June 2017

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Family Magic

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

F E AT U R E

Family Magic

Index: Feature..................................................2 Pets........................................................3 Things we love....................................4 Experiences..........................................8 Poems..................................................10 Fiction.................................................12 Family.................................................13 Vacation..............................................15 Memories............................................16 Celebration.........................................20 People we admire..............................22 Parent’s Corner..................................23

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here has been written a lot books and articles about the impact that schools, arts, and sports have on our children’s learning and development. For the majority of human beings, however, family is and will always be the most impactful part of their lives. Even the greatest teachers and coaches stay with us only for a while; our family stays with us forever.

Family’s influence reaches much deeper that we might realize. The moment we enter this world, full of anxiety and uncertainty, there are family members who stop at nothing to ensure our happiness. Family is the foundation of love, support, and a framework of values. Family members teach each other, serve each other, and work together through joys and sorrows. They share experiences that not only make lifetime memories but also give us a sense of belonging.

The habits of the heart are cultivated at home. At home, we learn our language, our religion, morality, and citizenship. But more importantly, families provide a setting for personal growth. The difference that family

Arina Bokas

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

makes in each of our lives is beyond compare. And in this sense, it is truly magical. Enjoy our Summer 2017 issue “Family Magic!”

Happy reading!

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PETS

Oreo By: Kate Raguse,

2nd grade, Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion

I

t was a very late morning when we went to Pet Smart to buy a guinea pig. It was so hard to choose until one of them stood up on the glass. My heart just knew it - this was my pet. My sister Sarah and I asked the worker if we could buy him, and Oreo had become member of our family.

When we got home, we got everything ready: bedding, a food bowl, an igloo, and hay with a hay holder. Then, we took Oreo out of the box and put him in the cage. We were so loud! And we were not supposed to be loud around our new guinea pig, because he was not used to a loud noise. Our mom tried to calm us down.

Finally, it was lunch time. Sarah and I kept going back into our room to see the guinea pig. Our mom kept telling us to eat! Suddenly, Sarah ran into the kitchen and cried, "Oreo is out!" I dashed into the room. To our relief, he was not out of the cage, but out of the igloo where he had been hiding. I think he was hiding because he was scared. After lunch, we ran

The Cone Catastrophe 8th grade, Junior High School, Clarkston

He ran,

Seamus whined in confusion.

his cone bouncing from side to side like a bobblehead,

His paws had ripped mercilessly at his itching chin

in synchronization with the clicking of his claws against tile.

until bloodstains littered the carpet.

Suddenly,

There was no other option.

He couldn’t even get through doorways without clumsily bumping into them,

The entire room was attacked by the crack of bubble wrap, one of the things Seamus hates the most.

By: Henry Sprague,

We had to give him a cone.

into our room and a couple of hours later it was dinner. We had spent that whole time hanging out with our new guinea pig. At the end of the day, we laid in our beds, wishing Oreo a good night. When he was new, he would sleep in his igloo.

Now that we have had him for a couple of months, he sleeps outside the igloo because he wants to be with his family.

An expression of pure confusion,

he collided with the basement door

about the object that gave him the look of a satellite.

and skidded to an unsteady halt.

It flew with explosive force around it’s hinges,

and giving up.

Then, I let out a burst of laughter so harsh I fell backwards.

We laughed uncontrollably in the living room with him,

By instinct, my elbows went back to absorb the impact,

as he tried to take the plastic monstrosity in.

expecting the rough feeling of carpet.

He fled back to the safety of the living room,

Instead, something else met my elbows with surprise.

He couldn’t understand.

The look in his eyes was priceless.

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and slammed into it’s frame.

overcome by defeat at the hands of a devious cone.

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THINGS WE LOVE

After The Rain Comes A Rainbow

By: Evelyn Dice, 8th grade, Junior High School, Clarkston

I

was part of a swim team, Great Lakes Aquatics. There were only about 30 swimmers on the team, so we all were very close to one another. The team was like one big family, especially after having swum with each other for about five years. There was a big age difference. We had kids on the swim team that were 9 years old, and teens that were 18 years old. Great Lakes Aquatics was a dream that would never end. The whole team was perfect.

That perfect dream got crushed on a cold December night, during swim practice, when our coach pulled us out of the water. I stood dripping wet, wondering what he was going to say.

“Our team will be ending; it’s just not working.” His words dropped heavily on my mind. Why? Why now? I

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looked around. Everyone’s face seemed as shocked as mine with tears coming down. We didn’t know what to think.

I felt like I just swam into the pool wall, forgetting everything. Coach Jeff finished his talk. Even though the tears went away when we jumped in the pool, they were still there.

Scared. Excited. Curious. As I was trying out new teams, I felt like I just didn’t fit into any of them. I walked into Lake Orion High School. I never thought I would swim on this team. This team is really good. Just walking in made me nervous. But soon I heard friendly voices, “Hello, my name is Lauren,” and “My name is Frannie.” After swimming 30 minutes with the team, I knew this was the one. I looked at my parents in the stands and gave them a big, double thumbs up. Maybe I could get used to this.

Four months later, I was finally part of another swimming family, and big changes were happening for the good.

“Evie, you are going to move up into the higher group after the state meet in March,” Coach Katie said to me one day.

I never thought this day would come so soon.

All of my old teammates were doing great on the teams they joined. Some of good friends joined Liquid Lightning as well. There was one person that I missed very much: my best friend, Grace. Grace

and I wanted to be on the same team.

After we tried all of the teams, we would tell each other what we thought about them. We had different thoughts. We realized that being on the same team just wouldn’t work. It was very heartbreaking to us and our parents, but they supported us no matter what.

Looking back at the big change in my life, I realized everything happens for a reason. Those who kept swimming improved their times and are going faster than they could have ever imagined. I grew as a swimmer incredibly fast. Those who didn’t continue their swimming career, focused more on their school work. In fact, three of our seniors and juniors got into their dream school.

Overall, I think this change gave us all a push in the directions we needed to go. I believe everything happens for a reason, because everyone needs change.

As long as we have our family, we can do anything.

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THINGS WE LOVE

Letter to Lego By: Carson Goetz, 3rd grade, Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion

Dear Lego,

all. My favorite part was when Joker got into the bat cave. And my favorite Lego sets are Bat Cave Break In, Scuttler, Bat Mobile, the Joker Notorious Low Ride and the Joker Balloon Escape. I really like these Legos because they are really detailed and they are fun to play with.

I have seen on YouTube the amazing Lego Batman packages!!!! They are super awesome. I watch Tom Burn, and I saw

his Lego Batman box. I was wondering if you could send me one of those Lego Batman boxes? I would be very appreciative and super super happy.

I am very happy that the Lego set for the movie came out. I’ve been telling everyone how good the Lego sets are and they go with the movie sets. I can’t wait for the next Lego sets to come out!

Hi my name is Carson. I am nine years old and live in Lake Orion, Michigan.

I’ve been playing Legos since I was three. Legos were my Christmas presents and birthday presents. First, I liked Lego Police, then Ninjago, after that was Harry Potter, and finally Lego Batman.

Legos are my favorite toys in the world!

Last week I saw the Lego Batman movie. It was my most favorite movie of

Unicorn By: Haydyn Miller, 2nd grade, Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion

M

y unicorn is something I love. I got it for my 7th birthday from my parents.

I named it Rainbow. It was the best present ever. The other presents were cool, but this present was the best.

The unicorn has white fur, a rainbow mane, a rainbow tail, and a blue horn.

Mostly every day, I spend with her.

Together we get lost in our imagination. Here are some things I do with her. I ride her, I pet her, I brush her.

One time I rode her to a rainbow waterfall and we got rainbow water all over us and we were laughing ourselves to death.

I am so grateful to my family for bringing this magic in my life.

SUMMER 2017

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EXPERIENCES

Cold Night’s Wrath By: Matthew Mayernik,

The goal was in sight, I made it through the first half,

8th grade, Junior High School, Clarkston

but I knew it would get worse through the cold night’s wrath.

The tallest zipline,

The worker took my strap and hooked me to the cable,

the biggest of them all,

I looked down and saw the trees, I wasn’t going to be able.

I looked up at it.

Hope I don’t fall.

My legs started shaking as I walked up the sharp stairs.

Not sure I was ready for all the anxiety and the scares.

I heard a creak and a crack, as I scrambled up, I tried not to look back.

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As she started the countdown I was feeling a little better, I looked to my left and saw my friend, we were going to jump together.

At the end of the countdown we took flight, throughout all the nerves I felt alright.

I felt so alive through the smoky air, I saw the finish right over there.

Deep in the frosty night I began to shiver,

I was disappointed as we started to descend,

the swoosh of the wind made my nerves get so bitter.

because the ride was so great, and it had come to an end.

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EXPERIENCES

Tube King

Sting

By: Gavin Conradt,

By: Alex Merz,

8th grade, Junior High School, Clarkston

8th grade, Junior High School, Clarkston

My mom put the car in park I pushed open the door and stepped onto the dirt I dashed through the dirt enthusiastically The dirt changed to metal as I ran down the ramp to the beach The scorching metal on my foot giving me an excuse to speed up When the ramp ceased the metal became sand My energy enhanced as my heart pounded In an instant the sand turned to thorns Huge spikes jabbing into my foot as I ran All I could do was wince and pull my foot off the sand Tan became yellow in my sight as the bee flew out of sight As the image became clearer the pain tripled Flesh turned to liquid in an instant as I ran to the cooling waters of lake Michigan as the day at the beach was surely ruined

The waves were as sharp as a knife We bounced off the lake like a basketball being dribbled, our boat going fast enough to be a lighting bolt, me and my mom pattered on the tube like buffoons, not sure if we would make it through the sea of boat,.

And suddenly Whoosh!

We smacked a giant wave We’re vertical, it danced around in my head It felt like the world had stopped Like ying had more yang.

Bam My mom hit the water hard, She had flew off the tube like a ball in a cannon We climbed on the boat it’s glimmer from the sun hits my eye I knew exactly what to say to my mom I was the tube king.

SUMMER 2017

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POEMS Family By: Chelsea Howe, 4th grade, Auburn Elementary, Auburn Hills

Family is a loving group of people No matter how mean or clean they are.

A family is always nice and funny And funky in a good way

Family Poetry

In the best way.

I feel the best way

By: DeJon Jackson,

To release my nice funny

4th grade, Auburn Elementary, Auburn Hills

And funky to be a good family.

My family is…… batter in a cake, An easy way to make.

It is a song.

It is like a bond.

They are fun.

Just a ton.

My family By: Sumana Alfashkhi,

Knowing its true love, Knowing it’s meant to be,

4th grade, Auburn Elementary, Auburn Hills

They give protection,

They are a song.

Around them

A castle

They get along.

I feel warmth

That’s MY FAMILY!

They are excited About being united.

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Like fire, I feel pink

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Like guards, guarding

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FICTION

The Math Wizard By: Anita Govindswamy, 5th grade, Deerfield Elementary, Rochester

R

Hills

ight on the coast of the island called Mathville, lived a wizard named Shapemaster. He was the evilest of all of the wizards that had ever existed in Mathville. Mathville used to be a wonderful city until Shapemaster ruined it. He whipped up all of the math problems on the island and put them into a jar in his cabin.

The water swished side-to-side, whenever Shapemaster touched it.

Without math, people became shaped like blobs instead of figures.

Poles were shaped like jelly-like letters.

The only area of Mathville that actually contained any math was Shapemaster’s cabin.The town pleaded every day that the math would return to their homes.

One day, Shapemaster rested in his cabin. His home was by the seaside. He grinned mischievously at the formulas he had written to return the math. The formulas were math equations. “No one will ever find out the mystery of the math!” Shapemaster declared.

At the same time, in a small town on the island, a little girl named Kia was playing softblob (softball without math). It wasn’t going too well.

“Daddy I hate this world without math!” Kia complained. “You’re a big blob; I’m a big blob. I HATE Shapemaster!” Kia then burst into tears. She sat on the raggedy edge of the tree trunk. Tears streamed out of her eyes like a waterfall.

Her dad came and sat next to her.

“If you’re so upset, then why don’t you and a gang of all of your friends go and stop that evil wizard. I tried when I was of your age, but I couldn’t.

It requires the sneakiest, savage, and

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severest type of people.”

“I get it, dad. I am going to try and stop Shapemaster!” Kia said fiercely.

At school that day, Kia rounded up a few of her friends with the strongest and most positive attitudes.

“Listen up guys. Our fate depends on this. We are going to take down SHAPEMASTER!” Kia hollered to three of her friends, Becky, Lola, and Opal.

“Do we have to? I mean, we weren’t chosen by Mother Nature or something,” Becky hesitated.

“Why do we have to be chosen? Technically, we are Mother Nature’s creation, so we have a right to choose ourselves,” Kia replied.

“I’m with Kia,” Opal announced boldly.

“So am I,” Lola agreed.

“Ugh fine. I’ll do it,” Becky complied. * * *

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he fog was covering night sky, as Kia’s squad hiked up the Big Bad Cliffs of the coast. She knew that she would destroy Shapemaster and return the math to Mathville. For my father, she thought.

After a few hours, the gang reached the top of the wonky cliff. “I think that we should settle here for the night,” Kia suggested. Everyone agreed.

Kia gathered wood and hay for the shelter. Lola gathered animals and vegetables for food. Becky gathered feathers for bedding, and Opal gathered metals to make pots and pans. After hard work, the gang was finally able to create a tiny shelter. Exhausted, the girls fell fast asleep.

In the morning, the four girls awoke with the sound of bells ringing. But not any sort of ring. They heard bells ring in a pattern. “Briiiinnggg, bring, bring. Briiiinnggg, bring, bring,” the bells said.

“Listen!” Kia exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone perked their ears to listen.

“Patterns are math, and Shapemaster

stole the entire math from Mathville for himself. Do you know what this means? We have just found SHAPEMASTER!” * * *

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hapemaster was in his wooden cabin staring at the blue jar that contained the entire math of Mathville. “No one will know where I am, hee, hee,” Shapemaster laughed.

Suddenly, he couldn’t believe his eyessaw the four girls.

“Hi, Shapemaster,” Kia said.

“You have come for the blue jar, I suppose,” Shapemaster growled.

“Yes!” Becky said proudly, earning herself a punch on the arm from Lola.

“Okay,” Shapemaster uttered wickedly. “Because you came for your precious village’s math, you must fight me with the knowledge of math. Whoever wins, gets to keep the entire math that I have. Whoever loses the battle, will be banished from Mathville, FOREVER!” “Fine, I agree to your request. We battle now in your cabin.” Kia announced.

The battle started out with mental math problems. The rules were secure.

One of the people battling would ask five questions to the other person.

Out of the five questions, the amount of correct answers will make a score.

After four questions, Shapemaster had 2 wrongs and 2 rights, but so did Kia “Okay, Shapemaster, you have one more question. Your question is: 3x (4) = 60.” Kia said.

“The answer is 6,” Shapemaster said uncertain of his answer.

“Wrong, the answer is 5,” Kia said boastfully.

“Well, here’s your question. 8b/8 = 16,” Shapemaster declared.

“Easy, the answer is 16. Now give me the math,” Kia said.

“But how…”

“NEVER MIND THAT, I WON!” Kia yelled. “AND BECAUSE OF ME, MATHVILLE IS SAVED! I CRACKED THE FORMULAS!”

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FAMILY

Family Magic By: Chelsea Howe, 4th grade, Auburn Elementary,

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Auburn Hills

hope all of you know your family is magical.

This is because they can do anything and bring you anywhere. I think my family can do anything for me; well, yours can, too. That has to be magical. Two of my favorite things are that they love and care for you. They love you more and care about you more than their own life. You should always believe that your family is magical.

Family Blessings By: Melvin Munson, 5th grade, Herrington Elementary, Pontiac

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ne day I went to my family reunion. There were many people there, and it felt so good to see my family smile and joke around. I

SUMMER 2017

got a deep sense of connection and love that day. It almost made me cry.

On our way back to the hotel, I saw a homeless man asking for some money. A very strange feeling of guilt and pity came over me. At that moment I realized how blessed I was - I had a family who loved and cared for me and this man was alone. When my sister and I came to the hotel, we had a lot of fun, but I still kept thinking of the man.

The next day we went to the reunion again, but I didn’t have as much fun.

Some people were mean to each other and not sharing. That didn’t feel like my family, and it didn’t feel good. Still, I had my family with me.

On the last day at the hotel, when we were packing and getting ready to leave, I was thinking about the great time I had and the lessons I had learned. I was sad. I will always remember my family reunion and the time we had and shared. I will also remember the homeless person I saw and how lucky I am to have a family who loves and cares about me.

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FAMILY

My Grandma

Happy Life By: Euna Tulda, 3rd grade, Auburn Elementary, Auburn Hills

By: Anthony Barkiewicz, 3rd grade, Auburn Elementary School,

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our family is important, because without a family, you would be lonely and your life wouldn’t be fun. Your family takes care of you, and they like to have fun with you. For example, my family likes to have fun with me.

If you want to go somewhere, you can always ask your parents or your older siblings to drive you somewhere.

You need your family to live a happy life. They will always take care of you and love you no matter what. You should help them just as they help you. Do some chores and show that you care. If you have a family of any kind, you will live a happy life!

Auburn Hills

I

and took grandma away. Mom and papa started to cry; I had never seen them cry like this before.

When grandma was alive, we played and played with my trains all day. Then she died. I feel there is a place in my heart is empty. I really miss her. She made my family magical for some reason.

lost my grandma four years ago.

My mom picked me up from school. She said we had to go, and I was asking why. She told me that she would tell me in the car, and when I was finally tightly buckled, she said, “Grandma died…”

I couldn’t understand what it really meant, but I felt like something just took my breath away. I started to cry and cry and cry. I had never felt like this before.

We finally made it to my papa’s house. I saw my grandma on a stretcher, and then a van pulled up

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VA C AT I O N

Bahamas By: Emma Shorter,

2nd grade, Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion

O

ne recent event that meant a lot to me was my trip with my family. A tropical place called the Bahamas. It was a very fun trip!

We went on two different plane rides.

On the first one, I felt like I had no idea what to do. The second one was better.

We got on the plane, and I got to sit next to my dad and Lauren, my cousin.

Lauren had the window seat, I sat in the middle, and my dad sat in the aisle seat.

When we arrived, it was very hot in the airport. We went through a few checks and finally made it to Mella Hotel. We wanted to get a fancy room, so we went to a place called the Level.

I really liked our bracelets: parents got purple and orange and the kids got red.

All of them had chips of wood that said “Mella.” Our room was three rooms put together. One room with two beds was for me, my brother David, and Lauren.

As we unpacked our bags, David and I put our stuffed animals on the bed and did some reading. Next, we went to explore all of the different places! We checked out the pool and the rest of the hotel before going to bed.

In the morning, we went to a restaurant, where I got a Pina Colada (which I had four or five a day). We went to the beach; mom looked for a beach bed,

Trip with My Family

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while David and I wanted to play in the sand. The water in the ocean was great!.

I had some adventures! One time, when I was on the beach, I went looking for shells on the tide. I went so far over the rope, I was on the other side of the beach. I felt like asking for help, but then I saw my mom. She brought me back to the chairs, saying she was scared. Another day we went on a boat ride. First we went to feed iguanas on this very dry island with big iguanas.

We put green grapes on sticks and held them out to the iguanas. We also went to a sandbar in the middle of the ocean where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

After that we went to another island with lots of happenings. My dad and I went for a walk on the beach together.

By: Cody Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion

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ne day my family and I went on a family trip to Mackinac City. Before we set off to Mackinac City, we went to get passports to be able to enter it. Then we took a very long drive. On the way, we made a stop at a hotel to take a

Then we heard a bell ring. We went to the dock to see what it was, and it was time to snorkel. My dad and I went snorkeling with David, and we went for a little boat ride to get to the spot for snorkeling. We saw coral reefs, and one of my favorite things was the periwinkle fish that I saw with my dad. The second was the angelfish that my dad pointed out to me under the coral.

After that we went back to the island, walked around to the other side and had lunch there. We fed our leftovers to the lemon sharks back at the dock. We went on another walk and we saw lots of rocks. My dad found a clam for me and David and two little conch shells.

This was an amazing vacation that I loved so much! But the most important part of it was being with my family.

break. There was a lake right next to the hotel, but we didn’t to go swimming because I’m deathly afraid of being in water. We had pizza instead and went to the park to play. The next day we had an excitement filled day in Mackinac City, with a very long trip home. This time was important to me because I spent it with my family.

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MEMORIES

One Family By: Angelina Scalze,

5th grade, Herrington Elementary, Pontiac

M

y family magic story starts with my siblings. I have six of them. I also have three girl cousins that are awesome. One has monster high dolls and all of the accessories.

They live in the woods of Wisconsin.

I come from Wisconsin as well. My little sister and I met each other first.

Then, I met my older sister and brother.

I was confused with the way they lived.

It was different. They lived with their mom. I live with my dad. My little sister and I met when I was four years old. I was so happy when my dad told me that I had a younger sister. She would stay over on the weekends, and she loved spending time with me. I loved having her come over. Sadly, my dad and I moved to another state, Michigan.

I was sad when we moved, but I made friends fast in my new school. Still, my

Photographed Memories By: Ashleigh Strong, 8th grade, Junior High School, Clarkston

S

taring out my bedroom window, I was tired of seeing Michigan go through March weather. I needed something new for my eyes. I got up and started to walk. I didn’t exactly know where I was headed. All I knew was that I couldn’t bear to be near that window much longer.

After a few minutes of wandering around my house, I found myself in my Dad’s office. I was confused and disappointed at first. There wasn’t anything that was new or different here. As I

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family is what most important to me. I am so glad that I met my sisters and my brother and my cousins. The memories of meeting my siblings and other

relatives will always be in my heart. I am so thankful to know where I belong.

These memories and family magic will stay with me forever.

looked around, I saw the same old dark wooden desk, white carpet, and baby blue walls. I sighed out loud, thinking that I wasn’t going to get what I had hoped for.

It was then that my eyes had landed on my Dad’s desk-- its bottom right drawer to be exact. I immediately turned in its direction, took four fast steps to reach my destination, and pulled open the drawer. Inside, I saw at least 15 big envelopes of old family photos. I smiled widely because it had been awhile since I had last looked at them.

I grabbed about six envelopes and sat down on the floor, leaving the drawer wide open next to me. Then one by one, I emptied the envelopes and began to look through them. In the first two sets, there were several pictures of my brother and me as babies. They made me smile, but

I still continued my search in hopes to find something special.

The next few sets of photos were quite similar. They all were about my brother and me, and occasionally my dog. Then something caught my eye. It was a picture of my brother and me, hugging each other on a windy beach. My eyes glisten with tears; I suddenly longed to be back on this beach, hugging my brother, while watching the waves roll in. I knew deep inside that even though I could never relive this small little moment again, I would never forget it.

It wasn’t till after I had looked through the rest of the photos, placed them back in their correct envelopes, and then put them all away, that I realized that I had found what I was looking for -a small piece of myself embedded in this photographed memory.

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www.KidsStandard.org

C E L E B R AT I O N

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PEOPLE WE ADMIRE

My Mom By: Raven Lofton, 5th grade, Herrington Elementary,

T

Pontiac

he person that is most important in my life is my mother. She is important in my life because she gave me life and I would not be the girl I am without her. She makes me laugh, when I am sad; she makes me think positive, when I begin to doubt.

Before I was born, my mom did not really want me or any children at all. She did not want to be responsible for another person’s life. However, she chose not to give me up and decided to raise me. When I learned of this, it touched my heart. Regardless of how she felt at first, she took care of me by herself, without my father, and I have had a pretty good life.

Lastly, my mom is really an important person in my life because of the sacrifices she has made. She is there for me when I have good and bad days. She is there to always listen and give me words of encouragement.

I am so happy that my mother is raising me. We share a great life together, and she teaches me a lot. I am blessed to have a mom who loves and cares, and will always be there for me.

The family magic in my story is the relationship I have with my mom. Our situation might be different, but it has never stopped her from loving me. I love and admire her with all of my heart, and I know that she is my blessing.

PA R E N T ’ S C O R N E R

A

Thank you!

s we are coming to the end of the school year 2016-2017, it gives me a great pleasure to be the founder of an organization that provides a platform for students, parents, educators, and professionals to share their ideas, creativity, and expertise through writing.

I am extremely grateful to all of our Kids Standard’s community that supported our magazine through submissions, readership, and encouragement.

I also would like to thank district and school administrators who embraced our mission and values and opened the doors to Kids’ Standard in their schools.

Special thanks to Superintendent Dr. Rod Rock and Deputy Superintendent Shawn Ryan, Clarkston Community Schools; Deputy Superintendent Heidi Mercer and principal Ken Nuss, Lake Orion Community Schools; Superintendent Dr. James Schwarz, Deputy Superintendent Carmen Kennedy, and principal David Goetz, Avondale Schools; and Superintendent Kelly Williams and Deputy

Maggie Razdar Publisher/Founder

Superintendent Dr. Kim Leverette, Pontiac Schools.

I want to acknowledge some passionate and dedicated teachers who made Kids’ Standard part of their students’ classroom experience or coordinated our work in their schools. Anne Martinez (Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston), Monica Phillips (Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston), Jessica Cleland (Junior High School, Clarkston), Kevin Kast (Oakview Middle School, Lake Orion), Kristen Leenstra (Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion), Colleen Cartier and Kristin Hockman (Deerfield Elementary School, Avondale), Colleen Bugaj (Auburn Elementary, Avondale), and Michael Mickens (Herrington Elementary, Pontiac) Thank you, parents of our Pen Pal club participants, for allowing your children to be part of our writing program. And thank you, our advertisers and sponsors, for helping us cover some of the costs. Thank you for your support!

Finally, my deepest gratitude is to all of the volunteers, board and committee members for the time they have contributed to make the magazine come alive. I look forward to connecting with you in September!

I wish all of you a safe and healthy summer. Enjoy your summer break with your families!

Contact

Maggie Razdar For Volunteer, Committee, and Board Opportunities. Join our FB page to get updates & follow us on twitter.Be sure to join our Summer Camp!

Stay tune for Summer Contest!

Thank you Have a great summer

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