, have sleepovers, laugh until my stomach hurts, but most importantly, talk about my feelings. When I’m sad, I can talk to her and she can talk to me.

A really good friend is something not everyone is fortunate to have. But if you do, you need to protect your friendship and be grateful for your best friend. If you have a good friend, go today and thank them for being a great friend. I am really lucky because I have true friends and I know that they would do anything for me, because I would do the same for them.

If you have bad friends, you need to think if you really want to be spending your time with them. Trying to tell someone you don’t want to be their friend is hard, but in the long run, it’s better to get rid of those friends so you have room to find a really good friend. You want real friends because they will make you a better person.

Surround yourself with good friends and keep a good friend while you have one; good, real friends are really important, and they help you go through life so much better than you would alone.

JANUARY 2019

3rd grade, Springfield Plains Elementary, Clarkston

t is important to be a good friend to others. You can be a good friend in many different ways, but there are some things that all good friends share. All good friends are helpful, kind, and fun.

First, a good friend is helpful. One time, I noticed someone being a good friend at recess. A girl fell down and cut her leg, and another person saw it and got a recess aid to help her. This shows a good friend because without them going for help, the girl would’ve been hurt even worse.

Another example of a friend being helpful is working on school work with someone who needs some extra help. I remember doing math problems and getting stuck. My friend explained the problem to me and worked with me to solve it; it made so much more sense.

I was very happy when my friend helped me, and it made me realize how great of a friend this person was.

Good friends are kind. No one wants to be friends with a mean person because it makes you feel bad and isn’t fun.

Friends are supposed to make each other feel good and lift them up, not tear them down. An example of this is when I was kind to friends by asking them to play with me at recess. This made them happy and me, too. When you are being kind to everyone, it makes them want to be kind back. This is what helps make great friendships that make everyone happy.

Good friends are also fun. If you are boring and have a bad attitude, no one will want to play with you. People always want to be with other people, who have fun and want to do cool things. My friends and I do fun things, such as playing video games together, going swimming, going fishing, and playing ping pong. These are just a few of the things that make being with friends fun. Having a positive attitude brings you joy and will make those around you happy, too.

These are three things that all good friends have in common. Good friends are helpful, kind, and like to have fun.

If you can be all these, you are probably a great friend and have a lot of friends as well.

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POETRY

Best Friends By: Sasha Bokas, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

Best friends What are we without them?

Whom do we trust without them?

How do we ever learn without them?

My passion is my friendships that are strong.

Friendships that will last a lifetime and will teach me.

Without my best friends, I feel

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incomplete and lost inside.

Best friends unconditionally accept you for who you are.

They are people who understand you and care for you.

They are always there for you and your needs.

My Best friends have changed me.

Changed my view on the World..

They are always there.

They always care; For me.

- Best Friends

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POETRY

One and the Same By: Madison Spring,

frozen, unable to stir. On the inside a cry for help, on the outside a smile you could call plastic.

12th grade, Clarkston High School

With silky, blonde hair and ocean blue eyes she struts into school so freely smelling of lavender and peaches ready to face the world.

She greets her classmates and her friends with a plastic smile. Double takes are made as she walks with perfection as if she were a mannequin standing tall in a store front. Her only worry is her status.

It is as if she is living in the penthouse and looking up at her is the student body, her peasants.

With frizzy, brunette locks and black abyss eyes she feels as if she is a peasant floating through life, not knowing whether to go left or right. She drifts her way into school everyday, worrying about her home status whether she will have a hot meal on the table or a bed to lie on that night.

The world has handed her a deck of cards, now she must deal them. She feels trapped in a mannequin,

JANUARY 2019

Saying a quick hello, yet ignoring the outcasts, she heads for the plastics.

She gets in her pearly-white jeep and puts the key in the ignition. Her mannequin smile falls as she drives away from a place she calls her “favorite” not worrying about her status.

Walking with confidence, her peasants

As she drives away from her school

part the hallway as if it were the Red Sea and she were an Israelite mannequin.

mask is torn off and away from her face, leaving just her. Just her. A peasant

She gossips about what is the latest at her school and her small town. Her school is her world, and her world is her school. Her school has always been her world.

She doesn't know the difference between the word reputation and the word status.

it begins to fade. The plastic

among many, including her mother and father, who were once her world.

She hops on her bike and away she goes from the one thing in her world that she can call home. Her mannequin smile begins to weaken as she remembers her home status

Ignoring her teachers, her classmates, and her “friends”, not worrying about her status

Not a hot meal nor a bed to call her own, but only a temporary blow up bed made of plastic.

she heads straight for the outcasts, not the plastics.

She looks forward to the day when her home is her home and her school is her school.

They discuss how abnormally beautiful the world is, yet how unfair and terrifying it can be for the outcasts and the peasants.

Even if they have an opposing status at school, they could possibly have the identical status

She looks around at her friends, the town, and school

at home. Be kind to one another. A simple “hello” and the plastic

And notices that everyone strives to be a mannequin

on our faces may begin to crack and we can open up to others in the world we call high school.

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ANIMALS

By: Izzy Carter, 9th Grade, Clarkston Junior High School

O

n Saturday, November 25th, 2017, my family and I were on our way to my cousin Rylee’s house to watch my favorite game of the year, The Ohio State - Michigan game.

And little did I know that I would meet my new best friend.

Once we arrived and settled in, Rylee took me into the rearranged dining room.

Inside, was a large fenced in area holding six four-week-old Golden Retriever puppies. I immediately jumped into their large white pen and sat down. Puppies ran around me like crazy, barking with the softest tone and trying to nibble on my hands. All of them, except for this one particular puppy. He had a golden brown coat and tiny fuzzy ears; he was the biggest in the litter and wasn’t afraid to run right up into my arms.

Surprised, I held him gently, his warm, rough tongue sliding across my nose. My hands rubbed his soft golden fuzz; he felt so right in my arms. He was the perfect puppy for me, but I knew that my parents would never let me get another dog. I let that thought brush past 14

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me, enjoying every minute I shared with this most amazing puppy.

“The game is about to start,” I heard my mom’s voice, so I leaped out of the puppy pen and ran to the living room to watch. By halftime, my cousins brought all six adorable puppies into the living room for everyone to play. Once again, that special puppy ran right back up to me. He slowly stumbled onto my lap, resting his small face against my knees.

It was so touching and sweet that I knew even my mom could tell that he was the puppy for me. For the rest of the game, the puppy sat comfortably on my lap and never once tried to squirm away. By the time the game was over, I finally got up the courage to ask my mom if I could keep him.

“We already have a dog, and it wouldn’t be fair to him,” she replied.

I was about to give up on the chance of keeping this puppy, when my Aunt told my mom that only one of the puppies had not been sold yet and all six of my cousins wanted to keep one in the family so they could always visit. My mom was giving it a thought now, but I had to convince my dad. He was at the football game so I knew I had a few more hours

before I was going to see him. This left me with a lot of time to think about what I was going to say.

Rylee, Sydnee, and I decided I should pick a name for the puppy.

Surprisingly, that didn’t take very long because I thought of the perfect name, Bosa! Bosa is the last name of an Ohio State player, and I knew that my whole family would approve of the name; it was perfect.

Once it was time for us to head back to my grandma’s house, I had to say goodbye to my cousins and the puppies. I picked up Bosa and gave him a goodbye hug, as his tongue brushed up against my check. After a thirtyminute drive up and down long windy roads, we finally arrived at my grandma’s house. I told her about all the fun I had and about the perfect puppy I met.

My dad got back home a bit later, and this was my time to ask. I explained to him how much the puppy meant to me and promised to take care of him forever. Though my dad didn’t seem very impressed, he told me he would think about it. And to my surprise, two weeks later he was driving back to Ohio to pick up my new forever best friend!

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F EI M AT RE AN AU LS

My Furry Friend By: Josh John, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

I

t was the day after Christmas.

Snow covered the ground for miles unending with wind blowing through the air rustling trees.

The sound of children playing filled the air. For many people, Christmas is one of the best times of the year, as it is for me and my family, but Christmas 2017 was very special: My

family and I had decided to go to the pet store the day after Christmas.

The pet store was called Petland, and it was located in Novi, Michigan, 50 minutes away from home. We had no actual intention of getting a pet; we were just going to look. Both my brother and sister were somewhat afraid of dogs and didn’t like them that much. My mom was working that day, and my brother was as JANUARY 2019

stubborn as ever and refused to come with the rest of us.

After dropping my brother at my grandma’s house, my dad, four sisters and I headed off to Petland.

During the car ride, we joked about getting a dog. “Wouldn’t it be funny if we got a dog without mom!” I joked and we all laughed. I thought about how crazy it would be to get a dog, but I didn’t want to give myself false hope.

Petland was located in a mall. As soon as we entered the store, I started pushing everyone out of the way, anxious to get a look at the puppies.

The atmosphere was incredible: Dogs everywhere, families all around, kids with the look of excitement on their faces. I saw one family playing with a puppy, fur whiter than snow, eyes so clear that you could see them in the midst of darkness. We walked to the area where the dogs were kept. There were several clear containers, some big and some small, with several dogs per container. All of them adorable, little puppies. My siblings and I looked at the puppies deciding which ones we wanted to meet.

“What about this dog?” I pointed at a black and white small, fragile Teddy Bear mix. Her eyes were innocent, paws tiny, head the size of a softball, and her fur was so very pure in its colors. We all agreed we liked her. My sister and I asked the worker to take her out for us so we could go into a pen area to play with her. When we got into a big square containment unit, the worker placed her on the ground.

She began to look around and sniff the air. Then, as if she knew that I was the person for her, she started walking, pacing back and forth, and finally approached and gave me a soft lick on my pants. I picked her up, looked into her eyes, and in an instant, I knew I wouldn’t leave that pet store without her held proudly in

my arms. We all fell in love with her instantly. She was very well-behaved and would sit very calmly at points throughout our time there.

After a lot of talking and convincing on our part, my dad was considering buying this dog. My palms sweating, my heart racing with excitement, the only thing I could think was What if... What if we actually got a dog?

Finally, my dad gave his approval on the condition that our mom would agree as well. We called her, showed her the dog over Facetime, and begged until she agreed.The only problem was my brother, who wasn’t with us and needed to approve. In our disperate excitement, we convinced our dad to drive 50 minutes back to get our brother and 50 minutes back to the pet store.

We were all anxious to know if we were actually going to get a dog. We got to the store, once again got out of the car, and walked inside. Our brother met the dog, and in one life deciding moment he said, “I want to get this dog!” With all of us excited, my dad began to talk prices with one of the workers, and after much discussion, the price was set and he began to sign the papers. The sound of joy filled the room from my family alone. I started imagining what the future would be like. What it would be like to have a dog for the first time.

What it would be like to train a dog.

What it would be like to have a new part of our family.

After about ten very long minutes, the papers had been signed and we began to load all of the things we were getting for our new friend into a cart. Inside, I was screaming a scream of joy. This entire day was a miracle, and the things occurred that seemed impossible the day before. My world changed from this small experience of bringing home my new furry friend.

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AC T I V I T I E S

Games to Play with Your Friends By: Kolin Bajoka, 1st grade, Doherty Elementary, West Bloomfield

O

ne of my favorite things to do with my friends is to play Hide and Go Seek. I find it that many of my friends like it, too. My other favorite thing to play is Tag. Then, there is also our own game.

One of my cousins made a game, called Midnight. One person is the ghost, and the other person counts till midnight from 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock……… all the way to 12 o’clock. When it is midnight, he or she starts looking to find the ghost. Once the ghost is found, the person wins! Maybe you can play Midnight with your friends!

By: Prince Geter, Kindergarten, Doherty Elementary School, West Bloomfield

By: Riya Gowda,

By: Jiyaa Gowda,

1st grade, Doherty Elementary,

1st grade, Doherty Elementary, West Bloomfield

love to play with my friends. It is best when I have friends over at my house and I have play dates. Jack is often my playdate. We have a secret Hide and Seek place. Sometimes, we pretend we are driving race cars and we just run outside. Older friends like to play Rock, Scissor, Shoe. It’s fun sometimes.

West Bloomfield

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I

have two good friends.

One of my friend’s name is Adhya and the other is Insya. They both have “ya” at the end of their name. We play on the swing and different math games.

S

ome of my friends are my neighbors, some are my classmates, and some are my cousins. I play many different things with my friends, such as riding our bicycles or doing some coloring. We also do digging rocks and bones in the sand box or sometimes make things. When I play with my friends, it makes me happy.

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AC T I V I T I E S

CHELSEA O’BRIEN Get ahead of the pack with an injury-free body.

Dr. Shony Reuven treating a patient

By: Sophia Tadavich, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

I

It’s the best feeling when your body is injury-free and balanced, so you can perform at 100%. When you have a nagging injury or pain, performance suffers and your events just aren’t as fun. We’re focused on helping you bring your healthiest, most balanced self to all of your activities.

Core Physical Therapy provides comprehensive physical therapy with specialties in the treatment and rehabilitation of the spine, shoulder, knee, foot and ankle.

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one entire structure and identify the started working at the Clarkston Family Farm this past physical and mental patterns that summer. It is right by my house and provides great opare stopping them from being their portunities to participate in community work. From the best self. first day on the farm, Mrs. O’Brien has always been the most n Your treatment plan may consist happy and welcoming individual. Mrs.O’Brien is the person of hands on manual therapy, Dry Needling, Gua Sha instrument who started the farm, so kids in our community could have release, and therapeutic exercise. fun while learning about the environment. Looking back, when I first stepped my foot on the farm, I had no idea what I was going to gain from it.

5896 Dixie Hwy Clarkston, Michigan 48346 The Clarkston Family Farm provides many opportunities to (248) 461-6674 www.clarkstoncorept.com give back to the community, such as Scamp Camp, Camp Wild, Garden Club, and much more. Mrs. O’Brien is a hero to me, because she started this whole program from the bottom and made it into a program that has impacted so many people in a positive way. I remember when we had the Scamp kids visit, all she wanted Visit flipspotgym.com for more info was for them to be happy. She let them do "Bring in this ad to save any station for however much time they $10.00 off first month's tuition for new students." wanted. When someone was upset, she would always come over and accommodate to his or her needs. This is only one example of why Mrs. O’Brien is a hero to me and our community. She has opened the farm to everyone in our community, making sure happiness and learning are possible together.

Overall, Mrs. O’Brien has had a huge impact on me, my family, friends, and our community. She is very humble and will never admit this, but she deserves the world of acknowledgement for what she has done for the community.

JANUARY 2019

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AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

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Down:

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11.

12.

Across:

4. A plan for how you will spend the money you earn 5. The “rental fee” for borrowing money 9. A card used to spend money from your checking account 12. When you take money out of your account 13. An item that can be taken away if you don’t pay your loan back on time 14. Money that you owe others 15. When you pay someone monthly to borrow property they own (tools, a car, somewhere to live) 16. When you put money into your account

13.

14.

15.

16.

1. A type of card used to borrow money that must be paid back with a monthly bill 2. When you hold on to money to use in the future 3. A secret 4-digit number tied to a debit or ATM card that you should never share with anyone 6. You should start saving early for this so you can leave your job at a reasonable age and live comfortably 7. This is a specific target you set for yourself to save up 8. A cost you pay for a service 10. The concept that prices will rise over time 11. Money given to someone to repay money borrowed

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BOOK REVIEW

Friendship in Breakaway, Kat Spears By: Bella Babcock, 7th grade, Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston

I

n the book “Breakaway” written

by Kat Spears, a boy named Jason Marshall is going through a very emotional time in his life as he has just lost his little sister, Sylvia, a popular cheerleader, who died in a coma.

His mom falls into a very depressing state, and eventually Jason starts avoiding coming home because he doesn’t want to be around the sad energy that fills it. His friendships become his safe haven.

The theme of friendship is central to this book. Jason knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates―Mario, Jordie, and Chick―to be there for him. He needs them more than

ever. But when Mario begins hanging out with the wrong group of friends and Jordie starts spending all of his time on his new girlfriend, Chick tries his best to keep the group together. Jason is not the only one who needs friends.

Chick clings onto Jason, hoping Jason won’t leave him as well. Eventually, Jason develops in interest in a girl, and now the fours’ friendship is hanging by a thread.

Author Kat Spears teaches readers to take care of their friendships. This is important because friends are important.

You should always check up on your friends’ mental health and dedicate some of your time to them. This book is for people who like romance and and drama genres; this book is a tear jerker and an amazing book.

The Cay, Theodore Taylor By: Reagan Vaughn, 7th grade, Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston

T

he Cay” is a very touching story about survival, friendship and faith. A young boy named Phillip ends up shipwrecked on an island with an West Indian, named Timothy. Phillip and his mother were on a ship escaping the Germans during World War II. Their ship was bombed. When Phillip woke up, his mother was gone and he was on a raft with Timothy. Shortly after, Phillip goes blind from hitting

JANUARY 2019

his head on the ship and has to rely on and trust his only friend, Timothy.

At first, Phillip is not sure he can trust Timothy, since his mom always told him to be watchful of black people. Throughout the story, Phillip and Timothy have to trust each other to overcome many obstacles and learn that friendship has no color.

In “The Cay” Theodore Taylor helps readers understand the meaning of true friendship.

Readers, who like historical fiction, adventure, books about friendship and overcoming obstacles, will enjoy this book.

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E D U C AT O R S

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

T

By: Dr. Lickerman

he Japanese have a term, kenzoku, which translated literally means “family.” The connotation suggests a bond between people who’ve made a similar commitment and who possibly therefore share a similar destiny. It implies the presence of the deepest connection of friendship, of lives lived as comrades from the distant past.

Many of us have people in our lives with whom we feel the bond described by the word kenzoku. They may be family members, a mother, a brother, a daughter, a cousin. Or a friend from school with whom we haven’t talked in decades. Time and distance do nothing to diminish the bond we have with these kinds of friends.

The question then arises: why do we have the kind of chemistry encapsulated by the word kenzoku with only a few people we know and not scores of others? The closer we look for the answer the more elusive it becomes. It may not in fact be possible to know, but the characteristics that define a kenzoku relationship most certainly are.

WHAT DRAWS PEOPLE TOGETHER AS FRIENDS? Common interests. This probably ties us closer to our friends than many would like to admit. When our interests diverge and we can find nothing to enjoy jointly, time spent together tends to rapidly diminish. Not that we can’t still care deeply about friends with whom we no longer share common interests, but it’s probably uncommon for such friends to interact on a regular basis.

History. Nothing ties people together, even people with little in common, than having gone through the same difficult experience. As the sole glue to keep friendships whole in the long run, however, it often dries, cracks, and ultimately fails.

Common values. Though not necessarily enough to create a friendship, if values are too divergent, it’s difficult for a friendship to thrive.

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Alex Lickerman is a physician, former assistant professor of medicine, former director of primary care, and former assistant vice president for Student Health and Counseling Services at the University of Chicago. He currently leads a direct.

Equality. If one friend needs the support of the other on a consistent basis such that the person depended upon receives no benefit other than the opportunity to support and encourage, while the relationship may be significant and valuable, it can’t be said to define a true friendship.

WHAT MAKES A FRIEND WORTHY OF THE NAME? A commitment to your happiness. A true friend is consistently willing to put your happiness before your friendship.

It’s said that “good advice grates on the ear,” but a true friend won’t refrain from telling you something you don’t want to hear, something that may even risk fracturing the friendship, if hearing it lies in your best interest. A true friend will not lack the mercy to correct you when you’re wrong. A true friend will confront you with your drinking problem as quickly as inform you about a malignant-looking skin lesion on your back that you can’t see yourself.

Not asking you to place the friendship before your principles. A true friend won’t ask you to compromise your principles in the name of your friendship or anything else. Ever.

A good influence. A true friend inspires you to live up to your best potential, not to indulge your basest drives. article continues after advertisement Of course, we may have friends who fit all these criteria and still don’t quite feel kenzoku. There still seems to be an extra factor, an attraction similar to that which draws people together romantically, that cements friends together irrevocably, often immediately, for no reason either person can identify. But when you find these people, these kenzoku, they’re like priceless gems. They’re like finding home.

HOW TO ATTRACT TRUE FRIENDS This one is easy, at least on paper: become a true friend yourself. One of my favorite quotations comes from Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Be the friend you want to have.

We all tend to attract people into our lives whose character mirrors our own.

You don’t have to make yourself into what you think others would find attractive. No matter what your areas of interest, others share them somewhere.

Simply make yourself a big target. Join social clubs organized around activities you enjoy. Leverage the Internet to find people of like mind. Take action.

As I thought about it, there are four people in my life I consider kenzoku.

How many do you?

Crossword Solution of page 20

Answer Key 1. Credit 2. Save 3. PIN 4. Budget 5. Interest 6. Retirement 7. Goal 8. Fee

9. Debit 10. Inflation 11. Payment 12. Withdrawal 13. Collateral 14. Debt 15. Rent 16. Deposit

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PA R E N T ’ S C O R N E R

What is friendship?

M

Maggie Razdar Publisher/Founder

any of us have people in our lives with whom we feel the bond the deepest connection of friendship.

As we read what students wrote friends can be , the family members, a mother, a brother, a daughter, a cousin or a friend from school and neighborhood.

I have heard and seen that friendship has different meaning and expectation with different people. Some have high expectation from friends and others don’t.

You’ll make a lot of different friends during your life, but true friends are hard to come by and far more rewarding. Luckily, true friends are pretty easy to spot, and knowing the signs of a true friend will help you figure out who to get closer with and who to stay away from.

Real friends make you feel needed, confident, and happy. Everyone needs a little positive energy here and there, and true friends have it in spades. Even when they

disagree with you, yet still support you.

Friend sthey cheer for you and they believe in you. True friends listen to you from their heart, not listening so they can tell you what to do. If friends are talking to you but checking their phone and watching their phone all the time. Are they really friends?

Consider whether you communicate openly with each other. With true friends, you happily share embarrassing stories and secrets, and they share them back.. If your friend is open and honest with you, it’s a good sign. If your friend lies, no matter if it’s about little things or big things, chances are you don’t have a true friendship. true friend will always make time for you, even when it’s not convenient for them. If they can't find the time to hang out or talk on the phone, then why are they even your friend..

Friendship should be a mutual effort on both parties. You should both be willing to show affection. Not everyone is a hugger, but everyone has a way of demonstrating that they care for you.

• Keeping things equal doesn't mean you spend the same amount of cash on people -- relationships aren't bought and sold. It's just about feeling respected and cared for by a friend, however they show it.

• Don't let your friend always come to you for favors and support, but get busy the minute you need a hand.

You should both be reaching out from time to time, not only to ask for help but to offer it.

Finally, friends with whom we haven't talked in decades. Time and distance do nothing to diminish the bond we have with these kinds of friends.

I have travelled many times, from college to work place from Canada to Boston, New York and Now Michigan. I have many friends That I keep in touch and they are very close to me no matter if we don’t see each other for months, we always make time to skype or visit!

Happy friendship time!

JANUARY 2019

23

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