2012 Dimensions Literary Magazine by Lake Forest Country Day School

Telling Our Stories Lake Forest Country Day School || Dimensions Literary Magazine 2012

Telling Our Stories Dimensions Literary Magazine

Once upon a time, there was a kindergarten class who wrote a fairy tale… Once upon a time, there was a castle on top of a volcano. There was black lava dripping down the side of the volcano rock. The volcano rock was hard and bumpy. It looked very hard to climb. The castle was one hundred feet high and could be seen all over the countryside. The countryside had apple trees, rocks, and tall green grass. Far from the castle, there were some woods. The woods were very thick with tall trees. The trees were creepy. They had no leaves and there were carved faces in the trees. (Senior Kindergarten Class, 2012) By the time these children became eighth-grade students, they clearly expressed their individuality and stories with powerful yet empathetic voices… I am done—done with no one believing in me. I want someone to tell me that I can do this. Someone to tell me to reach for the stars—follow my dream. It has been a long time since someone believed I could take a chance. I drove by the restaurant I’ve worked at since graduating from culinary school. It was a good job. Steady, reliable, unexceptional, and safe. I slowed down, slower and slower until I stopped in front of the empty space down the street that I wanted to buy. It was a perfect little storefront with a blue canvas awning. I had saved the down payment money; I knew my plan. The mortgage papers were ready and just needed my signature to make this spot mine. I wanted to do it, but the hesitancy of my mom and closest friend, Angie, took away my confidence. Maybe they were right—was I ready? Should I wait a few more years? I should wait a little longer. I am still young after all. My mom and Angie didn’t mean to hurt my feelings. They were only trying to protect me, right? (Julia Dixon, Eighth Grade 2012, First Place in the Short Story Contest) At Lake Forest Country Day School, we live our mission statement and produce “students of strong character with a passion for learning.” We know that social-emotional learning is inextricably linked with academic achievement, and our comprehensive program addresses both affective and intellectual development. You can hear and view the emphasis of both “head and heart” in our students’ literature, nonfiction text, and artwork in this edition of our schoolwide publication, Dimensions Literary Magazine. Although the connection between a class-composed fairy tale, an apple-picking scene (Will Collins, Grade 3, Cover Art), and a young adult short story may not be readily apparent, the three pieces demonstrate a coherent, intentionally designed curriculum. •

The fairy tale writing culminates a study of the medieval age in Europe and the interactions between individuals of varying socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds. Kindergarten students use descriptive language to portray the individuals and actions about which they write and transfer their understanding of foundational features of stories, e.g., characters, setting, problem, and solution, to a tale of their own. Their play-based learning allows them to use their creativity and imagine themselves in a variety of historically situated roles; they have the opportunity to take on a character and to tell a story from that person’s perspective.

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Will’s artwork replicates the form of artist Faith Ringgold. A contemporary AfricanAmerican artist, Ringgold is known for her art that combines painting, quilted fabric, and storytelling. Prior to the production of this piece, third-grade students honed their storytelling and writing skills and techniques through oral, written, and creative projects. In Will’s art, we view an understanding of theme—family tradition, teamwork, a special sibling relationship—a progression from the story structure features of the kindergarten fairy tale. In addition, we can interpret what Will believes is important to him and his family. He exhibits a developmentally appropriate sense of self and family.

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Julia’s award-winning short story reflects the culmination of a thoughtfully sequenced language arts curriculum and social-emotional education. Her plot is richly developed through a series of vignettes and shaped with exquisite vocabulary. She uses techniques of dialogue, reflection, and foreshadowing to move her story forward. It’s also clear that she has the ability to empathize with a character who feels insecure and disconnected from those around her.

We invite you to read, view, and reflect upon LFCDS students’ stories—both fiction and nonfiction. They tell the tales of unique individualism and, at the same time, reflect the academic rigor and compassionate understanding that are central to the work that we do at LFCDS.

Cover Image: Story Quilt Drawing with Patterned Tiles after Faith Ringgold Will Collins, Grade 3

Index of Authors Aagaz Baig

101

Abegail Byun

14, 136

Abigail Shanley-Roberts Agatha Walgreen

6 62

Aidan Murphy

158

Brooke Theis Brooks Osborne Caitlin Kolb Caitlyn Mathews

175

Georgia Hale

174

Gino Farrell

63, 88

Grace Fitzgerald

99 164 66, 109

Grace Hale

95 20

Calvin Osborne

173

Grace Lee

Alessandro Raganelli 39, 132

Cameron Wacker

172

Grace Trerotola

Alex Gunton

Caroline Keil

129

Graydon Abel

122

82, 162

Alexis Dennis

117

Grayson Pruett

108

Alexis Jimenez

Chloe Morrissey

160, 66

Harrison Potts

147

182

Christopher Neill

Allie Patenaude

Charles Walsh

167, 186

Harry Hodgkins

Amanda Tibbals

144, 148

Colin Grasher

127

Hayden Shortsle

Andrew Xakellis

Colin Pickens

181

Henry Thomas

121

Angela Deng

140

Colin Weil

108

Hudson Burt

Angelique Alexos

116

Constantine Alexos

172

Ian Strudwick

187

India Shelley

169

Isabella Farag

123

Anna Schilling

139, 98

Cristian Gomez

Annabel Kriger

28, 170

Daisy Connery

Anne Marie Boardman

Eleanor Hutchinson

Anton Walvoord

Eleanor Larsen

Isabella Smith

120

Arlo Lidstrom

Eli Zuerlein

J.D. O’Keane

157

Elijah Hempen

Jack Canty

Jack Garner

Aryana Farimani Asher Anderson Asher Sklarov Ashlynn O’Keane Ashton Peterson Autumn Rabjohns Avi Rangarajan

171 36 72, 180

Elizabeth Xakellis Ella Cabbil

52, 119

112

Jack Kempczinski

84 6 141

Ellen Roloson

Emilio Alvarez

156

Jack Walsh

Emily Callahan

166

Jackson Kriger

135

Jackson Silvester

122

129

Jackson Van Paris

139

Emma Merlin

79 76

Ayaan Rashid

Barbara Canty

145

Erin Bowler

Jacob McEvoy

Beatrix Leffingwell

134

Eva Hanson

150

Jacob Phelps

Finley Knight

111

Jamie Chaplin

Becker Roloson Ben Arthurs Ben Dixon Benjamin Fybel

129 22 137

Eric Bijak

Jack Marshall

12 141, 149

60, 168

Isabella Guevara

Foster Graf Freddie Wacker

74 107, 124

Jaro Bijak Jessica Pasma

Gabbie Jakubowski

165

Jessica Vignocchi

Gardner Brown

164

113 120 94, 104

Betsy Regan

80, 179

John Nikitas

Blair Flavin

178

Gargoyle Ceramic Sculpture 25

John Tobin

Brendan Murphy

177

Gavin Abel

Johnny Silver

Brody Grasher

176

Gavin Roby

Jonathan Xakellis

Brooke Farrell

Genevieve Farrell

Josselyn Joanem

131, 152

George Hodgkins

114

Joyce Caldwell

Brooke Mordini

122

24, 36

Index of Authors Julia Dixon

29, 89

Justinian Alexos

115

Kaiden Britton

Kate Danaher

18, 20

Matthew Spadaro

Matty Slobodnik Max Collins Mia Walvoord

154

Sophia Maggos

152

Sophia Platcow

59, 88

Sophia Varones

184

Katie Gilcrest

Sophie Kommers

Katie Schilling

185

Mimi Baeseman-Smith 46, 151

Sophie Morris

Kaylie McDonough

161

Mimi Osborne

184

Sophie Zacka

Kevin Meehan

Natalie Goeks

Spencer Chun

Kevin Taylor

Natalie Regan

Spencer Werner

Kiesha Bland

Michael Giambrone

Sophia Burt

Nathan Barnes

Stella Baeseman-Smith

Kiley Rabjohns

138, 163

Nicholas Bauer

Stephen Knobel

Kimberly Stafford

117, 126

Nicholas Lubaev

Kimie Han

106, 114

73, 76

Stewart Thompson

Nick Kakavas

118

Sydney Steinberg

Krishna Dalta

Nickie Mesrobian

146

Sydnie Mathews

Landon Farag

Nicolas Guevara

103

Taha Ahmad

Leo Anderson

102

Lexi Kerstein

Lexi Silver

Obi Okoli

37 26, 66

Tatum McBreen

105 83, 110 109 90 78

Thomas Dixon

125

Olivia Barnes

Timmy Thompson

100

Liam Larsen

Owen Linback

130

Timothy Sperling

Liam Stewart

Paige Roby

Toby Harris

Libby Blodgett

Paul Podedworny

Tony Grushevsky

Lila Fitzgerald

128

Peter Jannotta

Tyler Kolb

Lilli Carrasco

121

Phoebe Park

Tyler Medvec

Lilly Reyes

153

Posy Connery

Victoria Giambrone

Preston Pickens

Whitney Jannotta

Lily Connery

81, 116

Nina Wilson

9 87

36 150

Lily Kempczinski

115

Rachel Boardman

102

Will Blodgett

Lily Silvester

112

Rachel Roberts

124

Will Collins

Lily Steinwold

Reid Primo

Will Meyer

Luke Larsen

Sam Chaplin

William Borneman

Luke Maggos

Samuel Hempen

William Zacka

Luke Tibbals

Sarah Flavin

Zachery Barker

117

Maggie Andrea

Sarah Tobin

Maria Johnson

159

Sasha Sklarov

146

Marie Giambrone

143

Savannah Silvester

Mark Basgall

Scott Skinner

Mary Lee

Shelby Pruett

Mary Xakellis

Sheridan Leahy

Mateo Guevara

158

Shirley Knight

Matthew Basgall

155

Simone Sawyer

65 3, 38 50, 116 69

34, 37

If I Had Three Wishes

Abigail Shanley-Roberts January, Grade 3

If I had three wishes, I would make a wish for President Obama, a wish for the world, and a wish for my family. For President Obama, I would wish the economy problems away, so that he would not have to worry about things like debt. My second wish would be for the world. I would wish for poverty to end because it is overwhelming many people and states. My last wish would be for my family. It would be for more time together because my mom has lots of meetings when it’s a good time for spending time together. As you can see, I have three good reasons to have three wishes. Well, good thing I just packed my bags because I’m going to the desert to find a genie!

The Witch, the Castle, and the Magic Teapot

Hudson Burt, Jack Garner, Elijah Hempen, Eleanor Larsen, Ayaan Rashid, Hayden Shortsle, Grace Trerotola, Charles Walsh, Elizabeth Xakellis, William Zacka, Eli Zuerlein March, Senior Kindergarten

Once upon a time, there was a castle on top of a volcano. There was black lava dripping down the side of the volcano rock. The volcano rock was hard and bumpy. It looked very hard to climb. The castle was one hundred feet high and could be seen all over the countryside. The countryside had apple trees, rocks, and tall green grass. Far from the castle, there were some woods. The woods were very thick with tall trees. The trees were creepy. They had no leaves, and there were carved faces in the trees. Mice sat scattered around eating the garbage that was blowing in the woods. In the forest there lived a witch named Vicky. She lived in a tree house that looked big, but it really was small inside. Vicky had a wart on her face. She had brown eyes, green skin, and short brown hair. All day long, Vicky liked to play hide and seek with her pet dragon. The dragon’s favorite place to hide was in the sky.

One day the dragon was going to fly up and hide in a giant hole in the tree, but his wing bumped into a branch and he injured his wing. The dragon called out, “Help me! I hurt my wing!” Witch Vicky did not hear the dragon calling for help. Back in the kingdom, there lived a royal family. Their names were King Roger, Queen Marla, Princess Marie, and Prince Timothy. King Roger was a rich king. He was important because he owned a sparkly blue and white magic teapot. The teapot would grant wishes to anyone who held it. Once King Roger wanted golden lights in the Great Hall, so he held the teapot and said the magic words, “Kaboom, Aboosh, Faloom!” The magic teapot started to glow and golden stars lit up the room. Then the king’s wish was granted. King Roger hid the teapot under a rug that was under his big curtained bed. The only people who knew about the teapot were Queen Marla and Wishy the Magician. Wishy the Magician lived in the dungeon. The dungeon was very dark. It had chains and there were spiders with red eyes making webs on the walls. Wishy’s place had many magical teapots, magical lamps, and magic wands. Everything he had was magical. One day the king called his three knights. King Roger yelled, “Knight Weepy, Knight Sleepy, and Starry Knight, come to the Great Hall.” So Knight Weepy, Sleepy, and Starry walked to the king. In a strong voice King Roger said, “Knights, I was standing by the battlements on top of the castle, and I was looking through my telescope. I saw Witch Vicky walking towards my castle. I need you to go out and bring her to me.” Knight Weepy said, “Boo hoo, hoo, hoo, I will go.” Knight Sleepy yawned, “I’m tired, I will Z, Z, Z, Z, Z.” Starry Knight said, “Let’s wait until night. I will use the stars to get us to the woods until we find Witch Vicky.” The knights were already wearing their armor and waited until it got dark. Finally nighttime came and the knights got on their horses and followed Starry Knight into the woods to look for Witch Vicky. In the forest, Witch Vicky kept looking for her dragon in the sky, but she could not find him. She didn’t know he was hiding in the tree. Suddenly Vicky heard a roar which meant, “Help me!” in dragon language. Witch Vicky kept looking harder. Then when Vicky wasn’t looking and the knights weren’t looking they bumped into each other. They all turned around and at the same time yelled, “AAAHHH!” and ran away. Knight Weepy, Knight Sleepy, Starry Knight, and Witch Vicky then bumped into a tree. It was the tree where the dragon was hiding. The dragon said, “Roooaaaarrr!” which meant, “I hurt my wing. Please help me.”

Witch Vicky said to the knights, “Can you give the dragon a cure? If you can help us I will be a good witch and the dragon will help protect the castle.” The knights liked the deal and said, “We will go and ask King Roger and Queen Marla to help you find a cure.” So the knights got back on their horses and rode fast to the castle. The knights told the whole story about the dragon and the witch to the king and queen. King Roger and Queen Marla said, “We have an idea! We have a magic teapot that can grant wishes that you never knew about before. We will give it to you for the witch’s wishes.” So, King Roger got the magic teapot and used his quill and ink to write the magic words on special paper. He gave the paper and the teapot to the knights and they went back to the woods. Witch Vicky and the dragon waited together at the tree. Witch Vicky said to the dragon, “I will try and get you down.” The witch climbed up the tree and she pulled on the dragon’s tail. Then the dragon said, “Roaaaar!” and PLUNKITY DUNK he fell to the ground. He roared again which in dragon language was “I almost landed on a horse.” Then Witch Vicky and dragon noticed that the knights had arrived. Starry Knight said, “Let’s help them.” Knight Sleepy said, “Z, Z, Z, Z, Z, Z, O.K.” Knight Weepy cried, “Boo hoo, hoo, hoo, I am sorry that the dragon is hurt.” So Starry Knight opened a sack and took out the magic teapot. He brought it to the dragon and took out the piece of paper with the magic words on it. He said in a nice loud voice, “Kaboom, Aboosh, Faloom! Fix the dragon’s wing and turn Witch Vicky into a good witch!” The magic teapot started to glow and golden stars lit up the forest. All of a sudden, the dragon felt better and said, “Roaaaaaar! My wing feels better. Thanks for the magic tea pot. Toodles!” Witch Vicky said, “Oh dragon, I missed you. I am so glad you are back. I am a good witch now!” Everybody in the forest felt fantastic and the knights said, “We should have a party. Let’s report this to the king and queen!” So, the knights went for a ride on the dragon’s back, Witch Vicky flew to the castle on her magic broom, and the horses galloped to the castle. The knights told King Roger and Queen Marla the good news. Then King Roger declared, “Let’s have a party with fireworks!” Prince Timothy, Princess Marie, the knights, dragon, Witch Vicky, King Roger, and Queen Marla went to the courtyard. Then Wishy the Magician got his magic firework machine and made the fireworks in the sky. Pow! Boom! Smack! “Cooooool!” said the royal people. And they all lived happily ever after! The End

Where I’m From

Stella Baeseman-Smith November, Grade 4

I am from a nice neighborhood with awesome fourth of July parades, a great park to play in, and a DQ down the street. I am from the Big Blue Castle, with a big tree in the backyard that Mimi and I climb, and old wooden floors made in the 1800s. I am from putting puzzles together, making gingerbread houses with Big Puppa, eating dinner outside, and roasting marshmallows. I am from Gone With the Wind and Harry Potter, from dunkin’ eggs, coffee gelato, and biscuits and gravy. I am from “It will be better before you’re married,” “Thunder is just God coughing,” “Don’t worry, it will just mix up in your stomach anyway,” and “Go make a positive difference in the world.” I am from Baeseman, Smith, Wagner, and Tillis. I am from Skokie, Wisconsin, and Ohio, from the boxes in Big Puppa’s closet with pictures from when he and Granny got married, from Nana’s golf cart, and the pictures of us when we were babies hanging in the hallway. I am from love.

Sunflower Oil Pastel Drawing after Vincent van Gogh Brooke Farrell, Grade 2

Sumi-e Painting Victoria Giambrone, Grade 6

Fourth of July!

Slave Poem

Ashlynn O’Keane

Simone Sawyer

Grade 8

February, Grade 2 I feel the fireworks. I can hear the volcano erupt. Bam! Kaboom! Lay on the grass… Boom! Feel the breeze through my hair. Look in the air; there is flare.

Golden Rocks! Maggie Andrea January, Grade 2 Sparkly rock Heavy like a buffalo Tiny gold crystals Big as a blackberry It will break like a coconut In a cave Hard like a bowling ball Bumpy like an alligator Shiny like a pearl Gold like money Rock

My day as a slave Gets more And more Gray. On my free day It gets more And more Happy There is no Cotton That needs Picking There is time for The Lord Dancing And Family. I see The people Around me Having Fun times. I hear Joy. I smell Good food. Everybody is Happy. No one is sad On their Free day. When my Free day Is done It gets More And More Gray

The Leaf Tyler Medvec

Horseback Riding

March, Grade 5 A leaf In the fall Floats To the ground Like a hovercraft The gentle Brown Green Colors Falling To the hard floor

Lexi Kerstein March, Grade 1 Fast. Soft. Pretty. I feel happy. Up and down, Up and down, Up and down. I feel free.

Daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rock and Roll Band Genevieve Farrell January, Grade 2 Daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock and roll band Was a little bit crazy Because everybody got lazy. Daddy said, pay me! So daddy could buy pizza pie.

The Pies Live Toby Harris March, Grade 5 One day it comes out of the oven As a hot delight The second Day one piece is missing The fifth day one piece lies there Like a dead person crammed On a small plate The last day Gone

My Horse Lesson With Me

Abegail Byun December, Grade 1

The first lesson my horse and I did was we trotted perfectly…until my horse stopped! He was as still as a popsicle! I tried all of the things that make horses go, but he didn’t go! I kicked him on the side; I made a clickity-clack sound; and I gave him a treat. I tried it all over again and again, but it didn’t work! The only thing that I could do was dump a bucket full of water on his head! Then he shook off the water and after that, he was running crazy! Then I gave him ten treats to eat, and his body moved slowly. He came closer and closer to me. I took my horse, Spirit, outside to eat grass. The other horse, Mobie, was eating carrots. My horse didn’t want to eat grass, he wanted carrots instead. So he took Mobie’s treats, and he ate everything!

Harriet the Spy

Scott Skinner January, Grade 4

Shh! If you are a good observer, and you take good notes, you might be able to be a spy, too. Harriet the Spy is a book about a twelve-year-old girl named Harriet, her good friends, Sport and Janie, and her babysitter, Ole Golly. Harriet M. Welsch lives and goes to school on the Upper East Side of New York City. Harriet spends a lot of her time spying on people and writing what she sees and what she thinks about them. One day, her friends and Harriet were playing a game and she drops her book by accident and didn’t even notice. Harriet’s friends read the notebook and the mean things she wrote about them. This causes a fight between Harriet and her friends. Harriet learned an important lesson when her notebook was read by her friends. For example, Harriet wrote that she thinks some of her friends play the dumb bridge game. When they read this, it hurt their feelings. Harriet learned it’s not nice and can be hurtful to write mean things about her friends even though they might be true. When Harriet would spy, it was always suspenseful because you are thinking about whether she would get caught. For instance, one time when she was spying, she had to hide in a dumbwaiter and the people she had been spying on were standing right outside her hiding spot. Of all the characters in the book, I made the best connection with Sport. Harriet only worried

about spying and writing in her notebook which Sport thought was weird. Sport really loves to play sports. I didn’t like the characters because of the mean things they did like spying, writing mean things, and giving each other the silent treatment. Harriet made me think about what I wanted to be when I grow up. She had a lot of interest in writing and in spying. I don’t like those things, but she was not that much older than me, and she already had a good idea about what job she would want when she got older. That made me start to think about what I would want to do when I grow up and you should think about that, too. The other thing the book made me think about was friendship. Sometimes I might fight with my friends, but they’ll always be my friends. If I gave the book a rating, I would give it two out of five stars because it was almost all about spying and writing, and I don’t find that interesting. Also, in a lot of the book, the characters were mean to each other. Other books by this author are The Long Secret and Nobody’s Family is Going to Change. Someone should read Harriet the Spy if they are interested in spying or writing.

My Finger

Johnny Silver December, Grade 3

I got up with red snow around me and an aching pain in my finger. Two hours earlier, we were in car driving to Wisconsin to ski. Mom, Mrs. Mesrobian, Nickie, and I were already putting on our snow gear when Mikey M., Chiefie, Mikey, and Alec came ready to ski. Mikey. Nickie, and I went outside to ski. Then my mom came to catch up with us, but we quickly got on the ski lift. We took a map of the resort that had a few places that we could go to. We decided to go on Rolling Thunder which took us down three-fourths of the mountain and to Slippery Slope and then to the bottom of the mountain. When we got to the top, I slapped on my goggles and got ready for full speed. VOOSH! WHOOSH! I’m going at least fifty miles per hour down a fifty-degree angle mountain! Then there’s a fork path in the way, and I take the path to Slippery Slope and…WAH! I’m on one ski and the narrowest run I’ve ever seen! But I make it safely down the mountain. When I look back I see a white figure rolling with skis and poles! Then I realize that it’s Mikey. Then he comes down and brushes himself off.

“Let’s do it again!” he laughs about it. He asks if I want to go again, I say no and ask my mom to go on Mountain’s Rage! She denies it. But I beg and beg over again until she gives in. We ski over to the ski lift and get in it. Rump thump. Rump thump. Then I look down at all the jumps on the run and gulp. “Here I go,” I say. WOOSH! I’m aiming for a jump. Dang, I missed my first try to get on a jump. Then I turn and go for the second jump. WOOSH! BAM! I come down from the air and hit the ground. Well, I lose my skis, poles and one of my gloves. My mom comes down while I got up and…BAM! I blackout for fifteen seconds, and when I got up there was red snow around me and an aching pain in my finger. My mom yells, “Someone call 911!” Then I know what the red snow was, BLOOD! I look at my finger and shout at the top of my lungs. HELP! I scream. Then the ski patrol comes over to me. They were wearing a red shirt with a white cross and carrying a sled that had a brown bag and white bandage tape. They rush over to me, pick me up, and strap a few layers of bandage on two of my fingers. “W– w– what’s going on?” I stammer. But I really knew what was going on. “We’re going to the hospital, little guy.” He responds. Then they rushed me down the mountain as fast as a cheetah, and snow was kicking up like a dog was digging. When we were at the bottom of the mountain, the patrol put me in a stone shack with a soft feeling bed. They place me in the bed, and everyone comes to see me. Mikey M., Mikey, Chiefie, Alec, Mom, Nickie, and Mrs. Mesrobian. In twenty minutes the ambulance came. When the ambulance came, the paramedics came out, lifted me up, and put me in the ambulance. The ambulance rushed down the highway at the speed of light. In ten minutes, we were at the hospital garage. The garage was dark grey with bright white lights. They took me through a big, white hallway and then into the ER. A doctor came in and unwrapped my bandage. Then my freezing finger produced dark, blackish, purplish blood that ran down my finger like a waterfall! Then a bright yellow tube touched my finger and unleashed a blood battle of pain! “YAH!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. It was the numbing. Then doctor held me down and a needle appeared with a bright wink of light. “OHHH!” I gasped. The needle went in; I held my breath. I was sweating; I was ready for the pain. Tink. The needle went though. Tink, tink, tink, tink. Then the last one went in.

“OWW!” I reacted with a roar of a lion. “Sorry,” The doctor apologized. “Not all of it must have been numb.” Then I walked outside and saw a big black limo. There were Chiefie and my mother. Then my mother said, “Let’s go home.”

Waterfall

Alexis Jimenez March, Grade 5

In winter The water freezes Like a willow tree So quite In summer Your hear the Water falling so Peaceful as if you were On a cloud just flouting down Or like a paper falling down slowly In fall You hear the water make Wonderful music with the wind The wind would whistle and the water Would sing In spring You see the flowers and creature, surrounding The waterfall You pause to take a picture so You never forget the majestic Waterfall

Geometric and Organic Shape Collage after Wassily Kandinsky Kate Danaher, Grade 2

Linear Perspective Drawing of a Kitchen Timothy Sperling, Grade 7

Never Give Up Playing Basketball Isabella Guevara March, Grade 1 Basketball is the love. The court is beautiful. It is the best. I shoot. I score. I am so happy for myself. The crowd goes crazy. When I lose, the crowd goes even more crazy. I love basketball. I can’t live without it. You should do it every day. I dive to get the ball for my team. And I make it! I play! I hit! I score! I get a point! I can never give up playing basketball. They even say that I am going to be on TV. My team says that. Excited! Happy! I am so lucky that I have my brother, Nico, helping me play basketball. I feel so happy holding the basketball. I practice in school every day. When I shoot, it feels so happy to make it!

Beside The Ocean Kate Danaher Grade 2, January Beaches golden sand greets Sea shells dance A wave comes crashing by You’ll be lucky to find Little clam’s pearls lying by

Underwater Natalie Goeks March, Grade 1 It’s a place of peace, understanding, and love, of friends and cute, awesome, artistic.

Leaves Grace Lee March, Grade 5 Crack Broken leaves The sound of leafs under my feet Of all different colors Red, orange, yellow and green A colorful rainbow Crunch

Stuff About Crayons Spencer Werner January, Grade 2 Crayons are different You draw with crayons Crayons are colors Crayons are permanent Crayons are colorful Crayons are breakable

The Dragon

Cool Books Sophie Zacka January , Grade 2 Big, small, tall, short Read them, hold them Awesome books Real or make-believe I love them all

Long, Stripes, and Yellow Krishna Dalta

Tony Grushevsky March, Grade 1 The dragon is beneath the volcano. “Ha, ha!” The dragon is over the tree. “Ha,ha!” The dragon dove into the jar. “Ha, ha, ha, ha!” The dragon is at the parade. “Ha, ha, ha, ha!” The dragon is below the chair. “Ha, ha!” The dragon is at the rescue. “Ha, ha!” The dragon is red! “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!” The dragon is under the water. “Ha, ha!”

January, Grade 2 Sometimes sharp Sometimes skinny Erases mistakes Writes words Breaks tips Draws pictures

But Andrew Xakellis October, Grade 5 But dad I Want that Bike But son It’s a Billion bucks

Why Life Should be Simpler

Ben Dixon Third Place, Robbie Bermingham Speaking Contest Grade 8

When asked what surprised him most about humanity, the wise Dalai Lama answered, “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” This is what life has come to today. People today are so constantly worried that they never really enjoy the moment. Then they never enjoy any moments at all because they are always planning for the future, and when the future happens they will again be planning even more. Life is too short, and we should always have fun in the moment. This is true for adults, too, because they have work, and now they have phones so people can be reached when they aren’t in the office. Work is constantly with everyone from teenagers to adults; almost everyone is stressed all the time. People today are extremely worried about their future. Men, women, and children constantly plan for the future, and they are often scared about what’s coming. What happens is that they never get to live. There’s a saying, “Don’t cry because it is over; smile because it happened.” Modern day Americans’ schedules are horribly cluttered throughout an average day. Also in modern day with the economy crashing people are worried and stressed about money. Financial stress is one of the most common forms of stress. In fact in a recent survey financial stress is the biggest threat for families in the United States. Our generation is worried about being able to own a home in the near future, and other things related to financial stress. A day in my life is very hectic. This is not saying that my life is harder then anyone else’s, just that it is scheduled down to the minute, sometimes to the second. I get up at 6:20 every morning; I go downstairs to eat breakfast. My little brother takes a shower; then we switch and I take the shower while he eats breakfast. Every single morning except Mondays I have to be at school at 7:33 and I either have band or chorus. Which lasts to 8:05; I then go throughout my day which I have memorized to the minute and I come home. I do my homework, rinse, and repeat. I don’t even do sports in every season, because athletics add time to the schedule. Even on weekends I don’t get the relaxation time that weekends are designed to be. I have homework, sports, and other things, not counting going to family events such as my brothers’ sports games. With all these things

tallied up, life is pretty hectic, but we haven’t even started looking at emotional stress, relationships, and other concerns that every single person has to deal with. Life today is too much. I don’t want to come off as complaining, but it really is. Probably everyone in this room has the same amount of stress that I have if not more. Henry David Thoreau, the famous American author, was facing the same frustrations in the 1850s that I have now. The 1850s, to say the very least, were nothing like today, but if he could see how jumbled Americans’ schedules are, he would probably faint. Thoreau wrote a book, Walden, back in 1854 which details his journey over two years in a ten foot by fifteen foot cabin a few miles into the wilderness. His goals were simple, living and selfsufficiency. Now am I not saying that all of you need to go into the woods for two years, but what you can do is at least one weekend a month just relax. If you don’t, your life will become stress upon stress, and soon you will explode. The world is not always hectic. In fact some countries still have not moved into the age of what we all experience. The Spanish class recently took a trip to Costa Rica for a week in which we experienced their culture. Needless to say it was an amazing trip, and we realized that the busy schedule of the US was not alive in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is not scheduled down to the minute. Instead it is scheduled down to the half an hour; Costa Ricans are not as rigid about time as we Americans are. Wouldn’t that be nice to have the ability to just relax? The ability to just relax is a very rare skill to come by in this day and age. It is a gift to be stress free by intent. Stress often comes with being constantly busy. In fact one-third of Americans feel they are living under extreme stress. In simple language, Americans eating habits change; they fight and bicker with their families; and their sleeping patterns suffer. Stress causes us to be harsh with each other, more suspicious and less tolerant about the little things. Much of this would disappear if we would only learn to relax and simply enjoy the moment. Enjoying the moment is not as easy as it sounds. To truly enjoy the moment, we Americans need to learn many of things. We need to unlearn our intense attitude about time. We need to learn what it is like to live life without being scheduled all the time. We need to get rid of “rinse and repeat.” We need to learn to live in the moment.

Observational Ship Painting after Winslow Homer Jonathan Xakellis, Grade 2

Gargoyle Ceramic Sculpture Sophie Morris, Grade 7

A Nostalgic Room

Obi Okoli January, Grade 4

Many people don’t realize that a room can be a special place. It holds nostalgic items. I’ve come to know that rooms are not only for sleeping and entertainment. They have items to look at and to reflect on. My room holds items that are very nostalgic to me. It holds pictures, things that I made, and a bed that my dad built for my room. One of the many nostalgic items in my room is a table of pictures. The table of pictures holds pictures that I can really think about. Some I can say that I had good times with the person standing next to me in the picture. Then there are some that I don’t even remember. The pictures in my room bring special memories back. Another nostalgic item in my room is a clay cup that I made. I engraved my mother’s name on it for Mother’s Day. I can compare the shape, color, and design with other clay cups. I can even remember how some of them broke when I was doing something special with them. I can really think of how the cups got there or what they are for. Lastly, one of the many nostalgic items in my room is a bed that my dad built for me. When the bed was loose, I had to sleep in my parent’s room. We tightened it so I could start sleeping on it. It took a while for me to get used to it. The bed in my room is very memorable to me. I realize that when you look at items in your room, you can have a lot of memories that come back. The thing about your room is that it holds more items than you can even imagine. I can take two minutes and all these memories come running back. I can never forget a memory that an item in my room holds.

Albert Einstein

Luke Tibbals March, Grade 3

“It’s not that I’m so smart. It’s just I stay with my problems longer.”—Albert Einstein When people think of Einstein, they remember him for his complex theories. Albert Einstein was smart, different than other people, and a risk taker. Albert was born in Germany in 1879. Albert’s parents were named Herman and Pauline. Albert had one sister named Maya. Later, he moved to Switzerland and got married. He got most of his work done there, even though he wasn’t very happy. Later, he moved back to Germany because eight of the twelve people that understood his theories lived in Germany. But, since his wife thought the people there were unfriendly, they got divorced. Albert was a very smart man. One way he was smart was the equation he discovered: E=mc2. There were many other equations he created. He figured out that light bends. Most theories cannot be proven. Well, guess what? This one could! In a total solar eclipse, you only see the moon, not the sun. It makes it possible to take pictures of the stars behind the sun. Albert insisted the pictures would show light bends as it went through planets and the sun. He was challenged in 1914 when the next total solar eclipse was. In 1914, Europe exploded during World War I and Albert’s work was delayed. In 1919, it was announced that Albert’s theory of light bending was right! He was the first person to discover this. Albert was a very different man. When he was a toddler, he didn’t talk. His parents took him to the doctor many times, but they saw nothing wrong with his brain. The first thing he said at age four was—not “mama” or “papa”—but “My soup is hot!” His parents asked him why he never talked before. He said, “Because nothing has ever been wrong before!” Albert was forgetful. He’d forget to use shaving cream when he shaved. He’d forget to take a shower or change his clothes. He was published in the newspaper all the time. What was so awkward about it was he didn’t like it! He preferred to go on “thinking hikes” to get more ideas for his equations. He didn’t want attention, which was surprising for the most famous scientist of his time. But that was his nature. News reporters always asked him, “Can you briefly explain your theory of relativity?” This drove Albert nuts, but sometimes he would have to end up answering them anyway. Albert was a risk taker. When he was in school in Germany, he had lots of ideas about science but didn’t write them down. When he talked about his ideas, no one would listen. He got kicked out of school because he asked too many questions. Albert hated school,

but still he felt depressed to leave it. He later moved to Switzerland, where he went to a new high school and had all the time in the world to write. He wrote papers challenging the best scientists’ ideas. Albert’s first paper was on electricity and magnetism, which was no surprise because Albert had been thinking about those subjects for years. In another paper, Albert took a risk by saying he didn’t agree with other scientists who said there was something in space called “ether.” Albert claimed the empty part of space was really just empty. His paper didn’t get much attention, but today people realize it was amazing. In 1905, Albert wrote a paper on relativity, which talked about how everything but light traveled at different speeds. This was a risk for Albert because the idea was so unusual that few people could understand it. Albert once said, “For an idea that does not seem insane at first, there is no hope.” When Albert Einstein died in 1955, he was 76 years old. When he was a boy, people didn’t listen to him, but because he was so smart, looked at things differently, and took risks, he grew up to become one of the most respected scientists in the world. His amazing thoughts changed the way we still think about matter and energy today.

My Thanksgiving

Annabel Kriger December, Grade 1

I went to my lake house on Tuesday, right after school. We drove an hour or forty-five minutes in the car. I had a great time with my dad and my little sister, Olivia, and my mom and my brother. We called some of our old friends. It was so fun. Finally, we got to our lake house, and my sister and I played together. Then my mom, my brother, my dad, and I played football. It was so fun. I had my Nana and my Papa there. They stayed one night and two days. For those two days and one night, we all had fun! Lots of fun!

My Scar

Anton Walvoord January, Grade 1

When I was five I got a scar from under a pool table. This is how I got my scar. I went to my friend’s aunt and uncle’s home. Mia, my sister, and my friends, Nate and Kade, and I were playing pool. Some of the nets that held the balls were broken. A ball fell through and hit the floor. I went under the pool table to get the ball, and Nate said that there was a spider! I jumped from under the table and that’s how I got my scar!

The Iris

Julia Dixon First Place, Short Story Contest Grade 8

The light was blinding. It seemed to consume everything around me. If I shielded my eyes, I could see him in the back smiling with contagious joy. I didn’t move, just stood at the entrance taking it all in. My eyes could not adjust to the golden light that made everything, all the plants, flowers and glass, glow and sparkle. It looked surreal. My dad’s nursery was always beautiful, but it was especially wonderful in May. After the long winter and rawness of spring, I loved to visit my dad’s nursery. The warmth and color of the flowers brought me a sense of possibility and hope. As if on cue, my dad looked up and spotted me between the hundreds of plants. He beckoned me to him. I smiled and skipped over the concrete floor towards him. The purple, pink, orange, yellow, blue, green and white colors were overwhelming, and their scents, combined together, were intoxicating yet overpowering. They created a strong perfume that pulled me deeper into the maze of colors. It was warm, the kind of warmth that made my heart skip a beat or caused me to smile for no reason. As I got closer, the light got brighter and brighter. No one else seemed to notice. A worker in a forest green monogrammed polo walked over to my dad and asked him where to put the new plants. “Well, put them in the front, of course,” he replied with a jolly laugh. He was glowing with happiness, glowing with excitement and glowing with warmth. The customers closest to him smiled at his enthusiasm and radiance. It was hard not to notice. The worker chuckled, nodded, and then turned away. No one questioned him as there

was no point. He was always right and he knew best. He could solve any problem given to him, make anyone feel better and most importantly give the best advice. He turned to me as I got closer and his light shone stronger. His bright blue eyes sparkled with happiness. I couldn’t move; the light, his light, was so entrancing and strong. “Annie,” he said softly and warmly, “good morning.” He smiled, crouched down, pulled me to him and hugged me. I smiled and squeezed him back. Just like every morning, he smelled sweetly of soil and flower nectar. His big arms were safe, and his hugs could cure almost anything. Not that I needed anything to be cured; life was perfect in May. “Did you see the new bearded irises?” he mumbled in my ear. “Yes Dad, they’re beautiful.” My head started to hurt from the intensity of the light. “May is the best. Isn’t it? The excitement of spring is at its strongest; anything is possible, and the irises are so magnificent.” They were beautiful. The blue and purple stood out. They were gentle, fragile and peaceful. The light was getting brighter. He released me, and suddenly I started to get cold. The light started to fade. I felt the warmth, the scent, the glow drain immediately out of me. I felt limp. “Ma’am, ma’am, excuse me, ma’am,” I dragged my eyelids up and squinted into the dark. A blurry flight attendant shook my arm. “We have landed,” she said slowly, unsure if I could hear her, “Ma’am?” she said again. I groaned. What was going on? Cold air was blowing right at my face, and I was beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic. I became aware that my cheek was numb. I realized this was because it was resting against the cold window of a plane. With great effort, I managed to sit up straight. I rubbed my eyes and turned towards the flight attendant. “What?” I asked her, annoyance creeping into my voice. “We have landed.” said the woman. She paused, “we’re at the gate,” she added. I lifted my arm up and felt around above me. I grabbed a panel nob and twisted, stopping the forceful, concentrated air from freezing me to death. I stretched out my legs and jammed my knee sharply into the seat in front of me. I bit my lip and groaned again. The pain snapped me out of my haze and I stood up quickly. My head hit the ceiling with a crack. This time I groaned louder. Stars began to circle, and an obnoxious pounding in my head started. I shuffled awkwardly out of the row and stopped. After steadying myself on a seat, the pounding began to fade. The flight attendant was now standing motionless just gaping at me, and I began to realize that we were the only ones left on the dimly lit plane.

I ignored the flight attendant and started to pull my bag down. “Um here, here I’ll get that for you,” said the flight attendant hesitantly. She was catching on to the fact that I was not in a good mood. “No, it’s fine. I got it,” I said harshly. I pulled harder, but the bag would not budge. “Really let me help.” The woman grabbed one side of the bag and pulled it at the same time I did. I stumbled forward in surprise. The heavy carry-on fell down from the overhead bin right on my foot. “Ow!” I screamed as I grabbed my foot. I looked at the flight attendant angrily and sat down in the seat behind me. I wanted to start screaming at her, but instead I began to cry. I heard the woman mumble something about leaving me alone and watched her hurry away. I cried harder. I was 27, and I was crying on an empty plane. I didn’t care though. I didn’t care one bit. It wasn’t the pain in my knee, the pain in my head or the fresh pain in my foot; it was the pain in my heart. It was my trip to see my family and the talk I had with my best friend. It was my dream. I had always dreamed about my dad, but never so intensely. It had never felt so real before. I wanted so badly—more than anything—to go back to that dream. No, I wanted to go back in time. I wanted to go back to a time exactly fourteen years ago. I wanted to still have the nursery that my dad loved so much, still be young and not have to make decisions and still have a dad. I couldn’t think about it anymore. I couldn’t think about the car crash. I couldn’t think of having to sell my dad’s nursery. It was still a fresh wound. After fourteen years it was still too painful. I needed my dad, especially now. I needed him now more than ever. I took a deep breath, grabbed my bag and walked off the airplane. The rest of the way home was a haze. I managed to get into my car and get out of the airport, but I was a mess. I drove faster and faster down the highway. I didn’t turn on the radio. Instead, I sat in silence, lost in my thoughts. The street lights bathed my car in light, then darkness, then light, then darkness. Every time I passed a car, I heard a whoosh, whoosh. Whoosh, whoosh. Dark, light. Whoosh, whoosh. Outside, it was black and lonely. The air seemed too thin and too clear. Barely anything moved and there was little sign of life. I could make out the trees along the roadside. They stood with silent wooden limbs and no leaves. They were barren and empty and made me curse the coming of a long winter season. I turned up the heat inside the car. The trip hadn’t gone as I had planned. My mind wandered back to this morning, and I gritted my teeth and pressed down harder on the pedal. The trees became a blur. I knew I was now officially speeding, but I didn’t care.

I had been in Connecticut visiting my family. We had all gone out to dinner the night before, all seven of us, my mom, my aunt, my uncle and my three cousins. It had been easy and fun. The next morning when I had gone downstairs ready to leave, I had my mother to myself. She had made me scrambled egg and toast with pear jam, just like old times. I told her about my plan. “Hey mom, I wanted to tell you before I left. I am thinking about leaving the restaurant to open my own pastry store,” I said shyly. I paused and looked up from my eggs waiting for her encouragement. Mom didn’t turn around from the sink. “Um, ya,”I continued hesitantly, “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and it’s really what I want to do. A storefront opened up a block away from where I work now. I’m going to call the shop Annie’s Pastries. I waited and then blurted out, “I think I can really make it work!” My mom still didn’t say anything. “Mom?” I asked as she turned around with a pained look on her face. “I’m sorry honey, I’m just not so sure. You have a good job now and the economy’s so bad. Also, you’re so young. Why hurry? Maybe save up for a few more years and get more experience before you jump in to this. Starting a business can be risky and expensive. Remember how awful it was to sell your father’s store when we couldn’t make it work anymore? I don’t want you to have to go through that again.” “I know Mom,” I forced myself to say.” I’m sorry.” I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. “I’ll call you,” I said. I left the house without looking at her. “Ugggghhhhh,” I pressed harder on the pedal angrily. No one believed in me. I thought back to my boss and best friend Angie. “Angie, I want to talk to you. You are the first to know, but um, I want to open my own pastry store. I mean it has been great doing pastries for you at this restaurant, but I think I am ready to do my own thing.” We stared at each other not saying anything for a long time, too long. “Okay,” Angie finally said slowly. “Well, are you sure because speaking as your boss we will all really miss you, but speaking as your friend, this isn’t easy. Times are different. Are you sure you want to take this huge risk?” I am done—done with no one believing in me. I want someone to tell me that I can do this. Someone to tell me to reach for the stars—follow my dream. It has been a long time since someone believed I could take a chance. I drove by the restaurant I’ve worked at since graduating from culinary school. It was a good job. Steady, reliable, unexceptional

and safe. I slowed down, slower and slower until I stopped in front of the empty space down the street that I wanted to buy. It was a perfect little storefront with a blue canvas awning. I had saved the down payment money; I knew my plan. The mortgage papers were ready and just needed my signature to make this spot mine. I wanted to do it but the hesitancy of my mom and closest friend, Angie, took away my confidence. Maybe they were right—was I ready? Should I wait a few more years? I should wait a little longer. I am still young after all. My mom and Angie didn’t mean to hurt my feelings. They were only trying to protect me, right? I pressed on the pedal again and turned towards home. Five minutes later I turned into the driveway of my small house. I parked the car, grabbed my duffle bag and walked towards the door. The cold was penetrating through my thin fleece coat. It was way too cold for November. I took another deep breath, and the air pierced my throat. I breathed out and smoky white fog puffed around me. Shivering I noted that I would have to get out my winter coat. It had been a disappointing last couple of days, and this weather added to my mood. I felt dejected and sad. Sighing, I slowly advanced towards the door when I noticed something white and fluttery near the mailbox and my front garden bed. Was it some tissues blowing in the wind? I walked closer to get a better look, and realized I wasn’t seeing right. It was dark and I was tired. I squinted again at the white form. “What?” I thought to myself. “How could that be?” I turned to stand directly in front of my small garden. Although, I hoped to have a much larger one someday, this little patch was my treasure. I had spent much time tending, weeding and enjoying what bloomed here, particularly in the spring. Of all the things that stood for my father, this little piece of earth was the place I could feel closest to him. In the bare soil next to my mailbox a small iris was in bloom. Granted it was weak and looked a little awkward and out of place, but it was a legitimate iris with white and purple soft petals on top of a deep green stem. A beautiful, bearded iris blooming in November. How unbelievably strange! This plant should bloom in May, but it was November now. There it was, cold and lonely, but blooming. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe it. I sat down next to it and just laughed out loud. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so cold anymore. And it was then I realized that someone had always believed.

Observational Ship Painting after Winslow Homer Sheridan Leahy, Grade 2

Sumi-e Painting Sarah Tobin, Grade 6

ROCKS ROCK!

Soccer Sophia Maggos March, Grade 1

Paige Roby January, Grade 2 Any color Different shapes Heavy Light Small and big! Rolling Rolling Knock Knock Hits against another rock! Rocks Rock!

I kick. I run. I pass. I stop. Last, but not least, I score! I love soccer!

Colors Asher Anderson

Books Books Too Many Books Jonathan Xakellis February, Grade 2 Oh a book From big to small Fat to long Thick to thin Interesting to boring Nonfiction to fiction Love stories and adventure stories All different genres You could write a book Books are fun when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sick All books are different!

January, Grade 4 Just think about it. Think about everything. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a color. Just think about it. Think about you and me. We are colored. Just think about it. Dogs, cats, pets. They are colored. Just think about it. Nothing is something, so something is nothing. Something is a color, so nothing is a color. Which means everything is a color. Colors are everything.

The Lighter Side

Nina Wilson

Stripy and Round Sheridan Leahy

Grade 8 The sun is hot. Beating down on my burnt back. The ground is dry. Caked with mud and loose cotton The field is forever, scattered everywhere Sounds of screams, whips and wind whistling through my ears Smells of sweat, tears, and cotton throughout the field But there is also, The bright yellow sun shining light on hard work The ground is dry, flakes of mud and grass spread through my toes Field goes on and on, never ending Sounds of singing, dancing and storytelling Smell of cornbread and new clothes. Being a slave is tiring and painstaking, but when you look past the sad emotions that fill you up, you see freedom and happiness.

September, Grade 2 Shells big and round Shells on the ground Shells gray, brown, white Hold it, hold it, and hold it tight Short stripes Long stripes Dig it, dig it, and dig it big Dig it, dig it, dig, dig, and dig

Hard Job Spencer Chun January, Grade 2 Sometimes in the ocean Rough and tough Sparkly like crystals Round as a ball Hard as a wall Colorful like a rainbow Heavy as a brick I am a rock

Where I’m From

Michael Giambrone November, Grade 4

I am from where cows cross the road, bees make our honey, and herds of buffalo live next door. I am from the big brick house on top of the hill; a long curving driveway, ponds, lakes and fountains, bumpy bridges and lots of land to run and play. I am from gator rides, cleaning the garage, tickle chambers, and letter games. From Giambrone and Welch. I am from going down to the building, long walks to the mailbox and even longer drives to school. I am from raviolis and meatballs, Pizza Fridays, and Ice Cream Sundays. I am from “Clean your room,” “Be nice to your sister,” “How many times?” and “I love you, Goo!” I’m from earning a black belt through perseverance and determination, sweat and tears. I’m from a huge heart, blue eyes, dimples and Italian hugs, Fireworks Extravaganzas and The Best Family Christmas card loved by all.

Halloween

Will Collins October , Grade 3

I like Halloween for many different reasons. One reason I like Halloween is I get to go trick-or-treating. I like to go trick-or-treating because I get lots of candy. I also like seeing all the decorated houses. Another reason I like Halloween is I get to dress up in costumes. I like dressing up because I always have a cool costume, and people give me good compliments. Lastly, I like going to parties. I liked going to parties because the food is always good. Halloween is so fun!

Hawaii Josselyn Joanem October, Grade 5 Beautiful sunsets that are blue, orange, and yellow. I have fun boggy boarding Listening to the ocean go splish-splash splish-splash The ocean roars listen listen then it softly comes to a stop… Then it is time go it always makes me sad because I am in… Hawaii.

Citizens Of The World

Alessandro Raganelli Second Place, Short Story Contest Grade 8

“….there was silence in the class, the same deep silence that Greg had lived in for months….” “Children, it’s time now to leave your pencils on the table and take a little break! We’ve worked very hard this morning on our multiplication tables, and we should be proud of ourselves and what we’ve accomplished, but the weather is wonderful, and I will let you have ten minutes of recess to recharge your batteries!” Mrs. Crown had just graduated from college, and this was her first job as a teacher in the third grade, but she knew very well that nine-year-old children cannot focus their attention for more than thirty minutes, especially if the weather outside was so gorgeous. It had been an unusual summer in the Midwest, warm, humid, with a lot of rain. In fact, there were only a few days left in which the sun might shine to enjoy the summer vacation before the new school year. But that September was unbelievable: blue skies, sunny days, and flowers had continued to bloom like little gems left by a nice gnome. All of nature seemed to enjoy this nice weather, trying to grasp as much sun as possible before the long winter arrived. Mike and Chris were the last to leave the class: Mike was complaining, as always, because the pencil sharpener hadn’t worked properly, and his pencil wouldn’t write exactly what he was planning to write. Chris, patiently waiting for him, was trying to explain that

everyone in the classroom was using the same sharpener so, if Mike’s pencil “didn’t work properly,” probably the real problem was Mike, not the sharpener. They used to have this type of conversation when they were three years old at the kindergarten: their families lived closed to each other, so the two would often play together. They’d played together for so long (so many days) that they couldn’t remember the last day they’d not spent together. Mike was finally ready to go, but Chris, all of the sudden, had stopped at the threshold of the door, turned back and said, “Greg would you like to come with us and play hide and go seek?” Silence fell upon the class. It seemed as if all fifty children had vanished into thin air. “I do not understand why you continue to try to talk with Greg,” said Mike impatiently, “He is a very strange boy,” he continued. “I’m pretty sure he must be deaf or dumb, or both.” “Don’t be silly Mike; haven’t you ever seen him talking with Mrs. Crown or with his mom every morning at the beginning of our class?” “No, I’ve sometimes heard some strange sounds coming from his mother’s mouth, but that’s about it.” “You should pay more attention to the world around you instead of thinking only about yourself. If you’d been paying attention in the morning before school, you would have seen Greg talking with his mom every day. Once she has talked with Mrs. Crown, it seems, from what I was able to hear, that she explains to him everything that will happen during the school day, before she leaves. I’ve also noticed that Greg’s eyes twinkle while she is here, but later he barely raises his head during the day.” “I think you’re making this story up, Chris,” stated Mike. “You are having flights of fantasy as always, but the real world is different. I’ve already told you he is deaf or dumb, and I think he comes from a small town from Montana, you know those little funny farms where people don’t talk a lot and speak only gibberish, and use hand signals to communicate with others. Now let’s go outside, we only have a few minutes left. It’s only noon so Mrs. Crown won’t allow us to stay outside for long, cause we still need to finish our lesson.” Chris followed his friend to play with the other classmates at tag, but for the entire recess he couldn’t stop thinking about Greg, and what might be wrong with him. To Chris, Greg was not strange as had Mike said. Actually, he was as normal as all the other boys in the class, tall, strong, and well built, probably even more handsome than the other boys. Greg was blonde, with large intense blue eyes like the deep blue of the ocean,

and his skin was so white you would think he had never seen the sun! He was a normal boy, or at least like most the other kids, but there were something that Chris didn’t understand. Greg seemed such a nice guy in the morning with his mom and Mrs. Crown near to him. Why was he so different during the day? He asked himself the question many times, but he was not able to find any reasonable answer. He was still immersed in his thoughts when he went back home and ate his dinner. Then his mom asked him, “Hey Chrissy are you with us tonight??” Chris shook his head and raised his head; his mother had been talking with him for almost ten minutes and he’d never answered back. “Are you OK Chris?” she asked, “Did something happen at school?” she asked again. “Oh mom, sorry I was thinking about Greg, you know, the new boy who just joined our school. Have you ever met him?” “Oh yes, I meet his mom every day when I drive you to school,” said his mom, with food in her mouth, “He seems like a very nice boy. Is he not?” “Yes, he is nice but ………but………there is something I do not understand about him, he is ……..he is …….so …… different, I don’t understand why.” Chris’s mother began to smile at him and replied, “Have you ever tried to talk to him?” “No! Never!” I replied. “But don’t take me wrong; the problem is that I don’t know how. For example, I tried to invite him to play with us at recess today, but he didn’t even answer me. Mike thinks that he must be deaf or dumb or both. But I think that it’s impossible. Isn’t that right mom?” Chris’ mother began to chuckle now. “Don’t you think that there could be a simpler explanation about why a child doesn’t speak than the possibility that he’s deaf or dumb?” she asked. “He is simply from another country. In fact, he’s from the Ukraine, and he doesn’t speak much, if any, English. The reason why he doesn’t answer you is because probably he doesn’t understand what you are asking him, or he simply doesn’t know how to answer you,” she said. “Does this make more sense to you now?” Chris was speechless, “Another country!” he said with astonishment. That makes much more sense. Why hadn’t he thought about it beforehand? “Deaf or dumb.” He was the dumb one for not figuring it out, but he wanted to share the news with his best friend, so he called Mike immediately.

“Hey Mike! I know why Greg never speaks. It isn’t because he’s deaf or dumb. My mom explained everything to me.” “And you are calling me in the middle of the night just to tell me this! Let’s talk tomorrow. Good night.” Chris was fairly frustrated by Mike’s answer, but not surprised. That was just how Mike was, and he wasn’t going to change any time soon. Chris went to bed later that evening, but he couldn’t sleep. All throughout the night, he had a strange feeling inside of him. Something he could not yet comprehend! Chris couldn’t wait to go to school the next day to talk with Greg. He was scared and excited by the idea of starting to communicate with him, play with him, but overall to learn more about Greg and his country. “Oh my God,” he said to himself, “his country. It was…what…’Ukraine’ or ‘Ocrain,’ that mom had said he was from?” He immediately got out from his bed to Google those names to discover where Ukraine (yes, with U) was, what language and all other possible facts he could gather. But, what astounded Chris was how many miles away it was from his home. He felt better now and went to bed happy, waiting for the following morning. “I don’t want to go to that school anymore!” “Greg, you know that’s out of discussion. Your school is the best school of the area, and everybody was so open and available to help us during our transfer. What’s the problem? “They hate me,” he cried. “Hate is a strong sentiment Greg; I can’t believe that is what is happening at your school.” “You don’t believe me? Well, let me tell you what happened this morning. One of them was pointing a finger at me telling me to stay in class and not to go to recess with them. Does that sound like a nice kid to you, mom?” Greg said, and began to cry. Greg’s mother looked at her husband with a blank look on her face, but Greg’s dad replied to his son, “Greg, how are you so sure he was telling you NOT to go to recess?” he asked. “You’ve just started to learn English and there are many words you don’t know,” he said. “Is there the possibility that he might have been trying to tell you something different and you simply misunderstood what he said?” Greg was speechless. His father was very logical and might be right, but the hatred for his new school was so powerful that it was obscuring his honest judgment. He just wanted to

go back to his school in Kiev with his friends where everybody loved him and everybody understood him. He left the kitchen and ran upstairs to his bedroom continuing to cry. The following morning Chris was at school very early. He wanted to be sure he had the opportunity to talk with Greg as soon as possible. So he waited for his mom to leave and immediately after, he stepped in front of him saying, “Hi Greg, my name is Christopher but you can call me Chris,” he said, with a huge smile on his face. “I know you are from the Ukraine,” he continued, “and I know where Ukraine is because I “Googled” it last night; it’s a really cool country!” shouted Chris. “Would you like to be my friend?” he asked, with that puppy dog look on his face. Greg was frightened to death! This was the same boy who didn’t want him to have recess the day before and now he was saying all that nonsense. So the only answer he was able to think of was, “No!” Chris, as a result, was very frustrated by the fact that he could not make friends with Greg, so he went back to his desk and didn’t want to talk with anybody for the rest of the day. Jennie, though, came over to him to share some great news, “Hey Chris, did you know that last weekend Greg won two meets at our swimming competition?” she said, with a kind smile on her face. “He is a very good swimmer!” she stated, with gusto. Chris went right over to tell Mike. “Hey Mike, I just talked with Jennie about Greg, and she told me that last weekend she had a swimming competition and that Greg was there. He won two meets. It seems, from her description, that he is a very good swimmer!” “May be you are right,” admitted Mike. “Maybe he is not from one of those funny farms of Montana but from a small island in Hawaii,” said Mike, mockingly. “Still, this doesn’t change anything, he is not Michael Phelps, so I don’t see any reason to talk with him.” “You are hopeless! I can’t talk with you anymore.” “Oh, really? So why don’t you go and try to talk to your “new” friend instead. Go on, talk with him, if you can!” Chris was furious, Mike was superficial and rude, but the worst part about all of it was that he was, in fact, right. It seemed as if there was no way to communicate with Greg. Chris spent that whole night thinking of the best way to talk with Greg and finally he had an idea. He tried to find an online translator from Ukrainian to English and tried to write a sentence, a simple sentence this time, “My name is Chris, I am your friend,” and, to be sure to deliver the right message this time, he printed the sentence on a large piece of

paper. That was how Greg found Chris the following morning. With this piece of paper in his hands with, surprisingly, a few words in Ukrainian. The sentence didn’t make any sense to him, but he was able to recognize one key word: friend! He smiled at Chris, a few tears might have been shed as well, but after that moment the two became best friends forever. From then on Chris and Greg made progress with the help of Jennie and, yes, even Mike, who didn’t want to lose his best friend and thought that probably it was a wise decision to have another best friend. The three helped Greg with his English, and Greg taught to them few words of Ukrainian, just for fun and not to be understood by Mrs. Crown. They had sort of like a secret code language that only the four knew. They became very close and the four friends were able to spend many very memorable times together. But one more surprise was waiting. Christmas break was over. On the first day of school Mrs. Crown entered in the classroom accompanied by a boy. “Kids, I have exciting news for you,” she said. “Nigel just joined our school and today is his first day of school with us. He is from Budapest,” she stated. “Does anybody know where that is?” she asked. The kids looked around, but nobody had any clue of where Budapest was. Only Greg said to Chris “It’s not far from my home, in Europe; it’s a beautiful city. We should go there together one day,” and he smiled to Chris. Mrs. Crown changed the subject and asked, “Is there anybody willing to share a desk?” There was silence in the class, the same deep silence Greg had lived in for months when he had arrived at this school. Greg had a sudden chill go down his back, a sort of panic. He looked around for help and instinctively turned to Chris. Chris was already looking at him. For a few imperceptible seconds, they looked at each other, and they didn’t need any words to explain what they were thinking about. Then they smiled, turned to Mrs. Crown and together said, “We Do!”

Rosa Parks

Whitney Jannotta January, Grade 1

Rosa Parks helped to change unfair laws. She came on the bus, and a white man said to move. She said, “No!” She got arrested. They had a boycott, and they would not ride the bus. They did it for three hundred days, and the law was changed.

Opossum Adaptations

Jacob McEvoy February, Grade 3

No one really sees them, but after you read this, you will be eager to. The opossum is one of the most interesting animals, and they always seem to have a trick up their sleeves. The opossum can live nearly anywhere they can live in a city, woodlands, and they usually live in trees. I’m going to tell you three interesting adaptations on the opossum. First, I will tell you all about an opossum’s feet. Opossums have five toes on each foot. They can use their forefeet like fingers, and the hind foot has a thumb. Like people, they have nails instead of claws on the other four toes. The big toe and the nails help the opossum grasp things and climb trees. I bet you want to check out the cool tail of an opossum. Opossums have a long, prehensile tail without much hair on it. A prehensile tail can wrap tightly around and grasp a tree branch. The tail can be used as a “fifth hand” when the opossum is moving about in the tree. Young opossums can hang by their tail from a branch. The opossum has a little trick called playing opossum. The opossum uses this trick to save its life when attacked. The opossum lies very still. It keeps its body curled, its mouth and eyes slightly open, legs stiffened, and its heart beat slows down. In a short time, the attacker thinks the opossum is dead and loses interest. When the enemy leaves, the opossum recovers. The opossum knows another trick. Its first move when attacked is to release a liquid that gives off a strong odor, and the smell drives some attackers away. I hope you can actually see an opossum because they’re such a cool sort of animal. Most animals can’t let out horrible smells or pretend to be dead! Opossums can even hang from a tree.

Daydream Gouache Painting after Marc Chagall Mimi Baeseman-Smith, Grade 3

Linear Perspective Drawing of a Bedroom Matthew Spadaro, Grade 7

Bullying is Bad

Tyler Kolb December, Grade 1

Once there was a boy named Bob who is eleven years old and his mom. There is a group of kids at school who are mean to him. The boy said to stop, but that didn’t work. So the mom said to stop three times. The mom couldn’t get them to stop. The teacher told them to stop, but that didn’t work either, so they went to the principal. The principal called everyone in to his office, and the mean boys stopped bullying Bob and they were punished. The punishment was to do Bob’s homework for two weeks. Bob felt happy, and the mean boys learned their lesson.

My Town

Luke Larsen January, Grade 3

Here are the many things that I like about my town. The first thing is Lake Bluff Brewery. The people there are really nice, like when the girl said, “I thought kids make messes.” The second thing is they make really good root beer. The second thing I like about my town is the park. I like the game that Liam, Eleanor, my dad, and I play. It’s called “The Shark.” It’s when dad tries to catch us and tickle us. The other thing I like about the park is the river. I like to jump across the river. The third thing I like about my town is the fire station and the police station. The people in the fire station let me and other people go in their fire trucks. I found someone’s wallet in the park. I gave it to the guy in the police station, and he gave me a badge. The last thing I like about my town is the library. The library has every book, from Harry Potter all the way to army books. Also, the people at the library know me very well. Those are a few of the many reasons why I like my town.

My Trip to Colorado

Savannah Silvester December, Grade 1

First, we had to go to the car after the plane ride because we still had to drive there. The drive took two hours, and the plane ride took two hours, too. Then we had to go to bed, and the next morning we went skiing with my mom. Later, we went to the hot tub and we went to dinner. We watched TV with Lily K. and Lily Silvester, my sister. We went to get my mom, and we went to bed. My brother’s birthday was on December 5, and we went skiing again. We went to the hot tub, we went bowling, and then we went to bed. The next morning, we watched a person who was pregnant on TV, and then we went home.

Math is Important

Jackson Van Paris January, Grade 3

What would we do without math? Math is fun, it makes you work, and it helps kids in the future. First of all, math is fun because it is very challenging. Math is challenging because my math teacher gives me hard things to do, but sometimes too hard. My second reason math is important is because it makes you think. It makes your brain bigger. It makes you work, work, work. It might help somebody’s discipline. Finally, math is important because it helps kids in the future. There is math everywhere, like at work. Let’s say you are the boss, and you have to figure out the taxes. Also, math is at some restaurants, too. You have to figure out how much money people have to pay. Math is important because it is fun, it makes you work, and it helps kids in the future. Let’s see if I can find a Math Magician.

Observational Ship Painting after Winslow Homer Will Meyer, Grade 2

Mixed-Media Self-Portrait Sophia Platcow, Grade 8

Working Hard

The Moose

Arlo Lidstrom

Preston Pickens

March, Grade 1

February, Grade 2 The moose is on the loose, With a goose! Now they lit a flare. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the air! Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over there!

Slide Shoot Goal Crowd goes wild! Sweaty Hot Tired I love hockey!

Now I Am Six

Eleanor Hutchinson March, Grade 1

USA Brooke Farrell February, Grade 2 USA, USA People were chanting Red, white, and blue on the flag World War II was just starting Bad things were happening Everyone was scared People saw a missile coming down Bam, Bam, they heard a sound It was the Japanese Everyone was still for a moment Then everyone was gone Dead

I used to need help swimming, but now I can swim by myself. I used to like purple, but now I like green. I used to be a Dolphin, but now I am a Green Fish. I used to be five, but now I am six.

AfricanAmerican Poem

Emma Merlin Grade 8

I am trapped I work endlessly without break or reward I am owned by another person I am beaten and punished for doing what I am told I hurt, my back is filled with pain and open wounds that will always leave a mark I sleep on the floor, clean is not in my vocabulary I live crammed with my twentyone family members in a small wooden hut with no heating or air conditioning I hear my master’s boots behind me watching my every move I can hear him laugh and smile at my pain I start work when I am six, I end when I die I feel that my hands are swollen and sore from picking and cleaning cotton all day I attend church and learn to obey my master or God will not love me I want to escape, but I will be killed If I rebel, and fail, I will be killed If I try to be an equal and ask for my own equal rights, I will be killed I worship and rest on Sundays The only things that keep my alive are

corn husking’s and quilting bees The only thing keeping me on my feet is the joy and love from my family and friends But at any moment I could be taken away from my family and sold to another master I could never see my family ever again I am a never stopping worker, I have no rights, and I can be punished or killed without it being called murder I am a slave

Catcher Kevin Taylor February, Grade 1 Sailing past the batter’s bat, a glove catches the ball. The catcher has now made an out! He stands up nice and tall. The crowd goes wild—it roars and screams, while the batter walks away. The game is over. The catcher is glad! That’s all they’re playing today.

Driving a Dogsled

Jacob Phelps April, Grade 5

Wind lashes at me as if it wants to whip me Snow flying at my cold-bitten face A team of fourteen dogs pull me across the abyss of snow Sharp left Sharp right A whiplash travels down the harness I am thrown off the sled Blackout Two seconds later, a familiar tongue gives me a very warm lick Shadow! My lead dog I get up I am freezing The dogs look at me as if I were an alien that had just crashed into earth I want to go on but I’m freezing The dogs goad me on with exited barks I get back on the sled and say “mush” The dogs spring into action like a nuclear explosion Before I know it, I see the starting/stopping zone I jump off the sled into the snow I am ambushed by a bunch of hugs from my family

Five Thousand Miles

India Shelley Third Place, Short Story Contest Grade 8

A man in black was led to his death. Clutching the Qur’an, he shouted, “Allhu akbar,” as the noose was put around his neck. A shout from the crowd of “go to Hell,” shattered the silence like a baseball would a window. A guard called for silence to allow the man dignity for his execution. The man began to softly recite the Shahada when the platform under the his dirty feet dropped. The crowd jeered mercilessly at the whiplash sound as the man’s neck snapping. Suddam Hussein, president, dictator, husband and father was dead. Five thousand miles away in Kerala, India, on the steps of St. Thomas Catholic Cathedral the bride looked stunning in an elaborately embroidered red and gold sari. Her American husband-to-be stood in white next to her looking strangely silent and sullen. Thousands of vibrantly dressed people flooded through the cathedral square, around the couple and into the cathedral like a multicolored river, bowing their heads respectfully. These were the people of Kerala who had come to celebrate the wedding of an important family, custom dictated that they all be invited to join in the festivities. My party of Western guests stood off to the side in the shade of the bus, not knowing what the protocol was. It was a blisteringly hot, dusty day ,and I stood awkwardly in my new shalwar kameez. It had been a long time since my breakfast of dosa filled with spicy potatoes, and my stomach growled at the smell of the pungent food being prepared for all of the wedding guests. It had been a lengthy, sluggish journey from the hotel in a bus which had no airconditioning. It seemed to become stuffier every second I spent in it. Finally, it was our turn to wish the couple well and enter the cathedral. Women on the left, men on the right. The cathedral was vast; marble and polished jewel-colored stones bedecked every spare inch of space, yet the pews we sat on were simple, unadorned wood. The altar was dressed with freshly picked blossoms. The brightness of the people made a sharp contrast against the solid, gleaming white of the marble. Finally, the bride and groom swept up the aisle and into the cathedral. They took their places kneeling in front of the altar. The service began with the bishop speaking in the native tongue, Malayalama, a beautiful sing-song language, his voice filling the cavernous space. The groom’s complexion seemed to become as pale as his white wedding kurta. I had met him the night before at a lavish pre-wedding party and he seemed as dull as the bride seemed vivacious. The bride’s father sat importantly at the front, a successful Indian-American businessman. He wanted to show off to his American colleagues, including my father. He also wanted

to demonstrate to his family, to the church and the town where he grew up. There was no expense spared for such an important event. The amount spent on this wedding could have paid for three months’ worth of food the village. As his Western guests, we had been planning for this wedding since the day the invitation arrived in an Indian china elephant. Nothing was too much trouble to ensure the safety and enjoyment of his Western guests. Twenty minutes through the ceremony, my mind started to wander. I looked to the front row where the bride’s family was seated, and I noticed the father and host clutching his cell phone to his ear, a troubled expression on his face. He promptly disappeared through a side door. I thought that this was strange considering that she was his only daughter ,and his son wouldn’t be married for a few more years. He returned through the side door and spoke quietly with the bishop, and as he was talking, a grave look passed over the bishop’s face. The bride’s father came hurriedly down the aisle to where the Western guests were seated and told us that we had to leave, immediately. We were herded outside, back into the blistering heat; the square was vacant now, but our Western party still looked out of place in our clothing. Everyone asked around, trying to figure out what had happened, but no one knew. Why should we leave when we had come to India for this very occasion? We were then told, in hushed voices, that five thousand miles away, Suddam Hussein had been executed. Political parties and religious organizations were calling for a hartal, or blockade at 11:00 a.m. It was 10:30 a.m. now, and it had taken us an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the wedding from the hotel. How would we make it? We were pushed back on to the bus, the sense of celebration gone and replaced with a feeling of trepidation. Five thousand miles away at Camp Justice, the rope had been slashed, the body deposited in a coffin and flown away by a US Military helicopter to Tikrit, Suddam’s birthplace. An official video of the moments leading up to his execution was given to the media, however, another video, which showed the whole execution, was placed on You Tube, it was poor quality, but it attracted more attention than the other. Governments around the world had their own opinions. “He deserved his fate,” shouted the Americans. “This is barbaric! Suddam was a friend to the Indian people,” cried the Indians. For, me a thirteen year old, I was confused and I didn’t even know what my opinion on the event was. All I cared about was getting food and going back the oasis of the hotel. This was a very different bus ride to the first journey. It felt like a never-ending rollercoaster ride; every time I thought that the worst of the bumps was over, the bus would go over another, even bigger than the last. I still didn’t understand why we needed

to leave so quickly. I was forced to crouch in the aisle, on the sticky, dirty floor because I was a child. The curtains on the windows were drawn, so I wasn’t able to see what was going on outside the protective shell of the bus. Then someone opened the curtain, and I saw why everyone was so frightened. There were people shouting, building large fires and gathering many red, white and blue striped flags to burn. It was 10:50, ten minutes until the roads would be blockaded. My heart sank; we would never make it. The villages that blurred past us became smaller and smaller until each one was just a few small shacks. We were almost back to the hotel. The bus jolted. “What happened? Was that a gun shot?” whimpered the most nervous of our party; a man who had never left America. “Of course not, why would they try to shoot us?” stated my logical, sensible father. “Because Suddam Hussein was hung this morning!” “Calm down everyone, it wasn’t a gunshot, it was just a rock,” soothed our very compassionate Indian driver. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief. I had been petrified for a few moments, but I relaxed a little; no one wanted to hurt us. We were going to make it back to cool oasis of the hotel. The distressing journey that was the bus ride had almost come to an end; it would probably take us fifteen minutes at the most to get back to the hotel. I could picture myself floating in the large resort pool sipping coconut water. Maybe, if I closed my eyes and imagined it, this would all go away and I would be relaxing at the tranquil hotel. The bus jerked to a halt, all of the calm that I had just felt disappeared. A handsome young Indian man pushed his way onto the bus. He was nervously holding an antiquated gun in one hand. The man was clad in All-American clothing; a Nike shirt, black converse and jeans. “Everyone get off the bus, now,” he bluntly stated in heavily accented English, “I have a gun and I will use it, so do not run.” Fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins and my heart pounded like a drum. All thoughts of the hotel pool were long gone, my earlier hunger had gone completely, now replaced with a sinking feeling that descends when there is certain danger. Once off the bus, I could see evidence of protest. Crude effigies of George Bush were being engulfed by large tongues of fire. We were marched into a small cafe, the only enclosed space in an otherwise barren village. The structure was crudely made, thin wooden planks were pushed into the ground and were held together by flimsy pieces of string. The roof was a patchwork quilt of various pieces of rusty scrap metal. The silence in the room was full of apprehension, some of the people from our bus were huddled in the corner. My parents stood protectively around me making sure that I was okay and that nothing had hurt me. I was fine but I was still glad to have the attention. A young woman was whispering quietly in a corner with the man

who was still gripping his gun. Nobody seemed to know what to do with us. The woman disappeared through a plastic, beaded curtain and came back with a few bottles of very flat coke. She poured me a large amount of tepid coke. “Because you are Americans, and Americans like coke,” she said obviously trying to please us. I was too polite to mention that Coke was possibly my least favorite drink, and I took a few sips anyway just to please her, I didn’t want to upset anybody. She gestured for me to take an empty seat, and she sank down next to me and began to ask me about our lives in America. “How old are you? Where do you live? Who is your favorite movie star? What is your favorite song?” the questions came in rapid succession. I responded, thrilled that no one wanted to hurt me. The whole time my mother held my hand protectively. I leaned from her that she had grown up in this village, that her husband was the man with the gun, and that they had just had a baby daughter and had named her Fergie after their favorite American singer. “My husband isn’t a bad man; he is just trying to do what he thinks is right,” she tried to convince us. I didn’t totally believe her, but I wanted to. Her dream was to visit America with her daughter when her daughter was older. “I love the American culture, so much to see and do and eat and watch and learn, so much opportunity,” she said with a shy smile. Her nose jewel twinkled, “All of you are so lucky.” That made me think about how ironic it was that they love our culture and lifestyle but hate what we have done to Suddam Hussein. How can so much love and hate exist at the same time? Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the bus driver in a heated conversation with the man with the gun, pressing a few hundred rupees into his hand. Outside, the people lighting the fires began to lose interest, and any sense of danger had vanished. “It looks like your visit to our village is over,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. Floating on my back in deliciously cool turquoise water with not a care in the world, I had half a coconut in one hand, sipping refreshing milky-white coconut water. When we arrived at the hotel, we had received cool towels and effusive apologies. I felt a million miles away from everything and everyone. I wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else. Five thousand miles away, a daughter mourned the loss of her father and a country celebrated the death of a dictator. Six months later, I was back at school when we received a letter informing us that the couple had decided to go their separate ways. I could tell by the look on his face that they didn’t love each other. The letter brought back all of the memories of that day. My thoughts went five thousand miles away.

Where I’m From

Mia Walvoord November , Grade 4

I am from a historic landmark on Lake Michigan where my brother, my parents, and I carry buckets of smooth beach stones home in strong Dutch arms. From homegrown apples, “Play Dough,” and my cherished, antique, porcelain animal figurines. I am from hanging your bell on the Christmas tree alongside the bells of all your family members, proving “we each have a different voice” and generations of stuffed pandas given to our newborn babies. From Christensen and Walvoord and Newendyke. I am from the same soul as my giant, kind Wolfhound, Ohana, and my brother is made like our little, brave Cairn Terrier, Edgrr. From “showing adults my eyes” and waiting while my mother finishes talking to a stranger because she “loves people.” I am from saying “yes” to the question, “one more time?” because my pony’s willing heart says “yes,” too. I’m from Highland Park and the Netherlands, Great Grandmother’s “lotta lotta butter” recipes. From the giant portraits hanging above my mother’s antique ironstone pitchers, and old, sturdy Marshall Field’s boxes stuffed full of white bordered pictures taken with cameras my ancestors owned.

The Surprise

Sam Chaplin January, Grade 1

On Sunday, we woke up and watched some TV. After that, we had breakfast. I had Cocoa Puffs. Then, we skyped our nana and granddad. I got dressed and brushed my teeth. Mummy said to go to church. We got on our shoes and walked down the corridor and turned to the left. I pushed the button, and the lift came and we got in. My brother pushed the button to go down to the car. We drove to the church, and we got out of the car. The surprise was that when we were walking inside: we saw Mrs. Clifford!

Story Quilt Drawing with Patterned Tiles after Faith Ringgold Ellen Roloson, Grade 3

Tempera Painting Inspired by Australian Aboriginal Art Peter Jannotta, Grade 6

African-American Slave Poem: I am a Slave Agatha Walgreen Grade 8 I am Brave I am Soul I am Strong I am scared I am trapped I am controlled Someday I will be free My people My sons and daughters Will be free I have no weapons to protect my people I have no vote in the world I have obedience I have self-control I have my spirit and my soul I am a slave I am hurt by hands and weapons of a different color I am a prisoner I am weak I am ill I am a color My ancestors represent sound and movement I am a slave of a folk tale and spiritual My people dance out emotions My people disguise for freedom My people run for freedom My people run to the North Star for freedom In return what do my people and I get? Nothing Nothing but discrimination I smell a feast at my masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house

But what do I get in return? Nothing Nothing but an empty plate I am starved! My people are starved! My blood, my body, my soul, my labor is the key of making the South’s economy successful What do I get in return? Nothing Nothing but beatings and whippings I hear screams of hurting I see red coming out of my people I see red in my master’s eyes I taste salty tears My people go silent My mind goes weary My eyes seen bad and good My God is your God I am a slave of color, hurt and soul.

Waves Caitlin Kolb March, Grade 4

A Song Caitlyn Mathews January, Grade 4 A song is a lullaby, Sweet like honey. A song is an opera, Loud and calm. A song is ROCK N’ ROLL, Loud with a screaming crowd. A song is a rap, Raspy and cool. A song is a song, no matter what kind.

Cereal Natalie Regan March, Grade 5 Grab the cereal box out of the pantry Pour some in a bowl Clink, clink, clink The cereal falls Slowly, Into the bowl

BIG, small Surf, swim Up, down In, out animals, people close, far blue, green waves are everything

Chocolate Matters Becker Roloson March, Grade 5 Hershey’s Bar I pick the small rectangle The brown and silver words written on the candy I tear the rapper half way I eat the chocolate bar bit by bit Almost gone…. Chew, chew, chew All gone

One Day My Mom Didn’t Come to Pick Me Up From School

Posy Connery

December, Grade 1 She is thirty-nine, has pretty brown hair, and a white shirt. She has tall boots. She loves make-up. My name is Maria, and I’m at school. I was with my sisters, Elizabeth and Eleanor. No one came to get us after school. I started crying and my sisters started crying, too. We went outside and waited. It was snowing a lot! I was hungry and my sisters were, too. It was black out. We went in the school to find food. We kept calling her, and she didn’t answer. We were tired. Finally, we all fell asleep at school. All of a sudden I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I woke up to see my mom standing there! She had been stuck in a snow pile, and her cell phone had died. I was so happy to see her. I hugged her. She took us all home, and we did not have to go to school the next day.

Abraham Lincoln

Will Blodgett February, Grade 3

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” asked Abraham Lincoln. He was one of our nation’s best presidents. Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, in Kentucky. He always told the truth. His nickname was “Honest Abe.” His father, Thomas, was also known for his honesty. Abraham had three sons named Robert, Willie, and Tad. Abraham Lincoln was married to Mary Todd. He was elected as a congressman, a senator, and finally, he became the sixteenth President of the United States. He was known for keeping the union together during the Civil War. He died, April 15, 1865, from an assassination attempt. He was honest, hardworking, and funny. In the book Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet B. Pascal, the author describes Lincoln as honest an person. He impressed people with his honesty. He once said, “If you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer.” Another example of Lincoln being honest was when he said black people should have the same rights as white people. Not everyone agreed with him. He was also honest when he said, “The United States could not continue as half-free and half-slave or the country will be destroyed.” That is an honest statement. Second, Abraham Lincoln was hardworking. By the time Abraham was eight, he could pick up an axe and split wood as well as any man. In 1840, he actually worked hard to get his rival elected to the House of Representatives, so he could be in line to be elected next. Third, Abraham was funny. He impressed people with his funny stories. Lincoln sometime talked to his generals with one of the boys climbing up his chair and on to his shoulders. Tad also got Lincoln to free a turkey that was being fattened for Christmas dinner. Abraham Lincoln was important because he freed the slaves. He was the president during the Civil War. He was honest, hardworking, and funny.

Full-Body Portraits of Immigrant Interviewees Chloe Morrissey, Grace Fitzgerald, Obi Okoli, Grade 4

Linear Perspective Drawing of a Kitchen Kevin Meehan, Grade 7

Where I’m From

Mary Xakellis November, Grade 4

I am from the town on a “Lake” amid a “Forest” of tree-lined streets, from lazy days at the beach, ice cream from Sweets, and bike rides into town. From buying fresh produce in the alley from Amidei. I am from the cream stucco house with a sunroom, a loft, and slippery hardwood floors. From riding tractors on the lawn, swinging into leaf piles, and cartwheeling around the house. I am from Easter egg hunts at Nana and Grandpa’s, Florida vacations with Yiayia and Papou, and Thanksgiving with my cousins. From Xakellis, Tsakinikas, Vittori, and Layne. I am from the family of nonsense nicknames, “MaeMae, RaeRae, and Puchis,” loud talkers, and a mom who runs on “Greek time.” From “Do your best, never the minimum,” “A moment to learn, a lifetime to master,” and “Take care of each other.” From love above all else, forgiveness, and “Keep your hands to yourself!” I am from Lake Forest, Greece, Poland, and Italy. From pastitsio and spanakopita, kolacky, and ravioli. From the Ron Stewart photographs of my siblings and me adorning the walls, Nana’s picture albums, memory boxes in the basement, and computer archives that serve to remind me of my full, blessed life.

Princess Rosetta’s New Dog

William Borneman, Jamie Chaplin, Landon Farag, Sarah Flavin, Cristian Gomez, Samuel Hempen, John Nikitas, Phoebe Park, Ashton Peterson, Reid Primo, Gavin Roby March, Senior Kindergarten

Once upon a time there was a big grey castle on a grassy hill near the edge of the forest. In the castle lived King Peter, Queen Clarabelle, and Princess Rosetta. King Peter and Queen Clarabelle were planning a royal birthday party for Princess Rosetta. Everybody in the castle was getting ready for the party. King Peter was sending a message to King Earl and Queen Molly, the royal family of Catland, inviting them and all of their royal kittens to the party. Queen Clarabelle was up in her room picking out her jewels to wear to the party. Princess Rosetta was getting her new royal dog, Tootsie, ready by brushing his fur and putting on his new jeweled collar. Tootsie was Princess Rosetta’s new birthday present from her parents. All of the princess’s maids were busy choosing her fanciest birthday gown to wear to the party. Then King Peter gave orders to his knights to sharpen their swords to use as protection in case any thieves come to the party uninvited. It was the night of the big party. The guests started to arrive in their carriages. King Earl and Queen Molly arrived first with their kittens, Mufasa and Sugar Cookie. Little did they know that hiding in the back of their cat carriage was an evil, treasure-stealing thief! They all went into the party, including the thief, and when the other guests arrived, the trumpeter blew the trumpet announcing the start of the party. King Peter stood up and loudly announced, “Ladies and lords, the party will now begin!” The guests began to sing and dance and have a grand time. While the guests were dancing, no one noticed the evil treasure-stealing thief sneaking away and creeping up the staircase to get to Princess Rosetta’s room. The thief opened the door to the princess’s room and saw Tootsie sleeping on the bed, still wearing his jewel collar. As the thief opened the door to steal the dog, the maid who was cleaning Princess Rosetta’s room heard Tootsie start to bark. The thief grabbed Tootsie and ran out of the room, as the maid followed behind him. They all ran down the steps. Mufasa and Sugar Cookie, who were sitting at the bottom of the steps, also began to chase the thief, while they hissed and growled at him. Mufasa scratched the thief ’s leg and Sugar Cookie bit his pants, but the thief kept running. Now the thief was being chased by the maid, Mufasa, and Sugar Cookie! He tried to

escape with Tootsie through the kitchen. But the cook, who was busy baking Princess Rosetta’s birthday cake, saw everyone dash past him. He dropped the bowl of batter and joined the chase…still holding a spoon full of cake batter! As they all ran out of the kitchen and into the Great Hall, King Earl and Queen Molly spotted their kittens chasing the thief. So they joined the chase, too! King Peter and Queen Clarabelle were dancing when the thief ran past them, followed by the maid, Mufasa, Sugar Cookie, King Earl, and Queen Molly. King Peter yelled, “Hey! That thief has our daughter’s royal dog, Tootsie!” Queen Clarabelle shouted, “Let’s join the chase!” And they did! The thief ran across the drawbridge and over the moat and headed towards the forest, still being followed by all of the party guests. They continued to follow him deep into the forest. The thief ran so fast that he barely noticed a prince coming towards him! They bumped into each other, and the thief dropped Tootsie. Tootsie jumped into the prince’s arms, while the thief tried to get up and run away. But when he got up to run, the King’s knights who were following him grabbed his arms and captured the thief. Princess Rosetta ran over to the prince to get her dog back and thank him for saving Tootsie. Everyone went back to the castle where the knights put the thief in the castle’s dark dungeon. The party continued with lots of dancing, singing, and eating of royal birthday cake. Princess Rosetta was so happy to have Tootsie back. She fell in love with the prince, and they decided to get married. Princess Rosetta and Prince James built a castle of their very own by the other edge of the forest. And the entire royal family lived happily ever after…including Tootsie, the royal dog! The End

Thanksgiving

Olivia Barnes November, Grade 1

First, the pilgrims went on the Mayflower to get to Plymouth to go to their own church. Then Squanto helped them plant beans, and corn, and squash. He taught them that a dead fish helped everything grow. They killed deer so they could eat. It was for Thanksgiving dinner. The pilgrims invited the Native Americans. They had a feast. They had deer and duck, fish, and turkey. They had corn and squash. They played games. They shot bows and arrows and danced. The Native Americans stayed for three days. There were ninety Native Americans.

Wishes

Lily Steinwold January, Grade 3

If I could have three wishes, they’d be for me, for my family, and for the world. The wish for me would be to have a remote-controlled helicopter. I’d want one since I could tie a bucket to it and put my hamsters in it. I think it would be fun to see the way they reacted. Next, I’d want a helicopter because it could take my stuff upstairs. Whenever I have books or toys downstairs, it would be easy to take them upstairs. Last, I’d spy on my brother. I could put a camera on it and let it buzz around the room. The wish for my family would be tickets to Dubai. I’d like to help my dad with his business there. I think every restaurant needs a theme, and I could help him with those. Next, I’d like to see his amusement park, restaurants, and resorts. It would be cool to sleep at his resorts, go on rides at the amusement park, and eat at the restaurants. Last, I want to show him how much I love him. He’s gone for so long; he’ll probably forget how much he loves me. For the world, I’d wish for no war. If we fight, people are dying for no reason; those people are friends, family, and leaders. Next, if people keep dying in war, we will become extinct. For example, new people will just keep coming in over and over again. Last, what’s the point of fighting? I believe everyone should have freedom. All these wishes probably won’t come true, but I won’t stop trying. You shouldn’t stop trying, either. Always wish and believe and wish. Never give up trying—persist.

Pip and Pot

Mary Lee March, Grade 1

Pip and Pot love to hop, run, jump and walk. Pip and Pot love to play and walk dogs and puppies all day.

Daydream Gouache Painting after Marc Chagall Asher Sklarov, Grade 3

Mixed-Media Collage Inspired by Antoinette Portis Nicholas Lubeav, Grade 1

Memory poem Nathan Barnes March, Grade 5 Hit by pitch The pitcher gets set Looks at the catcher with His solid blue eyes and Throws I lift up my arms For the ball but it nails Me in the armpit I fall over On to the cold dark clay As one clear tear drop Roles off the side of my cheek Put I get up and hustle a walk over To 1st base and the crowd applauses

The Vasa Museum Liam Larsen September, Grade 5 The smell of Old decaying wood Filed the air A giant 1800’s Ship laid there A massive Sweden’s warship. Laid there to rest With her canons Gleaming and Paint fading. With cravings made of wood from far and near

And artifact glory Lion heads to guard her The remains of The sails and mast The Vasa Ready to sail Onus more.

Oak Tree Foster Graf March, Grade 5 Seedling, A mother’s child falls It soon is covered with dirt Rain falls, Winter passes Sapling, The small oak Soaks up sun gracefully Fragile branches sway In the slow spring wind Tree, The oak sits during summer Children play in its branches It wishes it could be tall And mighty Mighty Oak, The oak sits As children lean on its back In the cool fall air

Trees

My Xbox Erin Bowler March, Grade 5

Winter No leaves Just branches Trying to reach out and grab you Frozen by the snow Spring Leaves start to grow The brightest green ever Not one on the grass More and more every day Summer Trees over flowing with leaves Light and dark green Starting to darken Making shade Fall The best of all Golden, Green Yellow, Red And brown leaves Falling slowly Crunching under your feet

Nicholas Bauer October, Grade 5 12:00pm My laugh machine Epic fails Too funny Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop laughing Until we run out of breath 6:00pm My box of annoyance Been doing this forever So close But then GAME OVER Thinking to my self Dang it 12:00am My noise maker Music from classic to metal Beeps, boops, and bangs Parents mad Keep it down in there they say Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night 12:00am to 12:00pm No matter what time He will always be my friend When bored He helps me not be When my parents say Time to be done I say one sec Trying to get as much time as I can

China

Nicholas Lubaev March, Grade 1

In China, they eat more rice than anything else. Three crops of rice grow every year. It is bad manners to cross your chop sticks. My toys come from China. My video games come from China. In China, they invented kites. In China, they invented pasta.

First Time on the Zipper

Jack Walsh December, Grade 3

A big shadow loomed over my head. I couldn’t quite tell what it was, because it kept flipping. It stopped! I said to myself, “Is that The Zipper?” It looked huge. I was thinking about how fun it would be to go on it. My dad asked, “What ride do you want to go on next”? I said, “The Zipper.” My Nana said to herself, “I knew it.” We walked over to that big, horrifying ride. We got in line. My heart was literally coming out of my chest. I was so scared. We were next in line. My dad said, “Do you want to get out of line?” I said, “No way, Jose.” The manager said, “Next!” My legs were stiff. I got in my cage with my dad. I said, “Dad, I want to get out.” He said to the manager, “Excuse me,” but the manager didn’t hear him and locked the cage tight. I said, “Nice going—now we’re stuck in here for a long time.” My dad said, “Sorry,” sheepishly. I rolled my eyes. I was really bored. The Zipper didn’t move for a whole five seconds, but when it did start moving, it really startled me. The manager pulled a dark, red switch. We got held at the tippy-top. I took a deep breath…and then we started back-flipping. After a minute or two, I got bored from flipping. I started to cry. I whined, “Dad, I want to get off!” We stopped. The manager was letting someone on. I said, “Excuse me, may we get off?” He said, “Yeah—hold on one second.” And he let us off. As I wiped away some tears, I ran to give my Nana a big hug, kissed the ground, and yelled, “I love you, land!”

Martin Luther King

Mark Basgall January, Grade 1

Martin Luther King fought with words and love but not fists or weapons. He died when he was thirty-nine. It was not a long life. And he changed the laws. He grew up in Georgia.

Looking for the Cat

Libby Blodgett December, Grade 1

There is a teenage girl, and she is eighteen. She wears a tie-dye shirt and tie-dye skirt and a boy who is eight, and he wears a skeleton shirt and some jeans. There is a mom who is forty-two and wears a sparkly dress and a dad who is forty-three and he wears a red shirt and pants and a belt. There is a dog; it is a beagle that is four months old. The dog found a cat, and it was cute and the next day the cat ran away and they missed it. The dad looked by a tree and there was a fuzzy thing, but it wasn’t the right cat; it was another cat. The mom was looking for it behind a building. There was a tail, but it was the dog. The boy was looking and he was looking in the woods, and he saw a white thing, but it was a scarf. The girl was also looking for it, and she found it. It was in the tree! They all loved her so, so, so much!

Christmas is Not About Presents

Luke Maggos

January , Grade 4 Do you know that Christmas is not about presents? Did you also know that Christmas Day is Jesus’ birthday? Many people think Christmas Day is all about gifts and presents, but that is not true. I will tell you what Christmas is really about. Christmas is not about presents; it is about celebrating with your family. Christmas is also about Jesus and how much he gave up for us. Finally, Christmas is about being grateful for everything you have. Christmas is about celebrating Jesus’ birthday. The way I celebrate Jesus’ birthday is by

placing a manger right by the Christmas tree. We also put a lot of crosses next to the manger. This is what I think Christmas is about. Christmas is not about presents, it is about spending time with your family. One way I spend time with my family is by eating dinner with them. I also spend the weekends with them. Finally, I go shopping with them. I like doing these things with my family during the Christmas season. Lastly, Christmas is about being grateful. One thing I am grateful for is being able to use medicine. I am also grateful for clean water. I am grateful for clean water because I can drink it, and I won’t get sick. Finally, I am grateful for my family. Those are just some things I am grateful for at Christmas. It is important to know that Christmas is not about presents, it is about Jesus. Without Jesus, Christmas would not exist. Christmas is not about presents. It is about spending time with your family, being grateful for everything you have, and celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

If You Could Make Three Wishes

Tatum McBreen January, Grade 3

What would you do if a guy came up to you and said you can make three wishes? I would wish for myself, my mom and dad, and the world. The one for me would be to have a pet monkey. I could play catch with it; I could dress him up; and he could clean my room. The one for my mom and dad would be to get a nice, new car—one that would fit all of us. It would not get ruined or anything. The one for the world would be for it to be made out of chocolate, and we would never run out. So when you take a bite, it will grow back. So if I could make three wishes, I would make them be for myself, my mom and dad, and the world.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Jack Marshall February, Grade 3

“You tell me it is impossible. There is no such word in French.” If any word could sum up Napoleon Bonaparte, that word would be “impossible.” The word motivated him throughout his entire life. Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769, in the town Ajaccio, Corsica. He was one of eight children. At an early age he received a scholarship to military school in France. It was here that Napoleon began to develop his character. He was ruthless, confident, clever, and a great leader. Napoleon was a ruthless man. In the book Napoleon by Robert Burleigh, Napoleon had to be tough through his childhood because his family was poor. All that suffering made him grow up to be a ruthless man, hungry for power. By the time he was elected Emperor of France in 1799, he had enough hatred and ruthless emotion to make anyone suffer. He even put his own wife in the guillotine because she was not able to give him a child. Napoleon was ruthless in his quest for power. Napoleon was a confident leader. His first accomplishment came with his victory at the Siege of Toulon. He forced the British Navy to retreat. Napoleon prevented the Royalist from taking over France. His 1796 campaign made him a well-respected celebrity in France. He felt confident to battle other countries and take over Europe. With each victory, he became more confident. Napoleon was clever. He showed even this even at an early age. He was clever when he took a lot of artillery classes to expand his knowledge of artillery. When he graduated he was already a lieutenant. In his battles, he used uncommon tactics. He was quick to size up the battlefield and move his army to exact spots. He mapped out his battles and took routes that seemed impossible. An example of this was his victory in Italy when he took his troops over the Alps. Napoleon continued his ability to be clever as he claimed victory after victory. Napoleon should be remembered for his leadership of the French army and his contribution to French history. He was a legend. A man that was ruthless, confident and clever. Napoleon started with nothing and nearly conquered the world.

Daydream Gouache Painting after Marc Chagall Betsy Regan, Grade 3

Digital Self-Portrait Lexi Silver, Grade 8

Cupcakes

Tether Ball

Sophie Kommers

Anne Marie Boardman

March, Grade 5

October, Grade 5

Sweet, Soft pink frosting Yummy yellow cake On a perfect white plate Delicious

Rain Shirley Knight March, Grade 5 I stand there Skin glistening Clothes plastered to the skin. The icy pellet Melt me down into A chilly puddle On the sidewalk

The Swing Set Alex Gunton October, Grade 5 A gray fuzzy squirrel Ascended across the beaten up grass To the brown, tiny acorn. It slowly picks up the acorn Checks it for inspection And leaps back up the tree To prepare for hibernation.

Yellow, big, and strong 3, 2, 1 Blast off!!! Hit once Hit twice Miss Their I am hitting And missing Against the “1# champion”, Alex Miss Hit Miss Hit Oh no! I am loosing “BREAK TIME!” the referee calls. Second period It’s my serve 3, 2, 1 BLAST OFF! It goes once It goes twice Oh no! She hits it! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 “Wahooo!” Alex goes We shake hands as if we were it’s a real game and leave.

Nantucket

Water Skiing

Lily Connery

Sydney Steinberg

March, Grade 5

Summer Soft breeze in the hot humid days Ice cream cones melt Sandy beaches burn your toes

I jump in an ice cold lake Excited Nervous Fish underneath my feet

Fall People dwell on the last days of warmth Little shops start to close Beaches are abanded

The rope spreads out I go out with it My stomachs upside down The motor starts The boat moves slowly Ready to go

Winter Lonely old houses wait Silence takes over Nothing, no one, Gone. Spring Flowers bloom Houses uncovered Warmth closes in on winter

The boat speeds up Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m up Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m flying Water splashing Cheering On top of the world Waves rise up and I get bumpy Water in my face I let go Skidding across the water I go under Floating Wet Proud Bursting

Julius Caesar

Jack Canty February, Grade 3

“I came, I saw, I conquered.” This was one of my most famous phrases. I am Julius Caesar. I was a legendary Roman politician, general, and dictator. I was born in 100 B.C. in Rome. I was murdered by Roman senators on March 15, 44 B.C. The people who murdered me worried about the Republic of Rome because I had become so powerful. After my death, they ran through the streets shouting “Liberty!” I had three traits that made me great: persistence, ambition, and cleverness. And being modest was not one of them. I was very persistent and determined, with a drive to succeed. As an example, when I was a general I never would give up. Even when my side was losing and outnumbered, I stayed strong. Pompeii panicked, but I never did. I was also very ambitious. At an early point in my life, I made up my mind that I wanted to have a lot of power. I ran for many offices. Finally, I became a Consul, the most important position in Rome. Finally, I had myself made dictator. How much more ambitious can I get? Something else that helped me was that I was very clever. As an example, I used an elephant to scare the enemy in battle. And it worked! When the enemy saw the elephant for the first time in their lives, they ran away. As a result of being persistent, ambitious, and clever I was very successful. Many people said all I wanted was power. But I expanded Rome’s borders, I built roads and aqueducts, and I even made a new calendar which is still in use today. I did many good things for Rome.

My Pony, Slurpee

Katie Gilcrest January, Grade 4

Many people don’t realize how gentle and sweet horses or ponies can be. You just need to treat them correctly. I know this because I am around horses and ponies a lot. I love my sweet pony, Slurpee, because he has a smooth trot and steady jump. Also, when I pat him, he responds lovingly. Finally, I love Slurpee because he’s like a teacher to me. I love my sweet pony, Slurpee. I love him because he has a smooth trot and steady jump. For example, when I went to Slurpee’s barn I was nervous. When I got on him though, my nerves were gone. I felt like I’d been riding him forever! He felt so smooth and steady, I thought I was floating! During horse shows, if I’m nervous, he seems to sense it and has a really smooth ride and steady jumps. I sure do love my sweet pony, Slurpee, and his smooth trot and steady jump. Another reason I love Slurpee is because when I pat him or groom him he responds lovingly. For example, if I’m riding him, and he does something really well, I pat him and he puts his ears up. If a horse or pony puts his or her ears up it means they are happy. When I take Slurpee in for a grooming, and I curry him on his withers, he’ll nuzzle me. His withers are his tickle spot. I love it when I say something, and he whinnies back like he understands me. I sure do love my pony, Slurpee, and how he responds lovingly to me! A very important reason I love Slurpee is because he’s like a teacher to me. He teaches me patience because if I don’t get the correct lead, I can’t get upset. I need to be patient. He teaches me independence because I have to tack him up by myself. He teaches me persistence because I don’t get everything on the first try, so I must persist. Most of all, he teaches me to work hard. It’s hard work riding and taking care of a pony. You need patience, independence, persistence, and you need to work hard. Slurpee is a real teacher to me. Other people can see that I love my sweet pony, Slurpee, and then they might love horses and ponies, too. They can have a smooth trot and steady canter; they will respond lovingly; and they are teachers. They teach you more than you think! I hope you go out and try riding a horse.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Harry Hodgkins February, Grade 3

“Confidence thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR was an important president. He was born January 30, 1882. His parents were James Roosevelt and Sara D. Roosevelt. He was Secretary of the Navy, he was elected Governor of New York, and he was President of the United States four times. He was inspired by Louis Howe, his dad’s brother and Woodrow Wilson. His uncle Teddy was the twenty-sixth president. On April 12, 1945, he had a bad headache. He didn’t feel well, and he died of a bursting blood vessel. He was brave, intelligent, and scared. Margaret Firth, author of Who was FDR, describes him as brave. She describes how hard it was for him. One day he was in his cottage, and his wife and kids were out sailing. His wife saw smoke coming from the cottage. When they came back, he was in a hospital bed. All the doctors said he had a bad cold. Finally, a doctor came from Boston to examine him, and the doctor told him that he was suffering from polio. Franklin was so brave, and he did not quit his job just because he had polio. Franklin got scared in many ways. First, he was scared of a harsh attack on Pearl Harbor. He did not know how his country would react to this news. That attack meant the United States was going to war! He wanted to get payback on Japan for Pearl Harbor. He got that payback at Midway. Japan never took control of the seas again. He got scared, but he did not give up. He was intelligent in many ways. He was paralyzed, and he could swim, but his legs did not work. He was Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York, and he was President of the United States four times. He also had to make risky choices during the war, like Midway. He could drive a car; mostly he did not die from polio. He was intelligent for the risky things he did. We should remember Franklin for all the things he did for our country. He was a great President of the United States, and he worked hard for our country. He was brave, scared, and intelligent.

The Grove

Stephen Knobel November, Grade 2

I went to a two-week overnight camp called The Grove. The camp is in Michigan. On the bus to camp, I sat next to somebody who lives near me. His name is Nick. We ate a lot of candy. We shared candy, too. Then everyone went to their cabin. People do a lot of stuff in their cabins like playing card games. The bathrooms are in the cabin, same as the showers. When you get to your cabin, your bed is made. There is also a top bunk and a bottom bunk. A bunk is your bed. Then everyone went to the mess hall to eat. We have all of our meals there. For breakfast, we might have scrambled eggs. For lunch, we might have turkey sandwiches, and for dinner, we might have fajitas. At the evening time, we have evening activities. There is a bulletin board that shows you what team you are on. One night, the evening activities might be capture the flag or carnival night. For some nights, you are not on a team, but you are on your own. For regular activities, you might have swimming. You have an A day and a B day, and you have different activities on each day. A days and B days switch every day. My favorite activity is roller hockey. I have it on B days. When we first got to The Grove, we saw our counselors. The counselors are super nice. They always play card games with you when they are not playing with another camper. At the last two days of camp, we have Camp Wars. I was on the red team. We lost. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard work. You have to cheer your team on. One of the cheers was: R-E-D-S, R-E-D-S, Go Reds! Also, we have tournaments, and we compete in activities like tug-oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;-war. I loved camp. I am going to go to the Green Woods. It is a four- to eight-week camp. It is connected to The Grove. I thought camp was an awesome experience. I met so many new friends. I am going to go to Green Woods next year.

Full-Body Portraits of Immigrant Interviewees Mia Walvoord, Caitlin Kolb, Grade 4

Mixed-Media Self-Portrait Julia Dixon, Grade 8

The First Tooth I Lost

Liam Stewart January, Grade 1

The day I lost my tooth was near Thanksgiving. I told my mom that my tooth was wiggly. Then one minute later it fell out. I had no idea, so I spit it out. It was a tooth. I came to my mom and told her. She got my tooth fairy pillow and put it in it, and then we ate dinner. Then I went to bed.

Racing with Grandpa

Taha Ahmad October, Grade 3

I never thought I’d go in a race car. My grandparents, my mom, and I were in Disney World wondering what ride to go on next. I saw a race car ride where you race against people. My grandma didn’t want to go, so she sat on a bench to watch. My mom, grandpa, and I jumped in a car and waited for the race to begin. Suddenly the race began. As soon as the car started I knew I would like it. With the wind in my hair, I could do this forever. My grandpa let me try to drive. It didn’t go so well. Because of me we fell to last place! My grandpa took charge. The car started going faster, but one problem I didn’t like it! I held on to his arm and was squeezing my eyes shut! Suddenly the race stopped. We came in third place out of twenty. Even though we didn’t get first, it was still a memorable time with my grandpa.

Intercultural Understanding

Joyce Caldwell First Place, Robbie Bermingham Speaking Contest Grade 8

Violence torments our world. The depth of religious hatred, oppression and cultural conflict is staggering. Even when the results of intolerance are so painfully evident, it is easy for us to look the other way and blindly go through life thinking of ourselves as the only people on the planet who count. Truth is, we’re not. Intercultural understanding is the key to our future if we want to live in a peaceful society and world. We need to start by examining the opposite of cultural understanding which is ignorance. Then we must examine the roots of ignorance so that we can face it down before it grows into prejudice and all that prejudice brings. For this massive goal to become a reality, the first steps must begin with home, schools, churches, and local communities. The greatest block to intercultural understanding is intolerance. What is intolerance? As a child grows up from the playground to adulthood, it could look like this: “You aren’t athletic so…you can’t join our team.” “You don’t wear the right clothes so…you can’t be my friend.” “You don’t have much money so….you can’t join our club.” “You are gay, so…you can’t live in our neighborhood.” “Your politics? They are wrong. I don’t like you.” “You don’t believe in my God, so you must be evil…” You see? Starting from early childhood, cultural and social ignorance leads to mean prejudgment of different people or views. If we don’t guide our children toward cultural acceptance when they are young, their misconceptions can spiral toward prejudice and even hatred. The “I’m right and you’re wrong” kind of thinking can advance from playground teasing to middle school bullying, to high school exclusivity, to college student demonstrations, to adult social circles and finally to international wars. What is at the root of intolerance and our lack of intercultural understanding in this world? People are, in fact, products of their own history, family and culture. Our parents and teachers plant the seeds that become our attitudes towards politics, marriage, religion, and social status. The strength of these attitudes runs very deep and has great influence upon human behavior. How many kids in the world are taught to believe that the culture

of their family or their “people” is the superior one? The sad truth is—most of them. Parents who educate children about our world’s historic cultures, customs and lifestyles set them up to be better global citizens. For example, little children are always so curious about other people and about the world. They ask questions such as, “Why is that person’s skin dark?” or “Why does that woman have a red dot in the middle of her forehead?” Parents must answer these questions in a positive, straightforward way that conveys respect and honor. If they do, children will learn that it is acceptable to notice and discuss differences in a positive manner. Outside the home, the responsibility toward intercultural understanding falls to schools and churches. An organization called “Religious Tolerance.org” encourages schools and churches to give children a balanced picture of both the positive and the negative contributions of religions around the world. They emphasize that this should begin with the teachings that inspired Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, and Mother Teresa, remarkable individuals who committed their lives to serving humanity regardless of faith or race. Children must also be made aware of the large contributions that religions have made to alleviate human suffering, and to improve political and educational systems worldwide. On the other hand, it is equally important to honestly point out how religious beliefs have contributed to hatred, intolerance, discrimination, and suffering. We have to face the fact that mass murders and genocides in such places as Nazi Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Middle East, and Sudan, to mention a few, have at times been justified on religious grounds. It is important for children to be informed so that they know the dangers of ignorance. People who don’t know better can be easily led astray. Our forefathers aimed to create a society where diverse people could use diversity as a plus. Caucasian Christians have formed the majority in the US for many generations. In the world, however, the majority race is the Han Chinese. As the world’s superpower, US foreign policy has a history of dictating what happens in other countries. Our country is often hated for this. What we need to do is expand our awareness of the customs and views of other cultures. We should honestly examine not just how we see other cultures, but how they see us. What we learn can make us better Americans. You see, tolerance creates a society where people feel valued and respected, and there is enough room for each and every person’s ideas, thoughts and “wildest dreams.” This starts on a personal level, but falls short if we cannot apply it to international relations. If we Americans could get it right here at home and everywhere else we go on Earth, we could be a real shining example of human potential. Ignorance breeds prejudice. Prejudice breeds intolerance. Intolerance leads to conflict,

pain, suffering and wounds that can take generations to heal. Kofi Anan, the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations said this, “Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace than a world divided along religious, ethnic or cultural lines. In each nation, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity. The world can only prosper in times of peace. We simply cannot afford narrow thinking, religious power grabbing and the wars that come from it.” John Lennon put it more simply, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

Friendly Letter

John Tobin January, Grade 4

January 29, 2012 Dear Mrs. Reed, Hello, my name is John. I am writing this letter because I want you to put the book, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary, in your library collection. I want you to put this book in your library because it is a wonderful, yet somewhat sad book. But it ends on a good note. This book is about a boy named Keith, who is about nine years old. He stays in a hotel while on a road trip with his mother and father. Keith has a toy motorcycle that is very special to him. He has always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but his mother won’t allow him. A mouse name Ralph, who lives in his hotel room, finds his motorcycle and rides it. Keith finds that he and Ralph can talk to each other! They became great friends. Keith teaches Ralph to ride the motorcycle. At one point, Keith gets sick. Ralph goes and finds medicine. The housekeeper finds Ralph. She throws him outside and he almost dies. Ralph brings Keith Advil, and Keith gets better. At the end of the book, Keith leaves to go to San Francisco on his family’s trip and gives Ralph the motorcycle. This was a good book because it had everything a kid would want to read about like animals that can talk, ride motorcycles, and have adventures. I think that The Mouse and the Motorcycle should be in your collection. It was a great book. This book was so interesting because it was about an animal and a boy spending time together and becoming friends. I think this would be a great book for kids to read! Sincerely, John Tobin

Emotional Yarn Drawing after Edvard Munch “Thoughful” Jessica Vignocchi, Grade 4

Self-Portrait Acrylic Painting Grace Hale, Grade 8

My Friend Libby

Kiesha Bland March, Grade 1

Libby likes to play with Caroline. Sometimes they like to play tetherball, and they like to go on the swings together. She likes to play with her puppy and family game night with her family. She has four people in her family. She has one dad and one mom and one brother. Her favorite school subjects are recess, art, and math.

Horseback Riding

Sophia Burt February, Grade 3

Have you ever been on a horse? You might think it is easy, but horseback riding is harder than it looks. The hard parts are sitting in the saddle, cantering, and jumping. The first reason horseback riding is hard is sitting in the saddle. It is difficult to sit in the saddle because you always bounce around. It is also not easy to get back in position because you have to check your diagonal and start to post. Sitting in a saddle is not like sitting in a really bouncy bed! Another reason horseback riding is hard is the cantering part. It is really challenging to kick the horse so roughly that she canters. It is also tough to keep your feet in the stirrups. A stirrup is a thing that keeps your foot in place when you are trotting or walking. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always need a stirrup though. On the horse, while you are cantering, it is also hard to keep your head close to the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head. I always lean back, and that is not good. The last reason horseback riding is hard is the jumping part. It is hard to get into position because you have to lift your bum off the saddle and make sure your ankle is down toward the ground. It is also a little bit scary to jump. It feels like you are in an airplane with no seatbelt and no plane covering you. Jumping is hard, but it feels good after you have done it. If you would like to try horseback riding, go ahead. But, trust me, you might fall off. Even if you do, I hope you have a good time.

More Summer

Shelby Pruett January, Grade 3

Why is summer three months and school is nine? It’s just not fair. I mean, I’m bursting with homework. I think summer should be longer, because it’s a time to relax and get healthy. And school is too long. Summer is a time to not do any homework. It’s a time to have fun and play with your friends. For example, in the summer I like to go swimming and play on the playground. For example, I ride my bike; I go jogging; and I lift weights. Another reason summer should be longer is because summer is a time to get active and be healthy. If you don’t jump rope, swim, or jog, then you won’t be healthy. Finally, I think summer should be longer, because there is too much school. It’s basically all day, and sometimes it’s boring. The thing that’s boring is math. We have to do all of our corrections in one day. Some people might think they like school better than summer, but I like summer. What do you like?

Fishing

Kaiden Britton December, Grade 1

One day, my dad, my brother, and I went fishing. I caught a bullhead. I caught one. My dad caught a bullhead, but he got stung! We put Gatorade on it. Then I threw my line in the water, and something hit it! I did not know what it was. I got my line loose and up came the shoe. Then we went home.

Emotional Yarn Drawing after Edvard Munch “Surprised” Anna Schilling, Grade 4

Self-Portrait Acrylic Painting Georgia Hale, Grade 8

The Game Winning Hit Timmy Thompson March, Grade 5 Bottom of the 6th Two 5s glued on the scoreboard 3 balls 2 strikes 1 runner on 3rd base I call time out and step out of the box I take a practice swing and a deep lungful of air I wipe the sweat off my face Fatigued I get back in the batterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s box For one last try I stare at the pitcher His devilish smile Taunts me Curveball, changeup, two-seam , or fastball Cautious The ball is pitched right down the middle As perfect as ice cream on a hot day The crowd is dead silent The ball prepares for contact I swing Dingggg The ball soars Like an eagle Into the outfield The outfielders scramble To get The ball.

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The ball plummets Like a diver into a pool And finds a spot in the grass The runner runs home and crosses the plate We win.

Where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m From

Aagaz Baig November , Grade 4

I am from the small peaceful neighborhood. From the dusty old rolling pin. I am from the cozy blue house with the dusty white door. I am from big parties and the festival of lights. From global multicultured family. From Haji, Momin, and Razzak. I am from the family that talks too loud on the phone and extra-organized shelves. From being told the same story every night and being told I would get candy if I finished my dinner early. I am from the lessons I was taught about respecting others that I will never forget. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from Michigan and South East Asian origin, puffed rice, and marinated chicken that melts in your mouth. From the huge boxes that are precisely organized and set in a small corner that show a small glimpse of my childhood and past.

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The Pledge of Allegiance

Leo Anderson February, Grade 2

The Pledge of Allegiance represents the people that gave us freedom. Who fought for men and women. Trees that we breathe from. For what they did, they gave us freedom. The world around us. Money that we have for food. A home, health, and a mother and father. A school to learn math and reading. A blue sky, the family that we have, and clothes. That’s why we sing the Pledge of Allegiance. It is something we sing to the United States of America, Which we live for with health and care. Some people are home schooled and some are not First grade, second grade, and higher or lower we are still the same. But we still learn education. Celebrate happy times. Blessings you have. That’s why we sing red, white, and blue.

Florence Nightingale

Rachel Boardman February, Grade 3

“The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.” Florence Nightingale was a very kind, busy, and super helpful person. Everyone she saw who was sick, she would do anything to help them to feel better. Florence was born on May 12, 1820, in Italy. She died on August 13, 1910, in London, England. She was ninety years old when she died. Her mom was named Fanny and her dad was named William. Her sister was named Parthe. She started her job of helping people on November 5, 1854. Florence was a kind person. She helped soldiers in the Crimean War that got hurt or sick; she even stayed up all night to care for them. She risked her life for sick people. She

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helped sick people so much that she got very sick and almost died. She never gave up helping anybody. Florence was a very busy adult. As a nurse, she helped wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. She not only helped soldiers, but she helped other sick people. She would find them a bed, get them food, and give them medical attention. So many people were asking for her help or thanking her for taking care of them that she needed a helper to open her mail. Florence was a pioneer for womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right to work. That took a lot of her time. Florence Nightingale gave her time, money, and skills to help many. Florence was a super helpful adult. For example, she opened a training school for nurses in London in 1860. She improved a lot of hospitals. She cleaned, and never stopped working at hospitals. She opened a path for women to do different kinds of work. She was helpful in helping soldiers become healthy. Many people appreciated her efforts. Florence Nightingale should be remembered as a very kind, busy, and super helpful adult. If one of your family members becomes sick, imagine how it was in the old days. In the old days, hospitals were crowded, dirty, and full of germs. In part because of Florence Nightingale, your family member is taken care of in a clean and safe hospital.

Sharks

Nicolas Guevara February, Grade 3

Most people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that sharks have predators, but they do. Killer whales attack sharks. Sharks have to adapt to their surroundings no matter if they are trying to get away from predators or in getting prey. Some adaptations are their speed, how they get food, and their mouths. Sharks are considered toward the top of the food chain. There is only one animal in its way, the whale. The way it gets away from being eaten is its speed. It can go as fast as a cheetah (sixty miles per hour.) Some sharks race each other not to avoid whales but to get to other sharks. If lucky, a shark gets to its prey before its friends. There are so many ways sharks can catch their food. But one problem is that there are so many sharks out there that can do the same. The most important ways sharks can be first is by smelling blood or by feeling the vibrating pulse sent out by moving fish. Sometimes if a person is swimming and they splash, the shark will think it is a fish. The shark will take

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something called test bites. The shark can sense the movement. The shark has an amazing sight. They can see camouflaged fish in the ocean. Shark’s jaws help the shark get an instant kill. When this happens, the shark has to eat up quickly or else other sharks share its dinner. Many sharks are known to seriously injure people who look like a seal, turtle, or sometimes a dolphin. There are about three hundred teeth in a shark’s mouth. Each can keep on coming in even if a tooth has fallen out. Getting food is super easy for the shark. Sharks have so many adaptations to survive. They can smell blood which leads them to their food. They have super speed and can catch food easily.

Everyone Should Have A Dog!

Jessica Vignocchi March, Grade 4

Everyone should have a dog. I have three reasons to support that. First, dogs are fun to be with; they are loyal to their owners; and dogs are easy to take care of. Having a dog is an extraordinary experience because they give you pleasure. Dogs are the best playmate around the house. Dogs will play with you all the time. Dogs will play fetch for you. For example, my dog has a certain ball she plays with or else I can’t get her to play. Playing fetch is only one of the fun games you can play with your dog. Dogs are a pet everyone should have because they are always loyal to their owners. They are dependable animals. You can train your dog to sit or lie down or even teach them to roll over on their backs. Dogs will always listen to their owners, especially when they are full-grown dogs. Once they are trained, they will obey you. For example, when I call for my dog to come, she will come running towards me wagging her tail like wild. She is so happy to see me. That’s why you should have a dog. I think you should get a dog today because they are easy to take care of. All you have to do is take them for a walk every day, give them dog food and water, and that is it. For example, my dog stands by the door, and that’s her signal to take her for a walk. You will need a leash to hold on to your dog. It is sometimes fun taking your dog for walks. Not only does your dog get the exercise, but you do, too. Now you see why everyone should have a furry friend, like a dog. Are you bored, stuck with a fish as a pet? Get a dog instead! They are your best friend. If

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you disagree with me, try to think it over. Dogs are fun to play with, they are loyal to you, and they are easy to take care of. If you agree with me then a dog is perfect for you. Now, I hope you find the dog that is just right for you.

Broken Leg

Stewart Thompson November, Grade 2

I was at the beach on a beautiful sunny day with my brother, sister, and babysitter. I was five years old and my sister was nine years old. We were playing on the playground at the beach. We were jumping off the playground. Then my brother and sister jumped off, but I was still jumping on the equipment. Then BOOM! CRASH! When I jumped off, I landed on my foot funny, and I couldn’t get up. Then my babysitter carried me to the car. I was crying like crazy. My mom and dad weren’t there when I got home. I had to put an ice bag on my foot. I was just sitting on the couch watching television. Finally, my mom and dad came home. My mom said, “Can you walk?” I got up and tried walking, but I was just hopping on one foot. My mom said to get in the car. I asked, “Are we going to the hospital?” I did not want to go. My mom said, “No.” But I knew we were really going. We got to the hospital, and we checked in and had to wait for them to call my name. They finally called my name, “Stewart Thompson.”

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Creative Coil Vessel Kimie Han, Grade 5

Mixed-Media Collage Inspired by Antoinette Portis Freddie Wacker, Grade 1

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The Water Lock

and the next walls do the same thing.

Colin Weil March, Grade 5 You get into The massive walls, They close Slowly, Quietly, not one crack but when the walls were closing they were as quite as a mouse.

Garage sale Grayson Pruett

The walls seem to sink into the water, but it is playing a trick on you. The water is really rising. Each second the wall descends into the river Until you reach the top the next lock comes

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Until the boat is not locked anymore and it can sail freely through the river.

March, Grade 5 6:00 tired but ready to work. I pull all the dusty gray tables out I set them down by the breezy side of the driveway Inside now Scanning the garage Looking for anything left White and pink Kitchen I’ll miss it but It’s time to move on

floor.

I take one last glance outside Before the sale begins But wait! There’s no one else to help

So worried Frustrated Scared That the helpers wouldn’t make it My eye flashes Towards a red Honda I think it might be a customer!!! It’s them the helpers! 30 seconds later Another car pulls up When I blink my eyes a Sea of people come In Slowly Step by step As feet hit the gravel on the driveway Waiting To see if anything is here Now it’s almost three and the sale has been running since 6:30 So tired Trying to help another And then another All the Math The stress The prices Suddenly I blow

Field Hockey Sydnie Mathews March, Grade 5 They blew the whistle It is a mixture Self-confidence and a feeling free With the first clash of the sticks I am in the game I take the ball down the line And out of the Circle to the forwards down they go Happy that I did my job. I wait for the ball come to me I hear a sharp whistle It rings in my head like a bird calling Like he is lost I am going To do the push pass but why am I so nerves? I do my best push pass the forwards They go down the field

Books Grace Fitzgerald March, Grade 4 A book, an adventure A different world Any kind, any, any, any Fiction, poetry, and so much more Any color any kind You have… To love… BOOKS

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Creative Coil Vessel Sydney Steinberg, Grade 5

Tempera Painting Inspired by Australian Aboriginal Art Finley Knight, Grade 6

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Puppies Make the Best Pets

Lily Silvester January, Grade 3

What animal do you think makes the best pet? I think that puppies make the best pets because they are loveable, cute, and sweet. I think that puppies make the best pets because they are loveable. They always rescue you when you are hurt. Puppies also get trained to help someone who is blind. Another reason they are loveable is they play with you. They play tag and catch with you. These are some reasons I think puppies are loveable. Another reason I think puppies make the best pets is because they are cute. They have an adorable puppy face, and they get whatever they want. If they beg for steak, they get it. Everyone loves how cute puppies are. I think puppies also make the best pets because they are sweet. They always lay with you when you are hurt, and also they don’t bite. They just lick. But when they are grown up, you have to train them. These are some reasons why I think puppies are sweet. I think puppies make the best pets because they are loveable, cute, and sweet. Who knows, maybe I’ll get another dog.

Mexico

Ella Cabbil September, Grade 2

In June, my Aunt Hetal got married in Playa del Carmen. It is in Mexico. We got to stay at a beautiful resort and spa at the Playacar Palace. There were these steps that lead to the Pacific Ocean. The views were pretty. They had a clean blue pool, too. Every night the hotel hosted a fun activity. One night, the hotel member performed Michael Jackson music videos. At night, we went to an Italian restaurant in the hotel with my parents, aunts, and uncles. Someone made a dessert over the fire. Then the man put coffee in a cup and lit it on fire. Then it was time to leave. I didn’t want to go, but we had to go on the shuttle. When we got to the airport and left, I thought I would never forget the time my Aunt Hetal got married! Once we got back home, I went to bed and thought about the fun times I had.

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Where I’m From

Jaro Bijak November, Grade 4

I am from a house on a dead end with a forest with a lot of trees and mud. From a house with TVs on every Sunday with the Packers game on. I am from the house with the brown door, a big driveway, and a yard with a lot of large, old oaks. I am from a family that celebrates Christmas every year with traditional Polish food. From Bijak and Zauder and Krzyszkowski. I am from the closet door that needs to be shut, and Dad who needs quiet when he is watching the Polish news. From stories about my dad’s childhood, and a Polish song called Wlazl Kotek that my mom always sang. I am from love and joy. I am from care for my whole entire family. I am from Chicago and Poland, kopitca and potatoes that are baked in fire. From old and dull pictures of my great grandparents’ wedding and photos of my ancestors in a military suit that shows a part of my family history and who I am now.

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My Old Piano

The Cold

Kimie Han

George Hodgkins

March, Grade 5 I merely touch the rough, black, cover The dust rises, I smile from Amazing, bewitched memories. Practicing from early afternoon, Too late into the night, Over and over

March, Grade 5

Many days I would Wish to be the best Many days I would just sit And sigh, I gently stroked The ivory roughness Over and over Many are now Tattered, Broken, I can feel The broken strings, The voice of it is cracked, Rough, Broken. It seems like Yesterday that I gave up Practicing on This piano, Over and over.

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I come out of the garage wind blowing in my face 40 F. Ice falls from the sky Icicles hang from the side of the house 30 F. The snow whispers under my boots I feel like a tank rushing through the snow 20 F. I charge through the snow It feels like bullets coming from the sky Blizzard! I rush back to the house With all power I have left I fall in the snow curled up in a ball 30 F. Back in the garage Safest place to be 40 F.

The Bird

Lily Kempczinski October, Grade 3

I never thought I would ever see a bird up close, but I did. One day right after tennis, my friend Brooke’s mom took me home just like any other day. We had to park the car in the road because we just got our driveway repaved so we walked through the grass. My mom went to talk to Mrs. Theis, so Brooke and I went inside. Then I got watermelon from the fridge. Brooke and I were so deep in conversation that we didn’t even notice the door we left open! When we were done we went to get my mom. She came inside and closed the door. Then Brooke said, “Look there’s a bird!” My mom said that it’s just part of the curtains. Then she looked a little closer, and she saw the bird! It was truly a tiny little black bird! Brooke and I ran into the kitchen We opened every door that could be opened. The bird came flying into the kitchen, but it didn’t go out the door. It just sat there and watched us. Finally there was a burst of wind that went right into my face, and the bird flew right out the door. If I could read my mom’s mind I think she was relieved. If I could read Brooke’s mind I would say she was a little sad. But if I could read the bird’s mind, I would say it was happy to be out of our house!

The Year of the Monkey

Justinian Alexos March, Grade 1

I was born in the year of the monkey. I am brave like a monkey because at recess I jump off the rock. I am tricky like a monkey because I made my dad sound the spy alarm. I am inventive because I built a Lego rocket. I am like a monkey because I like to be with my brother.

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What if the World Was Flat? Will Meyer February, Grade 2 What if the world was flat? What’s stranger than that? Ships would fall off the ocean blue. What would you do? What would you do? If ships would fall off the ocean blue.

Pumpkin Angelique Alexos March, Grade 4 Your smiling face Your sober frown Enchant me Your wicked grin Your hearty laugh Make me feel bliss Oh, orange grace With round face That lovely light With spirit so bright You warm my heart dearly!

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Freedom Lexi Silver Grade 8 I hear the word ringing in my head Freedom, freedom, freedom My body is weak with pain My hands crumble and crack My heels ache against the hard dirt My arms sore from plucking and picking My legs frail as I hear the thud of my body drop to the ground Letting my dirty toes sink into the mud, the color of my skin Muddy brown, filthy and hated Freedom pounding in my skull Someday, someday I can taste salty tears as they roll down my rough, brown check Freedom Freedom, freedom, freedom Brown skin Freedom The words just don’t mix Why can’t I be free? Brown skin. Slave. But I can’t change that, and so I work The smell of sweet, scarlet red blood from whip marks on my back Dripping down slowly Freedom, freedom, freedom Brown skin and freedom, just don’t mix.

I’ll just fall asleep.

Zachery Barker March, Grade 5 Chanel one, On Demand, Girl talking about shows, Nothing cool. Chanel ten, NBC 5, NBC 5 News HUGE car crash, No way! Chanel thirty-two, Food Chanel, Kitchen Nightmares, Old man screaming at a girl, Next!!! Chanel one hundred twelve, Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants, Yellow sponge laughing at me, I don’t think so. Chanel five hundred, PBS, Dora the Explorer, Girl talking in Spanish, Babyish! Chanel seven hundred forty six, Golf Chanel, US Open, Men hitting balls with sticks,

Chanel nine hundred ninety nine, BBC America, Top Gear, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, That’s more like it.

Ocean

Kimberly Stafford October, Grade 5

The barrel of sea water Gleaming in the golden sunshine Pulls victims in the Dark, Vast, Deep Sea.

Cupcakes Alexis Dennis October , Grade 5 Vanilla cake, chocolate cake Fluffy white frosting Spread on top Rainbow sprinkles Raining down like colored pebbles All cozy in its artistic wrapper YUM!

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Linear Perspective Drawing of a Hockey Room Nick Kakavas, Grade 7

Self-Portrait Tempera Painting Eleanor Hutchinson, Grade 1

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Christmas

Isabella Smith January , Grade 1

For Christmas, I got a lollypop in one of my presents, and Santa was on the lollypop. For Christmas I went on vacation. I went to Nicaragua. For Christmas Eve, I went to a party and Santa was there and he gave presents. I went to buy food. I went to a sleepover. I played with my cat inside. I played with my toys. I had play dates. Bye-bye, this is the end of the story.

School Time

Jessica Pasma October, Grade 2

I was walking out the door. Sammy, my dog, was whining. He had a frown on his face as I was about to walk out the door. I was sad that I had to leave Sammy. I could tell that he was sad, too. I got into the car with my dad. My dad started the car. We drove off. We were almost at school! My dad and I arrived to LFCDS! I was excited for my day with my friends and teachers. My dad dropped me off at the Lower School entrance. I said, “Bye, Dad.” My dad then kissed me goodbye on my forehead. I walked through the front doors. Then I walked through the halls and into my second-grade classroom and learned all day! Then it was time to go home. I saw my dad’s car in the dismissal line. I got into the car and we drove off. “Goodbye school. I am sad to leave Ms. Holland.” When I got home, I ran into my house and hugged Sammy. We were all happy again!

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Martin Luther King, Junior

Henry Thomas January, Grade 1

He started a boycott so African Americans could sit anywhere on the bus. He gave famous speeches.

Squirrels

Lilli Carrasco February, Grade 3

Squirrels are fascinating animals. There are over three hundred kinds of squirrels, and they live in many countries of the world. There are three large groups of squirrels: the tree squirrels, the ground squirrels, and the flying squirrels. Squirrels have interesting adaptions. These adaptions include tails, jaws, and coat colors. Their coat color depends on the tree they live in. Some squirrels have pale colors on their underside, so it makes them harder to see from below. Red squirrels have reddish brown fur to match the bark of pine trees. The color of gray squirrels matches the gray bark on the trees that they live in. Some gray and fox squirrels have black or dark fur. Their tail is an interesting adaptation. Squirrels use their tail for balance. The tail is used as a rudder when it swims. It can be used as an umbrella for shade. It is also used as a danger signal to other squirrels. The last interesting adaptation is their special teeth and jaws. Squirrels have a pair of gnawing teeth called incisors in both their upper and lower jaws. The incisors wear down from gnawing, but they continue to grow throughout the animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Squirrels can crack nuts with their incisors. First, they hold the nut in their paws. Then they crack the nut with their incisors, and then they take the nut out of the shell. Squirrels are very interesting animals. You can see their adaptions if you look outside your window. You should look very closely for their incisors, how they use their tail, and their coat color.

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My Christmas

Graydon Abel January, Grade 1

My Christmas. I got a new bike and a Hex Bug track and too many toys. And one more, a hamster with a cage, and Santa got all of the cookies and carrots. I went to a Christmas party, and I got a ping pong table. And I saw Santa!

All About My Three Trains

Gavin Abel December, Grade 1

I am going to set up my trains. First, I am going to set up my Big Train. I set up the tracks. After I set up the tracks, we have to connect the wires to make everything work. I am then going to put the train on the tracks. First, I put on the engine, and then I put on the train cars. Now I get to drive it. I am now going to set up the Ice Train. First I get the Ice Train, and then I get the other engines. I also set up The Little Engine That Could. I set up the tracks, and I can drive the trains. They go fast! Now we are done setting up the three trains.

Where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m From

Jackson Silvester November , Grade 4

I am from tree-lined streets, from afternoon football games, and summer evening ice cream from Sweets in town. I am from the white brick house with the red slate roof set back from the quiet country lane with a yard big enough to play a game of catch, and a tree house to hide out from my sisters. I am from visits to the Pabst Theater for showings of The Christmas Carol and from two great grandfathers, who were in the Royal Army and the Royal Navy.

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From Roy Silvester and Gladys Jackson and Johnny Armstrong. I am from the family with pets of all shapes and sizes, and a devotion to all things green and gold! From looking someone in the eye and always giving a firm handshake. I am from a family which always supports me, win or lose. I am from Lake Forest and the British Isles, with cups of tea and shepherd’s pie. From the photo of my great grandfather at the Khyber Pass to more recent shots of me as a baby on the beaches of Hawaii. My family’s journey has crossed many oceans and continents in order for me to have the life I lead today.

Backyard Fire

Isabella Farag December, Grade 2

I had a fire in my backyard. At first, it wasn’t that big. The fire was on Monday. My cousins were coming over that day. My mom lit a tiki torch and then went back inside. Then my cousin Nick went to the door and yelled, “The tiki torch is on fire!” All of us, except for the parents, had to stand near the back fence in the backyard. My uncle was coming and he knew a lot about putting out fires. “Yeah!” I shouted. My uncle just walked through the gate to my backyard. I was about to run to my uncle with my cousin, Alex, who was already there, but my cousin Nick held us back. Nick told us, “No, you can’t go. If your mom said to stay with me, you should.” Then we went to the back of the yard. Alex whispered, “He is so bossy.” Then my cousin Alex stuck her tongue out at him. My parents tried to call the fire department, but the phone would not work. Then they decided to call from my mom’s cellphone, and it worked! I was happy that I was going to be able to go into the house soon. Then we went to play on our swing set. The fire was right near the grill. I was terrified. I got my water gun and squirted it on the fire. Then finally the fire truck arrived. I was so relieved. I almost ran and hugged the firemen. The firemen talked to my parents about the fire. I tried to make out what they were saying. It looked like they were lip syncing because I couldn’t hear them. Finally, the firemen brought the big hose into the backyard. It took them forever to put the fire out. I waited

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and waited and waited. Then I looked at my watch. It was 10:00 p.m. I almost fell asleep. Finally the fire went out. “Phew!” I said out loud. They said I could go inside. “Yeah,” I said. The firemen yelled to us, “You can go inside, but you need to stay in the basement.” “Okay,” we responded. My cousins and I went inside and went down to the basement. We played for thirty minutes and went upstairs to go to bed. I was so glad this day was over and no one was hurt.

My Horse Adventures and Me

Freddie Wacker November, Grade 1

First, I had to train my horse. It took a long, long time. We went on our adventure, and it took a long while. Then the rocks came down, and we got trapped! The next morning, we mined all day to move the rocks, and I made a stable for my horse. Then about a half a day past and a deer came out. So, I unpacked my tent and sleeping bag, and I had to go to bed. The next morning, the rocks were worse and that was not good! From that day on, I worked and finally the next morning the rocks were gone, and we went through the cave.

Charlotte’s Web Summary

Rachel Roberts March , Grade 4

Charlotte’s Web, written by EB White, is a touching book because it shows the special friendship between Charlotte, a spider, and Wilbur, a pig. Fern Arable is a little girl who rescues Wilbur from being killed by her father because Wilbur was a runt pig. Wilbur was raised by Fern. Wilbur moves into the barn, and he meets a spider named Charlotte. Wilbur and Charlotte learn to communicate and become best friends. Later on, they find out that Wilbur will be killed at Christmastime. Charlotte makes a plan to save Wilbur. Charlotte’s plan is to make words in her web like “terrific” and “some pig.” Charlotte’s plan works because people think Wilbur is unique, and they head to the county fair. Wilbur wins a special award because of Charlotte’s plan.

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At the fair, Charlotte makes an egg sac. Charlotte dies after she lays her eggs. Wilbur takes her egg sac back to the barn and guards the sac until springtime when hundreds of spiders are born. Three of the baby spiders stay in the barn and become friends with Wilbur. Wilbur and Charlotte had a special relationship because Charlotte saved Wilbur, and Wilbur saved her children.

Moving call Thomas Dixon March, Grade 5 My mom gets the call… Thomas start to pack up We have to move by tomorrow! The world stops moving. Everything is still…… Besides my heart and mind I’m thinking… What? How are we supposed to move by tomorrow? Is that humanly impossible? Well I guess no if you’re on a TV show If you’re going for a grand prize of $10,000 All is see are boxes and my mom trying to breath like a fish with no gills Well better start now Before we get in the Middle of packing up And the new owner comes. Oh… Great.

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Kinetic Design after Sol LeWitt Kimberly Stafford, Grade 5

Sumi-e Painting Colin Grasher, Grade 6

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Julia Child

Lila Fitzgerald February , Grade 3

“Some people like to paint, or do gardening, or build a boat in their basement, but other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen because cooking is as creative as art.” Julia Child was a famous American cook. She was born August 15, 1912, in Pasadena, California. She came from a family with money. Her parents were John and Caro McWilliams. She had a sister named Dorothy and a brother named John. She died on August 12, 2004. Julia always enjoyed food. Food became really important to her. Julia was persistent, talented, and energetic. Julia Child was a persistent lady. In the book Julia Child by Dennis Abraham, the author told the story of how Julia Child became a famous chef. However, before that happened she got fired as an advertising person. She then went to school to learn typing. She worked to organize papers for the Office of Strategy Service. She got into a famous cooking school: Le Cordon Bleu. Julia Child was very persistent in most of the things that she did. Julia Child was a talented woman. Julia got into a famous cooking school: Le Cordon Bleu. It is a very good school—most of the famous chefs came from them. Julia Child co-wrote a cookbook, The French Chef. She was so talented she was put on a TV show, The French Chef. She had other programs, too. Julia Child was a talented woman who succeeded. Julia Child was energetic. She is known for racing around the kitchen doing many things at once. Her style of French cooking takes a long time. At Le Cordon Bleu she failed a test, but she had enough energy to try again and she passed. She kept sending letters because she was trying to get a publisher to publish her cook book. Julia put a lot of energy into cooking and writing about cooking. Julia Child was an energetic, talented, and persistent chef. She didn’t just pick up a knife and become amazing all at once. She had to work hard. Julia was an amazing chef.

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Thanksgiving

Eric Bijak November, Grade 1

They wanted their own church. They were called pilgrims. They rode on the Mayflower, and they came from England. They met Squanto, and he taught them how to plant corn with a dead fish. He taught them how to catch deer with a bow and arrows. The pilgrims invited them to a feast. There were ninety Native Americans, and it lasted three days.

Super Ninja Baby

Caroline Keil December, Grade 1

There is a Ninja baby who is a super hero. He has one tooth and can fly. He has glasses, a brown dog, and a friend named Lulu. There was a gigantic robot attacking the city with his huge laser. He was aiming at the children. The baby had to save the city! He flies and kicks the robot. BOING! The robot falls apart, and the city is saved!

Spy Will

Ben Arthurs March, Grade 1

This is Will. He is a spy. “Portal!” he shouted. The portal took him to his secret hideout in Africa, but Sophia saw everything from behind a tree. She reported the information to her leader, Autumn. Autumn fired boomerangs at him, but it was too late. He was already gone. Will arrived in Africa safely. When he got to his hideout, Ben was waiting for him. “We must capture Autumn,” said Ben. “But she fired boomerangs at me!” said Will. “It doesn’t matter,” said Ben. “We have to get her.” Find out the rest in episode two!

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Kinetic Design after Sol LeWitt Owen Linback, Grade 5

Insect Collage Inspired by Eric Carle Brooke Mordini, Grade 1

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Leadership And The Wizard Of Oz

Alessandro Raganelli Second Place, Robbie Bermingham Speaking Contest Grade 8

Who do you admire as a leader? What qualities does a leader have that inspire other people? Is a leader made or born? Is there any “magic recipe” for becoming a leader? Can the Wizard of Oz help us? In our journey on the “yellow brick road,” we will review the concept of leadership, the key behavioral characteristics to recognize a leader, and the Oz Principle, which analyzes how becoming a leader may be a very easy process if we just look into ourselves and find the right way to learn. Everybody can become a leader because good leaders are made not born, but to lead and inspire others, one must embrace a particular set of behaviors. To understand them there is no magic. One doesn’t need the help of a wizard. The answer is within each one of us; it’s just a matter of passion and desire. To start our discussion we need to agree upon the definition of a leader, a hard task because this definition has been argued and debated upon by scholars for a long time. In my opinion, the simplest is the best. A leader is “someone who leads, guides and inspires a group of followers to achieve a common goal.” Using this definition we may find many different leaders in many different areas. One may think of Michael Jordan because of the way he inspired his team and fans, his hard work and continuous search for innovative and spectacular ways to play the game of basketball, and, also, his loyalty to the team and the city he played for. Another example of leadership would be Mother Teresa, who received the Noble Peace Prize for her dedication to the care of the poor, of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, of the lepers, and all those who feel unwanted, unloved, and uncared-for throughout society. What about Nelson Mandela who rebuilt the new prosperous and free country of South Africa leading the same people who put him in prison/ He simply inspired South Africans, no matter whether they were black or white, by teaching them what to do to bring their beloved nation to success. Or what about Steve Jobs who led a computer revolution following his dream of an easy, user-friendly operating system for everyday life, beyond data management and research? The list could continue, but by now it’s clear that leadership is a set of behaviors, and one doesn’t have to wait until he or she is a manager and is leading a team to gain these traits; they can be learned even at a junior level. Many are the leader’s typical behaviors, but seven are the critical ones. First, the best leaders are those who practice what they preach. Michael Jordan was working hard in

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every training session, and that is why he was able to ask his teammates for the same dedication in every game. Second, good leaders focus on the solution and never on the problem because they want to control the future not the present. Third, a real leader never points fingers but takes responsibility for what has happened. Fourth, when the problem is solved, a leader shares the glory with the team; in a society where people are always trying to horde all the credit for themselves, this is something hard to accomplish. But a real leader is never selfish. Fifth, a leader must be passionate and enthusiastic, not only communicate well but be able to transfer enthusiasm to the team. Sixth, a true leader is a keen observer of human behaviors. By observing others a leader learns about people’s strengths and weaknesses, what they are innately good at and what they aren’t. With this skill a leader will be able to pick out the right task for the right person. Seventh a leader is a master in communication. It has been said that communication is an art; practice this art and be a master in it and always remember that communication is a two way street. Be open to other people’s opinions, and listen to what they have to say; this is the “ job” of a leader. Now that we know how a leader behaves, let’s explore how to become one. This is when the Wizard of Oz is going to help us. I’m not joking. Do you remember the story? This timeless story brings together four seemingly helpless characters, all of whom felt victimized by their shortcomings and circumstances. Feeling powerless and unable to change their situations, they set off on a journey down the yellow brick road to the Land of Oz in the hopes of finding “the wizard” who would solve all their problems. At the end of the story, all the characters rise above their circumstances and shortcomings to achieve the results they are looking for. They learn that the Wizard of Oz was in reality a powerless individual pulling levers, blowing smoke, and who could do nothing to help them. The success of Dorothy and her friends comes not by the magic of a wizard who makes problems disappear, but by these four working together and finding the power within themselves to achieve their objectives. What we learn from the story is that even if there may be many wizards trying to convince us of their magic powers, the real power is within us; we just need to find it. To do that, like Dorothy, we need to have the strength, the courage of the Lion, the heart of The Tin Woodsman and the wisdom of The Scarecrow. Similar to Dorothy, we need to develop all four qualities before we fully understand that only we, ourselves, can rise above the circumstances, be a leader and return to Kansas. Along her yellow brick road journey, Dorothy learns to love and cherish her companions for each of their unique qualities. In the end she is able to combine what she has learned from and with her friends to escape her feelings of powerlessness and achieve the results she desires. Back home in Kansas, Dorothy will never be the same. She has learned through her arduous journey that she is the master of her own fate.

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But personal learning is not enough for a leader. As Dorothy enthusiastically tells her family and friends, we’ll only be true leaders if we share our journey on the yellow brick road with others. We must be like the Good Witch Glenda, who mentors the traveling companions watching over them and helping them to get on the right road to personal ownership, accountability, and results. As any good leader, she doesn’t do all the work. She points the group in the right direction and guides them along the way. With the right intervention at the right time, she stimulates the travelers to bring out their inner qualities—strength, heart, courage, and wisdom—that propel them to the Land of Oz, and, ultimately, home. Do the same and your journey will be completed. Remember, everybody can become a leader because good leaders are made not born. To lead and inspire others, we must embrace the traits of a leader; we must learn the leader’s behaviors. We don’t need a wizard’s magic touch; the answer is within each one of us. It’s just a matter of passion and desire. Victor Hugo once said, “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.” Be the next leader with an idea worth fighting for.

My Brand New Puppy

Beatrix Leffingwell October, Grade 2

My new puppy came on September 7, 2011. When I saw my puppy, she was shivering. She was only seven weeks old. She had to go on a plane for four hours! She must have been so scared. Now she is ten weeks old. Her name is Jackie. She loves to play. She is a Jack Russell. She growls for fun; she also likes to chew on your fingers for fun. She loves to play at school with the other kids. She is white with a brown head. She has two brown spots at the end of her body. The brown spots look like a heart; so does one of her mom’s spots. She is very cute. Everybody at school thinks she is cute also. My BFF Kate is always wondering about her. But what I don’t like about her is that she is always crying. I love, love Jackie.

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Slalom

Jackson Kriger October, Grade 4

I was sweating and my heart was pounding in the hot summer of 2011. On one of those very hot days, I was waiting for my cousins at my lake house. When they arrived, I felt like I exploded in joy. I ran up to them and jumped into all my cousins’ arms. I didn’t jump in my cousin Jamie’s arms because she is only nine. We went into the house and changed into our bathing suits. Now, we were ready to go in the water. We went down the big hill in my backyard. I rolled down the hill because I was so happy. We got on the boat. We started the boat to go to a smooth part of the lake. Wind was flying into my face. My dad told me, “Go to the back of the boat.” I said, “Okay.” I went to the back of the boat and got my slalom ski on. I dropped with my hip first into the water. The water was freezing cold. I was shivering. When I said, “Hit it,” he went. I got up on one ski for the first time in my life. I was smiling so hard, and everybody was cheering. I was feeling great. It was like I was flying. The wind felt so good when it flew into my face. A few seconds later, I fell over. When I was falling I saw a fish swimming away. I was soaking wet. Then, I got into the boat, and I put on a towel. Even though I fell, it felt so good to get up on one ski for the first time in my life.

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Self-Portrait Tempera Painting Abegail Byun, Grade 1

Digital Self-Portrait Collage Benjamin Fybel, Grade 8

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The Amazing Helen Keller

Kiley Rabjohns February , Grade 3

“Although the world is full of suffering it is full also of the overcoming of it.” People learned so much from Helen Keller. It was very sad that she became blind and deaf. She was born in 1880 and died in 1968. She lived until she was eighty years old, which is pretty old. Her mom, Katherine Adams Keller and her dad, Captain Arthur H. Keller, were very nice parents. She was a very normal girl when she was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She had two younger siblings, Mildred and Phillips Brooke. A super bad fever caused her to become blind and deaf. It was a fever that there is medicine for now. It is called scarlet fever. Although she was blind and deaf, she still was energetic, smart, and determined. Helen Keller was very energetic throughout her life. In the book Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson, the author said that when she was little she kicked and screamed. She did that until she got her way. The author also said that she loved to play with everything she touched, especially things that moved. When she was little, she loved to play with animals because she was sometimes very bored. Helen Keller was a very interesting and energetic child. Helen Keller was also a very smart person. If she didn’t get her way she cried, but then she stopped and the person that was holding her would set her down. She would run out of the room and nobody would be able to find her. When she was learning words from her teacher, Anne Sullivan, she normally tried her hardest and remembered every word Anne taught her. When she graduated from college, she worked so hard with her teacher that she was asked to do speeches. In the speeches she taught people what blind and deaf people could do. She did many speeches for men that were injured in World War II. She was very smart throughout her life. Helen Keller was a determined lady, too. She was able to read her teacher’s hand spelling so she understood everything. She tried to live on her own, but then decided not to. When Helen Keller was getting pretty old she always said, “Stick to your dreams,” because when she was little she always dreamed of being able to read by using Braille and communicating with other people. When she got older, she was able to do both. When Helen Keller acted like she was determined; she was very interesting. Helen Keller was a very important person to our world. She helped out by making people think that people that are blind, deaf, or both can do almost everything. She was an

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amazing girl who was very energetic, smart, and determined. If you were her teacher, you would be so amazed by her great talent.

The Fox

Avi Rangarajan February, Grade 1

Once upon a time there was a fox that had a friend who was a duck. One day the duck found a tent, so he called the fox and the fox came. They went inside and the fox said, “Let’s sleep there.” And so they did.

Where I’m From

Anna Schilling November , Grade 4

I am from the bright, sparkly lights of Chicago. From playgrounds, bakeries, and every language you can imagine. I am from a red brick building with friendly doormen, four elevators, and an entire neighborhood under one roof. I am from the only family I know who eats lumpia and pancit with our Thanksgiving turkey. I am from grandparents who speak English, Tagalog, and German. From Schillings, and Calos, and Arensmans. I am from grandparents who let us jump on their beds and aunts who sneak us chocolate. From trips to far away places, tea at the Four Seasons, and the Nutcracker every year at Christmas. From “Kissing Hands” with Daddy before trips and saying “Goodnight Moon” each night, to believing in fairies dancing while I sleep. I am from fairness and kindness and a sense of humor.

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I am from a melting pot of German, English, and Philippino ancestors. I am from Adobo and Chicago hotdogs. From a living room gallery of family trips and a photo quilt lovingly sewn by my Lola that shows a patchwork of my life.

Hamster Day

Angela Deng October, Grade 2

We waked into PetSmart. I was so excited. I wanted a hamster, but my mom said we couldn’t get one. Then we went in. My brother wanted to hold a robo hamster. I asked if I can hold it, too. My brother Edward said, “Yes.” When he said yes, I put my hand under his hand and the hamster went in my hand. Then I wanted to have a robo hamster so badly. So, I asked my mom again if we could have them. When I asked her again, she said “yes.” Then we brought them home and put the cage and the hamsters in my brother’s bathroom. Then I played with my brother’s hamster. Then it escaped my hand. I felt sad because my brother’s hamster was nice to me. The hamster was gone for two whole days. We missed my brother’s hamster because mine bit me once, scratched me, and when it bit me, I started to bleed on my finger. At last, my mom found my brother’s hamster in her bedroom. Then my hamster bit my brother’s hamster a couple of times. My brother’s hamster’s tail got red. Then my mom and I put my brother’s hamster in my room. I was happy when my mom finally found the hamster. I am so glad he is now safe at home in his cage.

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The Puppies Find a Treasure in Hawaii

Autumn Rabjohns March, Grade 1

Five little puppies are going to Hawaii for winter! One puppy said, “We have to remember to bring a sweet treat!” When they were all packed up, they went to the puppy airport. Then they got on the airplane. Finally they were there! They went swimming for a long time, and then they went on the waterslide for a long time. After that they went to the ocean and swam, and when they were getting out they found an X on the ground. So they dug and dug until they hit something hard. They picked it up, and it was a treasure chest! They opened it and found gold and jewelry and dog bones, toys, treats, and tennis balls! It was a great day!

Pollution Problems

Jack Kempczinski February, Grade 4

At LFCDS in Lake Forest there is pollution problem we want to inform you about. Parents are leaving their cars idling while waiting to pick up their children at the end of the school day. By idling your car, carbon dioxide (CO2) is being released into the air. Here are some facts about idling your car. When you idle your car, the engine stays hot; and when the engine stays hot, it still emits gas into the air. Car emissions created while running your car can cause eye and breathing problems, coughing, choking, reduced lung capacity, lung cancer, and asthma. Turning off your car may save you trips to the doctor, too. The Range Rover emits 348 g/km per minute. The Cadillac Escalade emits 383 g/ km per minute. Isn’t that a lot? The Range Rover gets 19 mpg. Listen to this: the Toyota IQ emits 99 g/km and gets 65.7 mpg. You might not want to buy the polluting cars but buy cars like the Toyota IQ that are more efficient. Go to www.nextgreencar.com if you are interested in finding out information about your car. This is what we noticed in the parking lot at pick-up. Parents get in line five to fifteen minutes early, and they idle their car while waiting for their kids. The Schilling family is saving the environment already. They have their son in Upper School come down to

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fourth-grade pick-up, so they don’t have to drive to Upper School pick-up! Mrs. Schilling turns off her car. Isn’t that great? If you’re trying to save the environment, look at this grid we made of Lake Forest for carpooling, find someone you know who lives in the same area, and set up a carpool. Here are some other fixes: ride your bike, walk, have your mom or dad drop you off on her or his way to work, and turn off your car while you are waiting. Here are some more facts about idling your car. Idling your car for more than ten seconds emits more gas than restarting your car. Some people worry that restarting the engine might harm the car, but frequent restarting does little damage. Idling your car for ten minutes a day uses more than twenty-seven gallons of fuel per year. Idling your car for ten minutes can use as much fuel as it takes to travel five miles and driving your vehicle while it warms up cuts warm-up time in half. When you have a diesel engine, while your car is running it cools down the engine so when you want to warm up the engine don’t turn your car on. Here’s a quiz to see what you have learned! 1. True or False: Idling is good for your engine. 2. True or False: The engine of a car should be warmed up before driving. 3. True or False: Shutting off and restarting your vehicle uses more gas than if you leave it running. ANWERS to the quiz: 1. False: Idling can actually hurt your engine. It costs more money and puts carbon dioxide in the air. 2. True: Warm up your car driving not idling. With modern cars, engines don’t need to idle for more than thirty seconds, even on the coldest days. It uses a lot of gas, and every gallon of an eight-cylinder engine produces nineteen pounds of carbon dioxide. 3. Unless you turn off your car for only ten seconds, it is more efficient and better for the environment and people’s health to turn it off.

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Ears Pierced

Marie Giambrone November, Grade 2

One day I asked my mom at home, “Can I get my ears pierced?” “Yes, but this time we can’t leave,” my mom told me. She said that because I already asked her to go with me, and I got scared so we had to leave. “Okay,” I said. I was ready to get my ears pierced. The next day when we got to the mall, I started to get a little scared again. The person who was sitting next to me gave me a teddy bear to hold and told me I was really brave. She was a teenager getting her ears pierced. I picked July earrings. I still have them now. When it was time for me to get my ears pierced, I thought about how I couldn’t go home. I said in my head, “Do it, do it, do it.” There were two little ear piercing guns. I was a little shocked, but I had to get it over with. So I did. I closed my eyes and it was d-o-n-e, DONE! They gave me a mirror and showed me my ears. Daddy told me I was beautiful! After it was over, my ears hurt a little bit. When I got home, I looked in the mirror again. I did look pretty! When I had my new earrings in, I felt like a princess. They were rubies, and I could see the sun shine and reflect on the stones. When I ran, it felt like I was wearing dangling earrings. After school I still felt good. I twisted my earrings, because the lady at the store told me I had to do it twice a day. Now, I don’t have to do that anymore. I still have my ears pierced just like my mommy!

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Sumi-e Painting Amanda Tibbals, Grade 6

Tempera Painting Inspired by Australian Aboriginal Art Barbara Canty, Grade 6

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Dogs!!!! Sasha Sklarov March, Grade 5 We take Max and Foley the eager dogs for a walk Bark, goes one dog. As Foley hurdles around like a dinosaur The other Sleepy, Cross, Zzzzzzzzzz. Splish-splash goes the dog in the muddy puddle. Foley jumps over the sleepy, lazy, fat dog Who shakes her fur everywhere? Mud goes soaring everywhere. As Max woke up he was as mad as a devil Max had mud all over him

Cheetahs

Nickie Mesrobian February, Grade 3

Cheetahs live in Africa and some parts of Iran. They are known for their speed. Cheetahs adapt to their environment. Some of their adaptations deal with their speed and their fur. One adaptation is that a cheetah has great speed. A cheetah is built for speed. At top speed a cheetah can run at seventy-three miles per hour. A cheetah is a sprinter. A cheetah’s tail helps them keep balance and speed at the same time. Every part of a cheetah’s body helps them to be fast. Cheetahs are the fastest animal. Another adaptation for the cheetah is its fur. The cheetah’s fur is rough and short. The cheetah’s fur helps it to keep warm. The fur is spotted and gold. The cheetah’s fur also helps it blend into the surroundings, which is called camouflaging. Their fur also helps them to blend in with the sun because it’s spotted and gold and it lives in Africa and some parts of Iran where it is very sunny. The cheetah’s claws help them to get a grip on their prey. The nails of the paws are three

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inches long. The claws work each part of the paw to move the body to help catch the prey. The claws penetrate the ground which helps the cheetah to get air. When the cheetah is chasing its victim, it jumps and sticks its claws into the victim to catch it so they can eat it. Once the victim is killed, they pull their claws out and use them to tear the victim into pieces to give to their cubs. The cheetah’s speed, fur, and claws help them to survive.

Where I’m From

Harrison Potts November, Grade 4

I am from a town with forests and lakes, a pizza heaven with thin, pan, and stuffed crusts, and a Toy Station next to the real Train Station with lots of great toys. I am from a house made of brick with big trees all around and other houses close enough to hear the neighborhood dogs barking, Christmas sparkle balls and gathering around the fire place watching the Bears play football. I am from a big family with birthday celebrations for every season—winter, spring, summer, and fall—a tradition from the Buschmanns, my mom’s side of the family. I am from a very organized house with spotless rooms and music always playing, where we say every day before leaving for work and school: “Have a great day and don’t get stuck in traffic!” From the nighttime, the silence takes over where the house was once filled with bedtime stories about little boys and girls playing and people discovering ancient civilizations. I am from a loving family with a dog named Romeo, where we sing and he barks. I’m from Lake Forest. I’m a blend of German, English, and Polish families, and love our great desserts like apple pie, banana muffins, and anything chocolate. I would never wish to be anywhere else to live besides home. My memories are scattered around the world, but I still have some childhood left.

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Tempera Painting Inspired by Australian Aboriginal Art Amanda Tibbals, Grade 6

Insect Collage Inspired by Eric Carle Autumn Rabjohns, Grade 1

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My Dog Rocky

Paul Podedworny October, Grade 5

Summer The most energetic dog ever Loves to play until the bright shiny sun goes down He runs and chases fast squirrels Winter The most energetic dog ever Loves to eat the freezing cold snow He likes to smash my awesome igloos Fall The most energetic dog ever Loves to bark and try to eat the “monster” leaf blower He likes to roll around in the crunchy leaves Spring The most energetic dog ever Loves to smell beautiful flowers and deer tracks He is the best dog ever Rocky

Where I’m From

Eva Hanson November , Grade 4

I am from beaches, forest, prairies, and ravines, from soccer balls and footballs. I am from triple-dash birthday parties and long-living grandparents. From Heggen, Carey, and Pederson. I am from too much healthy food and the runaway dog. I am from kindness and love. I am from honesty and respect and never judge people by first appearance. I am from Highland Park and Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Germany. From sushi and yummy

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Asian salad. From the colorful photos of four happy people scattered all over the walls. You can see how my family and I change.

Adaptations

Mimi Baeseman-Smith February, Grade 3

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly. Bats can be all different colors like black, brown, white, orange, red, gray, and yellow. Not all bats live in caves, but most do. Bats can eat flies, mosquitoes, termites, beetles, and moths. Bats have awesome adaptations. Bats have crazy knees. Bats have awesome ears. Bats’ faces are very strange. First, bats have these weird tongues. Bats tongues are very long. Bats have those tongues to suck the nectar to get something to eat. Bats ear’s are very special. The ears help warn the bat if a predator is near. They use their sound to see in their enviroment. These bats can send out sound from their nose or mouth. Bats can make sound by leaving their mouth’s wide open, making sounds while they travel. The sound bounces off the object for in their enviroment. Bats have rather odd knees on their hind legs. In other mammals, their knees are aimed forward,but the bats’ knees are aimed backwards.Bats are very clumsy when they’re walking or crawling. Bats have long toes and sharp claws. The claws of a bat are strong enough to hold bats upside down for hours and hours. Bats have awesome adaptations. Ears, knees, and tongues help them survive. When people see bats, they think bats are going to bite, but bats are harmless. They have cool adaptions to observe.

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The Big Needle Fish

Max Collins December, Grade 3

We climbed out of the soft sand with water dripping from our swimsuits. We were eager to keep chasing them, but bigger ones came. They were needle fish! The adults did not have transparent skin, unlike the babies. Then, with a lot of energy, we burst back into the water. The needle fish skidded and squirmed at the surface of the water. As Will and I bounded after the needle fish, our knees slapped the water. Then our eyes caught the needle fish zip to the dark, green sea grass. We backed away from the grass. There were prickly sea urchins hiding in the grass. We still didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up on catching them. We ran around the sea grass trapping the poor needle fish in the grass. Soon, our legs ached, and we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move anymore from pushing them through the water. Then we climbed lazily out of the water, shoved on our flip flops, and walked to our hotel to rest.

Soccer

Brooke Mordini March, Grade 1

Two teams, one ball. Kick, Score, Run. YOU WIN! I love soccer!

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Caffeine Addiction

Lilly Reyes Third Place, Robbie Bermingham Speaking Contest Grade 8

May I please have a venti caramel frappe chino with three shot of espresso, easy on the chocolate drizzle? And make it fast; I need my morning fix! What is wrong with this picture? People do not realize what they are putting into their bodies. Caffeine is an addictive chemical moreover, an addictive drug. Caffeine can cause significant harm to our bodies. Have you ever noticed a change in mood or behavior when you consume caffeine? People need to be aware that drinking too much caffeine is not such a good idea after all. You may think that caffeine does the job of keeping you focused and energized, but in actuality it is affecting your body in a negative way. Regardless of the ill effects, caffeine has been around since the Stone Age and although it had different uses in those days it has stood the test of time and is still very much a part of life in the twenty-first century. Also, caffeine in the form of coffee, can definitely take a toll on people’s wallets. Some caffeinated drinks have become extremely expensive. Many anthropologists believe caffeine use dates all the way back to the prehistoric times. Coffee was discovered and originated in Ethiopia in the ninth century. The Nomads during this time noticed that when their goats would eat the fruit from the coffee shrubs, they would gain an increase in energy and would be sleepless throughout the night! What a major discovery! During this time people who discovered caffeine boiled the plant’s leaves, bark and seeds in hot water. As time went on, caffeine became very popular especially in England. In fact, in the seventeenth century, the first coffee shops were opened. That made drinking caffeine much easier than the trying to boil leaves. People do not realize what they are putting into their bodies when they have caffeine. They also don’t know that coffee can cause serious health issues including, headache, lethargy, depressed mood, nausea, vomiting , muscle pain and stiffness. If a person were to stop consuming caffeine abruptly, these symptoms might occur because their body is not used to relying on its natural energy brain chemicals, and it has become dependent upon the caffeine for its energy. Some doctors say caffeine addiction is a mental disorder because of the way that it affects the brain. One scary fact is people might not even realize that they are ingesting caffeine. Caffeine is in some processed foods and is in most sodas, pain relievers, diet pills, chocolate, tea and energy drinks. Caffeine has been studied and is now the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance on earth! In fact, 400 billion cups were consumed around the world every year since 2010. This proves the fact that

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over ninety percent of people worldwide start their day with caffeine; seventy-one percent start their day with coffee. Although coffee is very popular, energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster Energy are the fastest growing division of the beverage market today. Many kids consume caffeine through energy drinks, chocolate and those delicious chocolate chip Frappuccinos from the local coffee shop. Children can develop anxiety or irritability and then experience a “crash” when the caffeine leaves their system. This can all happen with just three hundred milligrams or more of caffeine. How can this be healthy? These drinks all have a high sugar content filled with empty calories. Caffeine puts today’s kids at a risk for obesity. Back in the 1920s, a cup of coffee cost around ten cents. Now a days coffee can cost anywhere from two to five dollars! For a caffeine addict, this is a lot to be spending once or twice a day. Some people have a theory that since humans can be addicted to caffeine in the form of coffee; stores can get away with charging their customers more for their products because they know they will have to pay for it in order to gain the energy they need. For example, in New York, a special Ethiopian cup of coffee at Cafe Grumpy’s can cost an outrageous amount of money! Some people are crazy enough to pay twelve dollars. That same coffee costs around three dollars in Seattle, Washington. That is a significant difference in price. What could justify such a price difference? In the average Starbucks a Tall Latte cost $2.70. Think about having just one of those a day every day. That will cost $985.50 a year! If you put that money in the bank, think how much you will save in just a few years. The next time you decide to consume caffeine, think twice about it. Remember that it can cause some serious health issues as well as burn a hole in your wallet! The bad news is that caffeine doesn’t grow on trees anymore! Stick to water, it’s still free!

William Shakespeare

Matty Slobodnik March, Grade 3

“All the world’s a stage.” That’s what William Shakespeare once said. William Shakespeare has an unknown birth, but they celebrate it on April 23, 1564, in Stratford, England. His mom’s name was Mary, and his dad’s name was John. He had two sisters. He died April 23, 1616. William Shakespeare was very smart, creative, and educated. He should be remembered for his poems plays, words, phrases, and his famous quote, “to be or not to be.”

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William Shakespeare was a very smart man. In the book Who Was William Shakespeare by Celeste Davidson, she describes that he was really smart because he wrote plays like Richard II, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and Richard III. Another reason he was smart is because he wrote phrases like, “knock, knock, knock whose there”? Or “neither a borrower nor lender be.” Another reason he was smart is because he was the best playwright who ever lived. He is mostly known for his plays, but he was also known for his outstanding words, poems, and phrases. Now as you can see he was a very smart person. William Shakespeare was a very creative man. In the book, Who Was William Shakespeare by Celeste Mannis Davidson, she describes that William Shakespeare is a very creative man because he made words like amazement, puppy dog, quarrelsome, and love letter. He also made lots more. Another reason he was creative is because he thought of all his plays, poems, words, and phrases he wrote. William Shakespeare wrote lots of stuff but my favorite thing that he wrote is his poem All the Worlds a Stage. Last of all, William Shakespeare was a very thrifty man when he lent out money. He was quick to sue if the debt was not repaid promptly. So, he spent very little money. Now you know he was thrifty. William Shakespeare wrote poems, plays, words, and phrases. He was a very thrifty, smart, and creative man. He should always be remembered for being the best playwright who ever lived.

Three-Friend Sleepover

Matthew Basgall December, Grade 3

It was the big day—my sleepover! I was so excited, but it was a school day, and I was in school waiting for the day to end. After school, I headed home with my mom and brother. We went to my brother’s hockey practice. Mark and I spotted my friend, Tyler, standing by his dad’s car. Tyler and I started to get into our hockey gear because my dad said we could help coach. We got on the ice. My brother’s team went on the ice. My dad did a lot of drills. Tyler and I demonstrated all of the drills. Then we did something really exciting. It was a “shootout.” The first time, I hit the goalie in the face mask. The last time, I did a very cool move. I was coming in on the goalie. I raked the shot, and at the same time, lifted my left leg up. I went forehand, backhand, back to my forehand and put the puck into the net.

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After that, we went to the Winter Club to play more hockey. Now Luke was there, because I invited him to sleep over, too. We had lots of fun. Then we ate dinner. I ate a hot dog. We went back on the ice and played a game. Then we got hungry again. I wanted a salad, but my dad said, “It’s too big.” So I got frozen lemonade. I had a good snack. Next we had a two-on-two game. We played posts. My brother and I won. Finally, we all got home. We got into our PJs. Finally, we went to bed. I noticed an illusion in my room. It was a green light in the mirror, and when you stare at the green light, the mirror goes away.

Lunch Money

Emilio Alvarez January, Grade 4

A sixth-grade student named Greg Kenton has many talents. He is good at sports, he gets good grades, but most of all he is good at making money. When Greg noticed everyone in the school cafeteria had extra quarters, he got an idea—his school is like a giant piggy bank, and he has the “perfect hammer” to crack it. He is set on making big money! But will the principal allow it? Read the book to find out. The characters in this book are Greg, Maura, Mr. Z (the math teacher), Miss Davenport, Mrs. Kenton, Mr. Kenton, and the student body as Ashworth Intermediate. This story takes place at Ashworth Intermediate School, which is in a suburb. A child named Greg Kenton and another named Maura Shaw both go to Ashworth. They are both smart and competitive. They both are very good at making money. The problem is the school has strict rules about students selling things on school property. The challenge is how to make money without breaking the rules, and how these two competitive kids can both do business without fighting. In the beginning of the story, all Greg wanted to do was make money, but he also detested Maura Shaw. Maura was bossy, and she was constantly trying to steal Greg’s customers. He also thought she was a sore loser. But in the end, Greg learned to appreciate Maura’s talents. In the end, Greg and Maura worked together and donated $923.38 to the school library. So, Greg went from “a greedy little money grubber” to a generous person. The author used descriptive language when he described Greg and Maura’s comics. For example, the author wrote, “then there was a wide view of the creature with its head lowered” as “it charged the tree next to the tower, and then another close up as its horn bit

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into the wood—complete with a spiky sound balloon!” The author created suspense when Greg realized someone stole his comic book idea. Although Greg did not like Maura, he would never have expected her to steal. He was shocked! I believe the story takes place in modern day. Mr. Z drives a Toyota Camry. It is a time when kids are treated well and encouraged to be independent. I made a connection with Greg because many times my brother and I compete in video games. We even wrestle, and I am the one getting hurt. I can also relate to Greg because I like the feeling of putting money in my bank account and of getting things I want and need. I also like to help someone in need or for a good cause. The author wanted us to think that if things don’t always go our way, we should be ready to take one for the team. We should also always try to find the good in people. For example, if Greg had not seen the good in Maura, they would have missed out on a great partnership. I give this story five out of five stars, with five being the best. I think people who have dreams they want to chase should read this book to inspire them and to show that it is possible to make dreams come true if you work hard. This story has many valuable lessons. For entertainment, and a quick lesson about making money at school without breaking the rules, this story is a MUST READ!

Up and Out J.D. O’Keane March, Grade 5 Roaring faster and faster One hour ahead Chicago behind Up, up, up and out of Chicago Minnesota ahead nothing can stop us as we Go up through the white puffy angels wishing us good luck Flying over hills and forests looking at cars as tiny as ants We see angels and they wish us a safe ride down Soon down, down, down As we decent to the rough runway at St. Paul International airport I run up the jet way standing right there was my dad

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Chimpanzee

Aidan Murphy February, Grade 3

When I go to the zoo, the first place I always go to is the chimpanzees. I like the way they climb trees. Chimpanzees have many adaptations to live in a jungle, such as feet-like hands, strong arms, and sharp teeth. Chimpanzees have feet-like hands so they can climb trees to get away from predators and to get their food. Jaguars are their predators. They eat bananas, nuts, seeds, celery, fruit, meat, eggs, and insects. Chimpanzees have long strong arms. An adult chimpanzee can be seven times stronger than a human being. Those strong arms are useful for helping chimpanzees climb and swing through trees. A chimpanzee’s sharp canines come in handy in many ways. Chimpanzees use their teeth to scare other chimpanzees and predators away. They also use them for eating and hunting. Chimpanzees are very fun to see at the zoo but can be very scary in the wild.

Harry Houdini

Mateo Guevara February, Grade 3

“I am Harry Houdini, King of Handcuffs,’’ Harry would challenge the police men at a local police station. Harry Houdini was one of the greatest magicians of his time. He was born on March 24, 1874; his real name is Enrich Weiss. He was born in Budapest, Hungary. His parents were Mayer Samuel Weiss and Cecilia Weiss. He had six siblings. He was inspired to do magic after the death of a magician named Robert Houdini. Robert was very popular, and Harry wanted to be famous like he was. Harry was also inspired by the Wright brothers. Harry didn’t just want to be known as magician, he wanted to be known for being a pilot, too. Harry accomplished a hit movie called Master Mystery. Harry accomplished going all around the world performing tricks. Harry died in during one of his tricks on October 22, 1926. Harry was determined, talented, and even sometimes discouraged.

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Harry Houdini was determined. In the book Who Was Harry Houdini by Tui T. Sutherland, Sutherland describes the dangerous things Harry did. One time after he moved from Hungary to New York, he and his father went out to get money for his family. After a couple of years, his father died. Harry’s mom sent his brother, Theo, and they started to make money for their family Harry was talented. He wanted a lot of attention. Harry was once doing his show and someone stopped it and said, “I hear you’re Harry Houdini, the most talented magician. I have some handcuffs, if you dare try to escape them.’’ Harry did. The man was astonished. Another time he walked into a police station, and he said, “Lock me up, tie me up, and I will escape.” The officers usually laughed at him. So, finally they put him in handcuffs and locked him up. The police went out of the room and walked into another. After a couple of minutes, Harry walked in with his handcuffs. Harry was discouraged. Once, Harry was mad that Theo had made a mistake during a performance. Harry wanted a better assistant. Another time, he started selling his magic tricks. Harry should be remembered as the greatest magician ever to live. He was determined and talented. He will be remembered as a magician, an actor, and a pilot. He was perfect in many ways. We should be like him.

William Shakespeare

Maria Johnson February, Grade 3

“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” said William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was a great playwright. His birthday is unknown, but people celebrate it on April 23. He was born in England. His parents were John and Mary Shakespeare. He had eight brothers and eight sisters. William was inspired when he was a kid. He watched the shows on the street. He said they were pure magic. He loved how their emotions showed. The plays that he watched were Bible stories. In his school, they only let him write in German, so that’s why all his plays are in German. Some of his greatest works were Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Midsummer Night’s Dream. He died in 1616. William is famous, hardworking, and talented.

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In the book Who Was William Shakespeare, the author, Celeste Davidson Mannis, tell about Williams’s life. He was a hardworking man. He had to act in plays, and he had to help actors with their lines during rehearsal. He had to write all the plays. No one can say how many plays he wrote. There were so many! I think someone that had to write a lot of plays had to be hardworking. He was also very talented. Will wrote 154 sonnets over the years. People published his sonnets. Even some of his sonnets are still in print. He also wrote many plays like Romeo and Juliet. He also had to write and think of ideas. It must have been so much to handle. I bet he was so stressed! He was very famous. Will’s plays are still around, a lot of people know about his plays and poems. William wrote a play for Queen Elizabeth. She said it was a smashing success. Everything that William had ever written has been translated to many languages. Many people watch his plays now. We should remember William as talented, famous, and hardworking. Every day we use one of William’s invented words. We should remember William as the great playwright. William wrote some of the great plays like Henry VI and Titus Andronicus.

Where I’m From

Chloe Morrissey November, Grade 4

I am from a roller coaster riding, fun under the sun amusement park, sub sandwiches, and cookies and cake. Swinging my golf club and hitting a ball with my tennis racquet. I am from a cute little house with a beautiful landscape and a healthy garden, with the smell of food always cooking and aroma of pastries always baking, to the cute fuzzy chair in my bedroom. I am from a loud family at Thanksgiving and Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, from Chad and Leah and Angelina. I am from shoes placed in order at the front door to random dancing at any time.

From leaving my shoes out for St. Nick and to keep on dreaming and your dreams will come true.

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I am from peace and love and hope, and I always think about life, and to always be nice, and to always lend a helping hand. I’m from Illinois and the branches that make up my family tree are Polish, Arabic, Irish, and Spanish from golimpkis and cucumber salad. From the old raggedy trunk to floral boxes to beautiful scrapbooks and albums that help define who I am.

The Sea Turtle

Kaylie McDonough February, Grade 3

Imagine being in the water with predators trying to eat you. It’s very scary, but not for a sea turtle. They have three adaptations to keep them safe. They have a hard shell, they have great eyesight, and they can swim fast. One of the sea turtles adaptations is they have a hard shell. They have a hard shell so if someone or something tries to attack them they won’t get hurt. If a predator tries to eat them, they can hide in their shell. Some of the sea turtles’ predators are sharks, whales, tigers, and sometimes people. When they see a predator, they tuck their head, legs, and arms inside their shell. Another adaptation a turtle has is good eyesight. A turtle will see you before you see them because they see very well. They can spot the tiniest movements. Their eyes might be tiny but they see very well. They have good eyesight to see their food. They eat fish, bugs, sea grass, and jelly fish. The last adaptation a turtle has is they can swim fast. On land, turtles might seem slow, but they are not slow in the water. They are fast in water to get their food and to get away from predators. You can find turtles in oceans, seas, ponds, lakes, and rivers. The water temperature they like to swim in is comfortable. Turtles might seem ugly and weird, but they are not. They are very great and cool animals.

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Kinetic Design after Sol LeWitt Alex Gunton, Grade 5

Story Quilt Drawing with Patterned Tiles after Faith Ringgold Kiley Rabjohns, Grade 3

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Big Wave

Gino Farrell December, Grade 3

BABOOM! A big wave almost hit me, but I went under it with my blue, red, and yellow boogie board. When you go under a wave, it feels like you just took a dive in the deep end of the pool. Door County, Wisconsin, usually has three-foot waves, but they were five- to eight-foot waves. They were this tall because it was windy but still warm. In the summer, I like to boogie board waves, but sometimes you don’t turn around in time or try to boogie board it and fail to turn or miss hitting the top of the wave. That is when you go to the bottom of the lake which is only four feet. “Wow!” I said, “That was a close one.” I turn to see shore to find mom. Rrruuuuuuummmmbbbbbblllllleeeee. I turn around, expecting nothing but a plane flying. Oh my gosh! It was a huge, green, seaweed wave with some sand and something that I hoped wasn’t a fish! I tried to boogie board it. “Paddle! Go up the wave! Turn! Turn,” I mumbled. UH OH, I tried to turn around, but the current wouldn’t let me. I fell backward. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH “I hope I don’t break my neck.” I fell eight feet in the water. BAM! I plunged under water. Water swirled under me. Some seaweed wrapped around my ankles. Water pushed me four feet under water. Swimming for the surface, gasping for air, I couldn’t hold my breath any longer. Finally, just finally, my head reached the surface. “Good!” I said “I didn’t break my neck. That was awesome! Wait till I tell mom!” I exclaimed. “Let’s try to boogie board a wave one more time!”

My Dog Besily

Gardner Brown December, Grade 3

When I stepped into the pound, I could only hear the sound of barking and meowing. The manager was at the front desk, so we walked to the front desk. My dad asked the manager if we could see the dogs. She said, “Yes.” It got stinkier as I walked into where the dogs were.

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When we got in the room, there were hundreds of dogs in front of me, and the sounds got louder and louder as I walked in. The barking got so loud it sounded like cars going by on a highway. I was so excited, it felt like Christmas. We looked at all the dogs, but they were not the ones we wanted. Then we looked at the last dog, and it was perfect right away. It was the one for us. It was the only dog that would not hurt you, and he looked so cute. He was as black as night. He had small, floppy ears and short, smooth fur. His tail was wagging as fast as a propeller on an airplane. We all loved him. The manager came and took the dog out of the cage. We went to the car. It was a fun ride home with our new dog, Besily. When we got home, my other dog, Copycat, made friends and they played together all day. I love my dogs, Copycat and Besily, and I always will.

Queen Elizabeth

Gabbie Jakubowski February, Grade 3

“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England, too,” said Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth was a very important woman. She was born on September 7, 1533. She had one sibling named Mary. Her parents were Queen Anne and King Henry. When Elizabeth was thirteen, her sister put her in jail. Mary tried to have to have a baby, so Elizabeth would never be Queen. Elizabeth sent so many letters that her sister let her out. Elizabeth became queen when her sister died on November 17, 1558. She was only twenty-five years old. In 1562, she got very sick. She almost died of smallpox. Queen Elizabeth was brave, intelligent, and powerful. In the book Who Was Queen Elizabeth by June Eding, the author describes the Queen as very brave. King Philip of Spain wanted to take Elizabeth’s throne, but she did not let him. They had a battle. They were afraid something would happen to their Queen but she did not listen. There was very bad weather, so Spain hit the rocky shore. Everyone was very proud. They all called Queen Elizabeth good Queen Bess. Queen Elizabeth was a very quick learner. Her teacher called her the brightest star from all the girls he taught. Elizabeth studied math, history, literature, astronomy, and geography. She loved to read. Elizabeth was very intelligent. When Elizabeth was a teenager, she knew five languages besides English: French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, and

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Latin. She started playing an instrument called a spinet or virginal. It is like a piano. Queen Elizabeth was very powerful. She could make laws and declare wars. Lots of money was needed. Money came through taxes. To raise taxes, Queen Elizabeth had to consult Parliament. Philip wanted to take over control of England after his marriage to Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth turned him down. From her father’s marriage, she knew how fast a king could put the Queen in prison and to death. Queen Elizabeth was a very important woman. We should all remember Queen Elizabeth as the first Queen of England. She was brave, intelligent, and powerful. She did not let Spain invade England. She helped make England more powerful. More paintings were painted of her then of any other English ruler. She had to improve every portrait that was painted of her. If she did not like the portrayed it was destroyed.

Baking

Emily Callahan January, Grade 3

Baking is so much fun! I love when my sisters are home from college so they can bake with me when I’m lonely. They always make me feel better when we bake. We always blast country music so loud that my ears literally blow up! Especially when the blender is on! I love country music, so I don’t really care! Making the dough has always been one of my favorite parts, especially if I’m making sugar cookies. I love to roll out the dough and smash the thickness of the dough together. I like to make the dough look like shapes. Making shapes is always fun because there are so many shapes to make. Once I was rolling out the dough, and it looked like a real cursive E. I said “Look my dough knows my name.” I was so surprised at the dough. It was really surprising that the dough was shaped like an E. It has always been funny to me if we all fail. I love to fail. It’s part of baking. Failing is probably one my favorite parts of baking. I always laugh so hard when I fail. Lots of times I fall on the ground kicking, I laugh so hard. Once my sister and I were making muffins and the oven was on convection. The muffins were totally burnt. At the exact same time my sister and I said, “Epic fail!” We both started laughing at the same time. Everyone loves eating all the treats, right? That’s pretty much all we like to do! Well, we make the treat, but I still love eating the cookie dough. Eating the dough is one of my

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favorite parts of baking. My favorite treat to make is probably layer bars and chocolate chip cookies with ice cream in the middle of the cookie. I love when the gooey chocolate melts in your mouth. Baking is one of my favorite things to do. I can really tell that I love baking. I know I love baking! So I hope you love baking, too!

Where I’m From

Christopher Neill November, Grade 4

I am from a golden retriever, ride-a-bike-to-the-lake neighborhood; from leaf piles, the charcoal kettle barbeque, spy equipment, pencils, paint, family football games; from the vegetable garden that produced the second largest zucchini in the world. I am from the white Tudor house with brown half-timbering and huge U-shaped driveway great for laps on my bike; from the deep ravine, two hundred feet down, exploring, treasure and rock hunting, hiding, hiking through the mud to Lake Michigan. From the yard with trees for climbing and thinking. I am from the cozy library filled with history, art, architecture books, and every single Bill Peet book. I am from cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, my sassy sister’s gingerbread house made from scratch; from family dinners, reading by the fire, and knock-down, drag-out monopoly games; from Lukchis and Harrison and Randolph and Stoever. I am from a no-video game house but “I Love Lucy” episodes committed to memory. I am from a mother not letting us have any pets except fishes names Carolyn Applebee and Fred Mertz. From the attic stuffed with father’s car book collection, with 50,000 car brochures, and my mother’s ball gown collection. I am from stories of the moon and meteorites, of the tales of the Buick Roadmaster barreling down the Mississippi highways. I am from made-up dragons and knights. I am from deep down happiness and spirituality, living by the Golden Rule. From honesty, compassion, knowledge, friendship, and laughter. I am from California and from the 1613 land gift in Virginia by King James I of England. From New Orleans, the “Who Dat Nation” of the Superbowl XLIII Champion Saints. From red beans and rice, fried chicken, from shrimp po’ boys and Ferdie’s Specials, oozing with debris.

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From ancestral portraits of Lulie, my great, great, great grandmother in a blue dress, looking surprisingly like my father’s sister, and of Uncle Jim in Civil War-era garb who oversees our candlelit family dinners.

The Special Sea Horse

Ellen Roloson February, Grade 3

Sea horses live in tropical waters throughout the world, and they have adapted to this environment in many ways. Three ways they have adapted to their sea environment are with their eyes, their tails, and their color-changing ability. A sea horse’s eyes can move in two different directions, and they do not get dizzy. They can see where they have come from and can see where they are going. Unlike us, sea horses have really good vision at night. We see better in the day, not at night. Sea horses can see colors in the water as well and their eyes don’t get blurry. Their eyesight is an adaptation that helps them survive in their ocean environment. Another adaptation a sea horse has is its prehensile tail. Sea horses need prehensile tails because they do not swim well. Big waves can sweep them away. Their tail allows them to cling to and grip coral and plants. A tail is very important to a sea horse. Sea horses are slow swimmers, so they can’t swim away from predators. An adaptation they have to stay safe is to change colors and camouflage. They can curl up along a coral and match the color or they can be mistaken for seaweed. Few predators would ever guess a sea horse was there, even if they are looking right at it. Changing colors is an adaptation to keep them safe. I was invited to go snorkeling in the ocean last summer. I saw sea horses that were different colors and sizes. I am glad their adaptations of mobile eyes, a prehensile tail, and the ability to change colors allow them to survive. Sea horses are truly special.

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I Learned to Think Twice Before I Eat Candy

Daisy Connery

November, Grade 3 So here’s how it happened: Sydney, Lily’s best friend, was over and we were playing downstairs. I suddenly had a craving for candy. So I snuck upstairs for some. I found my favorite candy in the pantry. I quickly unwrapped it and popped it in my mouth. I ran back downstairs. I was doing a trick with the candy in my mouth, and I showed it to everyone. I started walking when Lily pounced on me. I tried to wiggle out but had little success. Lily started to scream, “Give me the candy! Give me the candy!” By now, the candy was crunched up and in my stomach. What was I to do? I was panicked. Lily covered my face with her hands but left my nose uncovered so I could breathe a little bit. Her hot breath steamed in my lungs. I was thinking, “Will I live?” Suddenly I thought up other times when she was on top of me. First, I started with my legs. Wiggling was a little sign to show I would fight. I tried to kick her but with her weight on me, I couldn’t do it. I had used most of my leg muscle and decided to stop trying my legs. I started screaming at the top of my lungs. Her hands were shielding my mouth, keeping any sound from escaping. I used my belly muscles while trying to force my body to sit up. It did not work. I tried to lift my arms to fight her off, but when she saw what I was doing she let go of my mouth and forced my arms down. Meanwhile, the others were scared to go tell on Lily. I knew they were scared. Lily would do the same thing to them if they told on her. Now with Lily’s hands on my wrists I could scream for help. I yelled, “Help me! Help me!” But I couldn’t yell that much because I didn’t have normal air in my lungs. My mom ran downstairs because of how worried she was. Soon the commotion was over, and Sydney went home. My mom had wrestled Lily off me, and Lily got in lots of trouble because she hurt me. My mom got me a glass of water, and we all went to bed.

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Self-Portrait Painting Annabel Kriger, Grade 1

Sumi-e Painting Aryana Farimani, Grade 6

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Going to New York City

Constantine Alexos December, Grade 3

I was waiting patiently in bed. It was dark—very dark. My window was open. It was cold. I was alone in the dark with my brother. I was awake. I could hear my parents murmuring outside my bedroom. I was waiting for the time to come—the time to go to New York City. I focused my eyes on the door. I waited impatiently. I waited some more. Then, finally my dad came into the bedroom. I was so excited! My dad turned on the light. He told me to get dressed. I got out of bed. I got on my pants, shirt, and sweater. I ran out of my room, raced down the hall as fast as I could, then down the stairs. I met my mom at the kitchen, and she said to put the paper and pencil that was on the table into the bag. I got my coat and shoes. I kissed my mom and said bye. I got into the car to go to New York City. I was hoping that it would not rain because my dad had said that it could rain. I was going to Central Park, and it was outside. I was so excited to be going to New York City.

Riding

Cameron Wacker January, Grade 3

Every Saturday I have to go riding at 9:30 a.m. I wouldn’t want to go to riding, but once I get there I have a good time. I love going jumping, cantering, and there is stuff that is funny. Riding is a lot of fun! Jumping is very scary, but incredibly fun. Jumping over low jumps and your horse jumping over it super high is the only scary thing to me. I should remember to pay attention, even if the jump is super tiny. Holding onto the mane of the horse is very important. I hold on as tight as I can, so I don’t fly off. Putting my heels down is not that fun, but just as important as holding the mane. My riding instructor would always shout, “Put your heels down right now!” My heart sinks out of place, and I constantly get the chills. It is an uncomfortable feeling to me. Once I was going toward a jump, and my hands were firmly holding onto the mane. I got to the jump. My horse jumped over super quickly. I happened to not have my heels down, so I wobbled around and fell onto the mane of the horse. I hate when that happens. After it happens my teacher yells in a very firm voice, “Jam those heels down this instant!” and, “You know ten times better than this. I know you do.”

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Funny things happen all the time throughout riding. Every single time I go jumping over poles, my horse ignores the pole. Then he stops, turns around, and walks in a totally different direction than every other horse. That is when my riding instructor gets all worked up. He knows I know to tug my reins to get my horse to stop trying to turn around, but Sparky is just trying to move a different way. So I let him. Every single time at the end of my riding lesson, my horse turns around and nibbles on my foot. I think my horse has a good sense of humor. I know he is so excited to get a treat. Whenever I ask my horse a question, he would answer it. For example, I once asked him if my teacher is a good teacher. He shook his head, but he probably didn’t know what I was talking about. Cantering is the most fantastic thing ever! Cantering is close to a gallop, but a little bit slower. I am not allowed to do a gallop. I go as fast as I want to. When I go as fast as I can around the ring, my horse feels free and starts bucking. I never notice though. My teacher tells me. I go cantering all the time. It’s so much fun. Once I give my horse a light kick, and he knew I wanted to canter. He bolted as fast as he could. That was amazing! I never thought he would try to go fast unless I kick him as hard as I could. I love to go jumping and cantering. I even like to hear and be involved in funny stuff. I may act like riding is the worst thing ever, but I know in my heart it is a wonderful activity!

Galileo

Calvin Osborne February, Grade 3

“We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.” Galileo was a physicist who worked in Italy in the 1500s. In Florence, Italy, Galileo was born on February 15, 1564. Galileo got married to Maria Gamba. They had one daughter, Virginia. Virginia died on January 15, 1642, and Galileo went blind soon after. This scientist was independent, intelligent, and determined. Galileo was very independent. In the book Galileo by Robert S. Doak, the author says that no one believed the things Galileo believed. For example, Galileo said that the planets revolved around the sun. For believing this, he was sent to jail, and after he was released he was put on house arrest. This astrophysicist even got into trouble with his experiments. He did an experiment about dropping two balls of different weights but the same size. The balls fell at the same time; something that went against what the church believed. Galileo was an independent thinker.

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Galileo was very intelligent. He made many copies of a telescope. He also made the compass and the thermometer. This scientist wrote many books, some of which were Astronomical and Philosophical Balance and The Starry Messenger. Galileo was a very intelligent man. Galileo was very determined. He had to find proof that the planets revolved around the sun. Even with a telescope, it took a long time. His books went against the church, so they were forbidden to be read until they were checked by an official. He kept on writing even after he was thrown into jail for not having someone check his work. Galileo was very determined. Galileo should be remembered for his proof of the discovery that the planets revolve around the sun. He needed to make inventions and go against the church to do this. His intelligence, independence, and his determination gave him the power to do this.

A Visit to the Zoo

Brooks Osborne October , Grade 3

I loved my visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo. First, we saw the sea lion feeding. The girl was throwing fish to the sea lion. The sea lion jumped to the fish and reached his head down to eat the fish. The girl used a pointer to attract the sea lion. All she had to do was hit it on fake ice. Sometimes she threw the fish into the water. The sea lion hopped into the water and used his four little fins on his tail to swim to the fish and eat it. After the sea lions we went to the jungle gym. It looked so high I think it would be ten of me on top of each other! I looked at how wide it was. It was so wide I think it would be seven of me lying down! The most fun thing I did on the jungle gym was to find dead ends and rest there. I did it because it was very crowded, and I needed a place to rest after I got pushed around. Next we saw my favorite animal, the hippo. (It looked so big and soft). It was lying down on a rock. It almost looked like it was sleeping, but I think it was resting. It also looked so smooth like it would have no ticks. I think I could just rub my hand on it and feel no bumps. Finally, after the hippos, we went to an Africa place. I first saw a very scary animal. The very scary animal was a poison spider. I thought it would jump on me and poison me, but

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it stayed there. The poison spider had a skull on its belly. Next we saw a gross animal. Cockroaches! Its exhibit had a bunch of skulls, dead things, and blood. After the cockroaches we saw meerkats. I loved how they just stood on two legs and pat their other two paws on its chest. We saw two meerkats in a food bowl and they were fighting. I loved to see all of the animals I’ve never seen. I love the zoo!

Duke

Brooke Theis December, Grade 3

The most exciting day came. It was Christmas morning. My heart was beating. I wished for Christmas really badly that I would get a homeless kitten. I pulled off the covers and ran out of my room. I stopped when I saw the top step. Thump! Thump! That was my sister’s footsteps. They stopped at the top step with me because we all knew we were not allowed to go downstairs. The noise of excitement was very loud, when we all heard a clear, happy voice say, “You can go downstairs, girls!” With a big smile on our faces, we pushed each other to the shiny railing. We go downstairs and turned, and there we saw hundreds of colorful presents! I jumped into a pile of the presents when my sister tapped me. “Brooke, Brooke!” she said. I turned around, and there I saw a small, adorable baby kitten! I screamed. I was so happy! My family gathered around me. He was so tiny and small. He was in a soft, purple cage. There on the Velcro straps was a tag. It said on the tag that his name was “Duke.” Duke’s birthday was October 1. My mom sat right next to me and opened up the cage. Her hand petted Duke in the cage. Then my mom picked Duke up. Mom put Duke to her shoulder and gave him a kiss. “Mom, can I hold Duke?” my sister Kenleigh asked. “Sure,” answered my mom, “But we should take him to the back bedroom because he is too small to be wandering around the whole house.” “Okay,” Kenleigh said. So we stepped onto the carpet and walked through the hallway. Then we came up to the two doors and opened them up, and we were there. Then Kenleigh sat down and took Duke from Mom’s hands and put Duke on her legs. Kenleigh stroked Duke’s soft, cozy,

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and new fur, and we all heard a soft sound. It was coming from Duke. Duke was purring. I set my hand to Duke’s face, and I felt something that felt like wet kisses on my finger. He looked really happy. I don’t know how Santa knew that Duke was the perfect cat for us. I will always love Duke, and I hope he loves me.

March Madness

Brody Grasher January, Grade 3

March Madness is the best sporting event of the whole year; it is a basketball tournament! This basketball tournament is the one every college team wants to play in at the end of the season in March. It is fun for fans to watch, root for teams, and fill out a bracket. It is fun to watch your favorite team. One year, my favorite team went to the finals. University of Illinois is my favorite team. They were very good that year. They had Darrin Williams and Dee Brown. They were two of the greatest players in Illini history. My dad went to that game in St. Louis and had fun even though they lost. I felt very bad. They had such a great season. It was fun to watch my favorite team even though they lost. March Madness is a time when you can root for many different teams other than your favorite. Nebraska is another team to watch and the underdogs, too. The Butler Bulldogs were not ranked high at all; a few years ago they went to the championship game in Indianapolis. It was fun to see them do so well and almost win it all. I really thought they would win. The best part of March Madness is filling out the bracket and that means you need to think who will win. You keep score after every game, round by round. Last year, I lost by a point when the games were all done. I have filled out my own brackets since I was in kindergarten. I encourage you to watch March Madness. All you need to do is pick up a remote and a piece of paper to fill out you bracket and watch TV. Don’t forget to root for your favorite team. March Madness is the best sport. I love to fill out a bracket. I like rooting for my favorite teams and rooting for underdogs.

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Mozart

Brendan Murphy February, Grade 3

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born January 27, 1756, and died December 4, 1791. His mom was Anna, and his dad was Leopold. He had a sister named Nanerel. When Mozart was young, he was nicknamed Wolfie. Wolfie became a very famous composer of operas and symphonies. Mozart was hardworking, talented, and fashionable. Wolfgang was hardworking. When people lost interest in his work, he changed his focus and made three symphonies in three months. The book Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Yona McDonough gave this fact and many more. Wolfgang also worked all day and night when composing. Mozart was a very hardworking man. Mozart was talented. He composed his first symphony when he was five years old. He let Nanerel, his sister, copy it. He learned to play the clavier all by himself. His sister inspired him. He made three famous operas. One was a very famous one called the Marriage of Figaro. Mozart was a very talented musician. Mozart was very fashionable. He dressed fancy every day. Once he had tried on fancy clothes, he never wore non-fancy clothes ever again. He spent all his money on fancy clothes and parties. He died poor because he spent all his money. However, every concert he had the same outfit. He only wore a long, grey coat, down to his ankles, a vest, and a huge red coat. He had a very fashionable life. Mozart should be remembered for all his very famous operas and symphonies and that he made forty symphonies and three operas. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was very hardworking, talented and fashionable.

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The Super Sea Star

Blair Flavin February, Grade 3

Imagine you are a little animal, and you are at the bottom of the sea and you’re stuck there. You can’t swim, and you’re really slow. Luckily, your life isn’t like that. That is a sea star’s life. It’s hard, but they have adapted in many ways to their environment in order to survive. Three ways a starfish adapts to their environment are: they grow back arms if they lose one; they can consume shellfish; and surprisingly they can move. One adaptation a sea star has is growing back its legs. When they lose a leg, they grow it right back. Three possible ways a sea star can lose a leg are an animal biting it off, old age, or a rock falling on it. Sea stars are unlike people because when people lose an arm or leg, it’s gone forever. But when star fish lose an arm, it only takes about a year to grow back. A sea star uses its arm to open shellfish. A sea star also uses its arms to keep safe. Another adaptation a sea star has is consuming shellfish. Consuming shellfish can also mean eating shellfish. Shellfish include animals like oysters, clams, scallops, snails, anemones, sea urchins, and shrimp. They eat shellfish like an octopus does. They put their suckers around it and then pry it open to eat it. The last adaptation is very unusual. Surprisingly a sea star can move. Most people probably don’t know because a sea star moves very slowly. A sea star can only move six inches per minute. A sea star moves in a very unique way. It digs its arms into the sand then it takes them out so it basically crawls. Most people think a sea star stays in one place its whole life but that is not true. A sea star can move. Sea stars are very unique animals. Many people do not know much about them. Some people think they’re a big shell shaped like a star. Don’t think a sea star is just a thing that sits at the bottom of the sea, because it isn’t. It can eat. It can move. A sea star is a real animal.

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Koalas

Betsy Regan February, Grade 3

Did you know that there are over 80,000 koalas in Australia today? However, people are cutting down their food supply. Koalas have special adaptations to help them live their unusual life in the eucalyptus-filled forests. The koalas’ sense of smell, coloring, and their fingers are three special adaptations they have. One adaptation the koala has is their sense of smell. Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves. However, not all eucalyptus leaves are healthy. Some of the eucalyptus leaves are poisonous. Koalas have to smell the leaves to tell if they are poisonous or not. The koala’s sense of smell is an important adaptation for them to have to survive. Another adaptation the koala has is its coloring. The koala has a different color of fur in different areas. In the north, they have light gray fur with white ears, arms, and chests. In the south, they have dark gray fur with white ears, arms, and chests. Koalas have different color fur to hide from predators. The color of their fur will camouflage them in their surroundings. The last adaptation is the way they use their fingers. They have two thumbs to help them climb trees. These two thumbs have rough bottoms to help them grip the trees as they climb. The other fingers are fused together to help them groom. They are used like a hairbrush or a comb. The koala’s fingers are a very important adaptation to help them live. Koalas need their forests to survive. They need all the help they can get. So people need to stop cutting down eucalyptus trees. Even if their adaptations can help them survive, they need people to save the forests so they can stay alive.

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George Washington

Asher Sklarov February, Grade 3

“I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man,” said George Washington. He was the best president in United States history. On February 22, 1732, in the Virginia Colony, George Washington was born. His parents were Mary and Gus, and he had one notable sibling, a halfbrother named Lawrence. George took fencing lessons, and the army appealed to him. George loved the outdoors. He was quick at math. Inspired to join the army, George Washington became an officer of the British Army and fought in the French and Indian war and then fought against England during the American Revolution. He led them to victory. He was so respected; he became the first President of the United States. George Washington was smart, brave, and angry. In the book Who Was George Washington by Roberta Edwards, she talks about George Washington’s life. George was a smart person. He was very good at math. All the answers came like a snap to him. When George led the army, he was smart enough to think of creative surprise attacks. Once, he planned a surprise attack near Princeton. He believed short, surprising attacks against the enemy were better than huge battles. Since George Washington was very smart, he became the first President of the United States and set the standard that all presidents still follow today. George Washington was brave. When George was a young soldier, he was sent to warn the French that they should leave their forts in the Ohio River Valley. The French did not listen to him and stayed. He went through a thousand miles of wilderness, crossed mountain ranges, and fell into an icy river. However, he made it home safely and was promoted for his bravery. He was also brave when he and his men were attacked by the French and the Native Americans. He was a great leader and knew he had to surrender. He was honored again for his leadership and bravery. When George led the army, he had eight thousand men and less than three thousand were healthy enough to fight against the British. George Washington decided to fight. George Washington was an angry person. His parents did not have enough money to send him to England for school, so George could not see new stuff. He did not have enough money to buy ammunition, food, or clothes for his soldiers. George Washington did not pay his soldiers for months at a time. He wanted to retire because he was getting older, and he was in pain. However, Thomas Jefferson and others wanted George to continue to be the President for four more years, but George Washington wanted to leave

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the President’s place. George Washington became the first President of the United States on April 14, 1789. He was also known as the best horseman in Virginia. George Washington led his army even though his soldiers were uneducated, poor, young, and not experienced soldiers. George Washington should be remembered for being the first President of the United States of America.

George’s Marvelous Medicine

Colin Pickens January , Grade 4

How odd it must be to have a giant grandma. George’s grandma is cruel and almost evil, but only when she and George are alone. Every day at eleven, she takes medicine that looks vile. Until one day George decides to do something about it. He takes makeup, oil, paint, and even things from the forbidden medicine room. He then tossed them into the pot and stirred it and out of it arose some blue smoke. Then at eleven he gave it to Grandma, and freaky things happened. Suddenly she got bigger and bigger and went through the roof. Mr. and Mrs. Kranky were shocked, and they had to use a crane to pull her out. During so, Mr. Kranky hatched a plan. George’s Marvelous Medicine was suspenseful. I was very impatient in the first seven chapters waiting for Grandma to take the medicine. I think George changed because George was afraid of Grandma; then he did something about it. It was descriptive when the author wrote, “The old girl’s head went through the ceiling as though it was butter.” I connected with George because I make potions too with stuff in my bathroom. I researched Roald Dahl, and I found out (warning: gross) he almost lost a nose in a car crash. I hope you will love this book as much as I do. I believe lots of people will like, if not love, this book. In a one to five rating, I’d rate it a five. This book is for people who like good-sized, easy-to-read, and all around wonderful stories. George’s Marvelous Medicine may be short but worth reading again and again.

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Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; What a Life

Allie Patenaude Grade 8

They whipped the backs of young and old And I kept my obedience, scared to have more bloody cuts of my own. I kept picking the cotton in the hot field And when the guards were not watching or were far enough away we sung our native songs. They counted on us to pick fast and well. Forty million bales a year. I heard master say, The South was wealthy because of cotton. Now one of the top countries, And if they lost us they would lose everything. I was jealous of the urban slaves that were in the cities. More freedom, No harsh labor, And not always watched by their owner. The free slaves were known to be dangerous, but I disagreed. In the South they could not own guns, Have free travel, And we had restricted jobs. This was known to be their country and not ours. The discrimination was never able to be avoided. I could not think about the others, I had to focus on my survival. Since I was six I knew I would work until my death, From dawn to dusk. But still they worked us in the cold crispy night Carrying water, Feeding pigs, Shucking corn, And cleaning the cotton. The quarters were suffocating with all the people, None legally related to me.

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We hid the broom for marriages. And we taught the young the four rules; Silence around whites, Obedience, Respect of Elders, And pride and kindness to your kind. They gave us a scarce amount of corn meal and clothes. And we tried to survive in the cold cabins and not get sick. But when we did get ill the doctor came quickly so we could go back to work. Some of my friends rebelled by hitting their master when he punched them Or poisoning their food. I was the quiet one who destroyed the fences and tools. I saw others pretend to be sick and get out of work. Some slaves even acted crazy and too clumsy so they would not be put to hard labor. I knew some slaves in my quarters that ran for their freedom. They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what either their reward or consequence would be. I was in shock when I heard the news of Nat Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rebellion. I was not surprised about the uprising, But the fact that fifty-one people were killed was appalling. On Saturday nights and Sundays I was happy to have a break. Saturday we had our social events and quilting bees that sooner or later turned into quilting feasts. Sunday they told us when we practice our religion that God wants us to obey our master In my mind this was a lie. The invisible churches were pleasing and fun to me. I knew religion was supposed to help us get out of our troubles, So I prayed and listen to the preacher. Our culture will never be lost. We sing, Dance, Tell stories, And make art. Each represents our hope and desire to be free and have new and better days.

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If Wishes Came True

Sophia Varones January, Grade 3

If wishes came true, and I got three wishes, I would wish one wish for myself; one wish for the world; and one wish for others, like my family or the sick and the poor. My first wish would be for myself. I want a new room—a different one. I want it to be painted light blue with multicolored peace signs to match my bed comforter. I also want new furniture in my room—and maybe even a T.V. in my room, but my mom says I can’t have one. I hope she changes her mind. For my second wish, I want it to be for the world. I want no more littering and no more jail. And for just one week, I want everybody from all over the world to clean up the streets, the houses, and the world! For my third and last wish, it would be for others, and what I mean by others is the sick, my family, and the poor. For everyone, I want all the money they can have, and for the poor, more money than they can fit in their new wallet that they just bought. And for the sick, I want a cure for everything. For my family—well, we already have everything we need, but the thing we need the most is to get rid of all our stuff! If I could have these three wishes, I would be the happiest girl in the world. Now let’s go find me a genie!

My Trip to the Zoo

Mimi Osborne October, Grade 2

I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I saw a jaguar. I was big. I also saw a walking stick. It looked like a stick that was walking. We wanted to see the parakeet. A parakeet is a bird that sometimes copies what you say. It only copies you if you train it. I saw a kookaburra. A kookaburra is a bird that flies. It can make the puppy dog pout. So cute! I saw a dromedary camel. I also saw a dolphin. The last thing I saw was the anteater. Then it was time to go; I felt sad. I will miss the zoo.

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John Jackson Looks for Land

Katie Schilling April, Grade 3

John Jackson was the best swimmer in all the state of California. He could swim across the San Francisco Bay faster than you could say Mississippi. He was a big man. When he was born he was three feet tall. John was very active. The minute he was born he jumped right up and ran right into the ocean to ride a dolphin. One day John was going to go swimming, but he was stopped. Standing outside of a horse drawn carriage was Abraham Lincoln. “Hello. How do you do?” he said in a broad voice. “Excuse me?” John replied. “Oh never mind. How would you like to go on an expedition?” Abraham Lincoln asked happily as he looked into John’s bright, blue eyes. “What do you mean by…expedition?” John questioned. He was starting to get bored, and he was getting hot from the big, orange sun beating down on his pale, white skin. “I want you to go find new land for our country.” “Um…I um…I guess I could, but you have to let me practice my swimming,” John commanded. “Alright, go and practice. Why don’t you and I meet here just when the sun wakes up?” Then Abraham Lincoln stepped into his carriage and away he went. John then hopped off like a bunny. The morning of the expedition John woke up and smelled the sweet smell of pancakes from his kitchen. He ate every single one of those pancakes. Then, he put on his longsleeved green shirt and khakis. Next, he went on his five-minute walk to the ocean and began to swim. He swam until he couldn’t swim any longer. He was so tired he decided to call a dolphin to help him. He wrapped his arms around the dolphin and let his legs dangle. The dolphin jumped and while in the air John saw a boat approaching with dark, grey smoke coming out of it. He saw a very pretty young woman standing on the deck of the boat. Then out of nowhere he was kind of lassoed by some rope and lifted out of the water. John didn’t know where he was. Then he heard a deep voice bellow “CHARGE!” Many men appeared with weapons trying to protect their portion of the ocean, but not a single

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one moved until the deep voice was heard again. The voice said, “Tie down!” Next, two young boys came out wobbly as the boat rocked in the waves. Then they tied the rope around John’s body. Finally, John spotted the girl. She looked even more beautiful than she did before, but that didn’t matter now the men were coming back towards him with weapons. John jumped up like a spring, and flipped backwards. That wasn’t easy to do with his arms tied. He grabbed the girl and the two of them dove into the water. John put the girl on the dolphin for safety. Then, he went under the boat and tipped it right over. The girl swam up to him and gave him a big kiss. They swam to shore and got married. He never found any new land for President Lincoln, but he found happiness.

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Emotional Yarn Drawing after Edvard Munch “Angry” Christopher Neill, Grade 4

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Sumi-e Painting Ian Strudwick, Grade 6