The Park School Anthology 2015
Many whose writings and drawings appear here will be surprised to see themselves in print. Still others who have nothing in this anthology will be disappointed. Only a part of what I received could be included, and I regret I had to exclude so much. To select short stories, poems, and drawings for an anthology spanning writers who range from ages three to fifteen is not easy. By the selections which appear here, I have tried to reach for both diversity and excellence. John Shaw Founding Editor Park School Anthology 1966
Faculty Editors: Liga Aldins & LaToya Downing-Peltier Special thanks to: Kate LaPine, Lyn Williams, Kathy Come, Maria Alvarez, and The Technology Department
Heart Girl and Grover marker Cecily Reohr ’21 Grade III
Cecily, the world is truly a better place because of you. We admire your strength and courage and cherish the insurmountable kindness and love you’ve shown everyone at Park. We love you and are so blessed that you are a part of this community!
Cover Artwork Pantone-inspired “Color Quilts” paintings Caroline Beecher ’15, Julia Holton ’15, Simone Sparrow ’15 Grade IX
Dove pencil Mu’izza Barnett ’15 Grade IX
The Park School Anthology 2015 is dedicated to Maria Fleming Alvarez ’81 and Andrea Sparks The Park School community is extremely fortunate to have been graced with the presence of two remarkably talented and caring teachers of language and the arts. Faculty members since 2001, they have both strived to open the minds of children through teaching with passion and professionalism. Together, they have touched the lives of countless children in so many ways, and we are very grateful to them for creating such a rich environment for students to grow and learn. Andrea Sparks, an integral member of Park’s Art Department, is a work of art in her own right. As an active artist herself, she inspires future artists, leading by example and patiently supporting all students. A gifted Spanish teacher, Maria Alvarez has also taken on many leadership roles and professional responsibilities at Park, contributing considerably to the fabric of our school. Andrea Sparks and Maria Alvarez have shared a special partnership from the start. The Park Anthology has benefitted tremendously from their joint efforts to update and refine this valuable publication of student artwork and writing. Together, they also found time to oversee and update the School’s archives. Their help in providing information, photos, and documents about Park’s past history, faculty, and alumni has been invaluable. We are pleased that Andrea Sparks will return this fall after a well-deserved sabbatical, but we are saddened that Maria Alvarez is leaving The Park School. Although their collaborative partnership comes to an end, we know that these two wonderful teachers will continue to make significant contributions for many years to come!
Biscuit crayon Julia Fattaey ’23 Grade I
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Sunrise Dazzling colors sparkle Dancing with the clouds Pictures are being painted by invisible hands Swirling, swimming in thousands of colors Then slowly they get pulled away Turning into the blue morning Tessie Batchelder ’22 Grade II
Street Perspective colored pencil Robin Pinchera ’19 Grade V
Zen Garden wood Bella Fynn-Thompson ’19 Grade V
The Pigeon crayon Timmy Puner ’23 Grade I
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In a Smidget of Dust
All in a smidget of dust, a farmer throwing hay into the barn swish, swish a mayor clearing his sore throat the wonderful view of sunlight, Paperweight the hushed voices of folks of a village handworked molten glass shshshshshsh. Sewina Yu ’15 the sound of rain sprinkling with an astounding soft noise Grade IX pitter, patter. a horse neighing to come inside after a cold long day neigh, neigh. the sound of a grand clock chiming 13 times ding, ding.... the soft high voices of a choir ooooooooooooo. honking migrating geese honk, honk. a bold reporter announcing a soccer game, a whole world waiting to be found, Batman just in a smidget stained glass mosaic of dust Wesley Carty ’15 Ethan Dhadly ’20 Grade IX Grade IV
Ocean Song
Ocean painting Jonathan DeJesus ’15 Grade IX
Waves splash against my feet. The ocean breeze catches my hair and makes the sand dunes whistle. The hot sun on my back feels like fire. Shells click like they’re laughing. Crabs skitter around me, banging rocks making the sound of a drum. The shadows flutter around as if they’re a wild crowd. I run into the water dancing to the ocean song. Annabelle Brennan ’20 Grade IV Waves Waves crashing down on the shore, like a silver thread making curves, shining, sparkling, shimmering. Claire Kang ’20 Grade IV
Sea shell block print Jessica Reed ’17 Grade VII
My Soul colored pencil Jasper Burnes ’18 Grade VI
My soul is a diverse ocean filled with different species Welcoming anyone or anything, and a nurturing home for all of them. Although it contains calm bays and chaotic basins.
Whale and friends block print Lanie Cherry ’17 Grade VII 3
Poem Henry Hochberg ’22 Grade II
Self Portrait (inspired by Picasso) crayon Will Dunn ’24 Kindergarten
Fly Guy crayon William Eielson ’23 Grade I
Red foxes live in forests and woods. They make dens or they live in homes that other animals lived in. Michael Doherty ’24 Kindergarten
Paddle wood Abby Scott ’21 Grade III 4
A Friend I depend on a friend a friend depends on me like a bee depending on pollen in flowers when they leave I am blue like a bear that traveled for honey but none left when they come I am delighted FRIENDS We work together like a team we talk we listen like listening to bees buzz I thought it was a dream friendship like bears with honey friends are a part of my heart Joy, happiness they all come in my home when joy walks out of the room happiness follows I feel blue as a bear without honey I don’t like to play anymore sad. A friend you are to me and others not just a friend blue like family joy, happiness and delighted walk in my cottage what a wonderful day for a walk they say Love, joy, happiness and delightful walk in and say Hello, hello Hello again good good to see you A friend is a friend but now I must say goodbye Sad like a bear with no honey
Ode to Nail Polish Oh nail polish how I love your wondrous colors. I can wear you on my toes or with some bows. On my finger nails but I might just fail for I cannot paint with my left hand to my right.
Caterpillar mixed media Lyra Dvorin ’25 Pre-Kindergarden
SNAP
House watercolor Nora Voldins ’23 Grade I
Snap! A Snapping turtle Slowly poking his head out of the water a snapping turtle. My dad, frozen like a dancer with stage fright Watch out! Watch out for what? Too late. Snap! Topher Batchelder ’22 Grade II
Tree mixed media Matty Jackman ’23 Grade I
Oh nail polish, you can smudge and smear, but I still love you so dear. I can use you to express who I am, or just use you to go with an outfit. Nail polish, once you are freshly painted, you can start to chip and slowly disappear, but then I can start over again. I know cotton pads and remover are your worst nightmare, but to fix a mistake, I just might have to use it. I have so many colors to choose from such as blue, red, or green, or maybe I will just use cream. I can use jewels and glitter or a design. Oh nail polish how I love you!
India Adam ’18 Grade VI 5
Happiness Sweet as honey, smells like perfume Sound of music I hope you like it too Happiness is glorious and glorious it shall be Oh how I love happiness Happiness is a part of me
Lamp mixed media Ambrey Hayes ’17 Grade VII
Alex Sherman ’24 Kindergarten My Soul Is Infinite! My soul is like a… Tricky riddle, Misleading and mischievous, Only giving few clues, But don’t give up, If you solve it, It is guaranteed to be very rewarding! My soul is a… Jackson Pollock painting, Always colorful, Some perceive it As extraordinary, Or dirty, Or holy, Or immature, Or meaningless, Or confusing.
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Amy Baumel ’18 Grade VI
Self Portrait craypas Brianna Cadet ’21 Grade III
I Believe in the Controllables (This I Believe essay) I believe that you should only focus on the things that you can control The boys’ lacrosse team of the Park School was losing at halftime, and our mentality coming off the field was poor. We were astonished by the other team’s superior talent, experience, and size. The scoreboard merely reinforced this fact. Our team had little hope, and due to our large scoring deficit, it looked like we were going to lose this one. Our coach called us over and immediately read our body language. He began his speech by telling us that despite the score and unfair match up, we could still win this game. The key to winning was focusing on the things that only we could control. In doing this, our team could play our best. In the first half we were focusing on things that we could not control such as the other team’s athleticism, which was superior to ours. At that time, I had no idea what our coach meant. We got back onto our field, and all was silent. The dew on the grass had a distinct smell that reminded me of the scent of a grapevine. As I knelt down for the face-off, the smell and the trash talk of my opponent amplified. I ignored his statements and, after the referee’s whistle, won the opening face-off briskly. As our team was moving the ball in the offensive end, my coach’s statement began to sink in. If I focused on only my job on the field, I could do it to the best of my ability. As long as everyone on our team focused on things that were in our control, our team could accomplish our goal of playing at a high level. Therefore, this might lead to a comeback and eventually a win. I believe that this can be applied to everyday life. Things like grudges and anger arise when one dwells on uncontrollable things like things that have happened in the past. When one focuses on the controllables such as things happening in the present, he or she can remain pleased, calm, and jovial. I believe that focusing on only the things that I can control can lead to true happiness. Jealousy, hate, displeasure, and negative emotions cannot be present when one focuses on the here and now. And because of this, this is one of my strongest beliefs. Jonah Johnson ’16 Grade VIII Crocodile paper mâché James Good ’19 Grade V Poem In justspring when the world is mud* The rain comes down like cats and dogs. The sun picks up the last bit of snow. The leaves grow back on the tips of the trees. The flowers pop out of the ground. After the endless winter The sun shifts closer, closer, closer. Spring is on its way. *first line by e.e cummings Will Emery ’20 Grade IV
Self Portrait craypas Payton Bonang ’21 Grade III
Nature tempera Noah Farb ’21 Grade III 7
House Project cardboard Josh Pierce-Gupta ’18 Grade VI Tower mixed media Olivia Oates ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
Opposites You have a brobdingnagian family I have none You are the moon I am the sun but when we meet, there is a click! We make a great solar eclipse! Ivy Rose-McNamee ’20 Grade IV Howling Wolf block print Lucas Caron ’17 Grade VII
House watercolor Julia Seaver ’23 Grade I
Still Life acrylic paint Shelstie Dastinot ’17 Grade VII 8
Still Life pencil Grace Chang ’23 Grade I
Unexpected Gratitude
Corduroy colored pencil Millie Woods ’23 Grade I
Puppy King paper mâché Tess Bierly ’19 Grade V
I believe that one is never too old for a stuffed animal. Admit it, you have that little bear or blanket that traveled with you everywhere you went as a child, that you cried to about your problems as a youth, and that you will pack with you for your journey to wherever life takes you. I know I do, and I am not at all afraid to admit it. As a toddler and a small child, I always carried around my green bunny, Green Bunny, and my yellow blanket, Yellow Blanket. I believe that these two small objects showed me how to care for and never lose anything. They also were my first playmates, my first true friends. When I accidentally forgot these friends at a hotel, my world instantly halted - my heart was ripped out of my chest. I felt despair at their loss and joy at their return. Although I did not realize it at the time, these two seemingly meaningless objects showed me my first glimpse into the world of emotion. Without them, I would never be the caring and compassionate person I am today. As I grew up to be an older kid, my stuffed animal collection grew with me. With all of this growing, both mentally and physically, my problems were bound to grow, too. For me, my stuffed animals were always my little cheerleaders, making me feel better every time I cried on their shoulders about the everyday ups and downs of elementary school life. Their constant bright and optimistic smiles always made me instantaneously feel like I could conquer any obstacle I encountered. I believe that this is a universal quality shared between every stuffed animal and every stuffed animal owner: these creatures are always on your side of a situation, giving you advice through their seemingly blank expressions. Now, as a teenager, I am still not afraid to admit that my room is majorly populated by these beloved stuffed creatures, and that I can never sleep without one. Every night, before kissing me goodnight, my dad flies them from their perch on the rocking chair and into my bed for a trip to dreamland with me. I believe that our society names anyone who performs this simple act of loving and caring for a special friend as babyish, simply because they are too afraid to admit that their own is waiting for them at home. I believe that simply showing gratitude towards our special friends is the best gift we could possibly give to them for all that they have done for us. I plan to take my stuffed animals with me wherever life takes me as a constant reminder of the lessons I have learned from these innocent, loving objects. With these new thoughts, I hope you will go find a little artifact from your childhood and show your gratitude towards it by giving it respect and an honorable place to dwell. Kate Jones ’16 Grade VIII Paddle wood Ben Scemama de Gialluly ’21 Grade III 9
Self Portrait Sculpture plaster Chloe Page ’15 Grade IX Self Portrait craypas Ella Kaufman ’21 Grade III
Snowy Tree tempera Maya Chandra ’23 Grade I 10
Tree I am Still All day, Waiting For blue jays to choose As time goes by Birds’ nests come apart Now empty But still Sticking to my branches For the last six years A girl looks Down out of a window From the top floor at My skinny branches And my skinny old trunk As the wind goes Swishhhhhh I sway in the breeze As the birds fly by, I wave to them I am sad To see them go, but I am Happy When I am still Waiting for the blue jays To choose Annabel Curry ’22 Grade II
Penguins Carter Davidson ’22 Grade II
Tantrum of the Night
The wind began to rock the grass* Palm trees blowing this way and that, The ocean whips at the sand hurling itself against the rocks and crashes and splashes all around through the tantrum of the night
Lamp mixed media Ben Moskowitz ’17 Grade VII
Roofs and shutters cover the ground and form in the sky like a big black cloud through the tantrum of the night Thunder and lightning crack and smash, swirl and sweep away all life through the tantrum of the night Screams and shouts ring and echo through the tantrum of the night The mountains are mad and the water is rush, rush, rushing and the rivers are slush, slush, slushing through the tantrum of the night The sky is shaded out and a black and white movie is in store, a battle of the good and bad, a show of comedies and tragedies runs in theatres all through the tantrum of the night Sparks and flashes of anger and light weave through the strings of the quilt where the bad and good race for power through the tantrum of the night Flowers are knocked off their trees and are crushed by the lapping hungry sea through the tantrum of the night A war has begun through the tantrum of the night.
Bus block print Lev Goldman ’17 Grade VII
* first line by Emily Dickinson Katie Tran ’20 Grade IV
Leaf watercolor Mikoto Matsuzaka ’25 Pre-Kindergarten 11
A Culture is Worth 1000 Lessons When my brother and I were in fourth grade, my parents decided that it would be a good experience for us all to live and learn from a different culture, so that is exactly what we did; we took an adventure. An adventure is when you leave your home and your comfort zone to experience new and different things. I believe that it is important to immerse yourself in a new culture in order to understand the differences around you. Four years ago, in mid-August, we packed up many oversized bags and started on our journey to Mexico. Most people think of Mexico as the country with all the beautiful beaches and crystal clear oceans. Instead of a picture perfect beach resort, we stayed in Guanajuato. 6,600 feet above sea level, Guanajuato is surrounded by many beautiful mountains. As you walk through the cobblestone streets of Guanajuato, your eyes take in all the bright and colorful houses. This city is a very historic town with many sights to see and places to go. Our first day there was a bit hectic, but we soon settled into our new home and began our school life. My brother and I went to a school called Instituto Guanajuato, where all the students were Mexican. We made new friends, learned a lot of Spanish, and studied a ton of Mexican history. For me, learning a new language was very difficult, so I faced countless challenges. When I couldn’t say a word correctly or couldn’t understand the Spanish someone was using, I became very distressed and annoyed. As the year progressed, my Spanish began to improve, and those challenges became a lot easier. Our long year in Mexico soon came to an end, and I wasn’t ready to leave. After living a year of my life speaking a new language, I believe through practice and perseverance you can master a talent. My family and I had a lot of fun exploring and experiencing new foods, different architecture, an entirely new climate, and a completely new eating schedule (which made our timing very disorganized). Long hard days of speaking only in Spanish have helped me to believe that through perseverance and hard work you can perfect anything. Through eating enchiladas and walking through the streets of Mexico, I have acquired the belief that it is important to experience a new culture in order to understand and accept the differences around you. Culture can help you understand so much in the world we live in. Nanneke Nicholas ’16 Grade VIII
Southwest Desert craypas Anna Brenner ’21 Grade III
Southwest Desert craypas Lily Park ’21 Grade III
Alligator Paper mâché Gavin Randolph ’19 Grade V 12
Perogi mixed media Lucia Cook ’22 Grade II
Four Food Groups marker Sophie Lewis ’18 Grade VI
Apple paint Max Haigney ’15 Grade IX
Pear & Pomegranate paint Jonathan DeJesus ’15 Grade IX
Mango paint Caroline Beecher ’15 Grade IX 13
White tailed deer babies are called fawns. The boy deer has antlers that fall off in the winter. Elliz Chara ’24 Kindergarten
Bear paper mâché Lily Weaver ’19 Grade V
House watercolor Julian Fynn-Thompson ’23 Grade I
Clowning Around stained glass mosaic Duncan Lamont ’15 Grade IX 14
Lamp mixed media India Claudy ’17 Grade VII
Butterflies
Butterflies like flowers closing up at night. Back to back B’s, papery shapes, fluttering by, silent as a winter morning. Sucking nectar all day. At night flying to a tree to sleep the night away. Georgia Isaac ’22 Grade II Butterfly Mosaic mixed media Leilah Carruthers ’23 Grade I
From the Soul
Dear Mama and Dada, Please get a kitten, because I have no one to snuggle with.
My soul is like an onion sour at first but sweet on the inside
Mabel Forkner ’24 Kindergarten
My Soul is an angry prisoner waiting to get out of its cage and go
Caillou stained glass mosaic Emmett Hoins ’15 Grade IX Dinosaur mixed media Will Greenhill ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
My soul is a foolish leader spending hours on a plan and not spending 1 minute on execution My soul is an infinity ring doesn’t know where it’s going because it’s still looking for a map Jake DiAdamo ’18 Grade VI 15
Book Character colored pencil Leighton Glass ’22 Grade II
Self Portrait Sculpture plaster Rick Ono ’15 Grade IX
Respect is the Key to Life
Eight years ago, I woke up in the hospital on my mom’s lap. I knew this was the hospital because we were outside of my grandmother’s room. We entered the room with our cousins to greet our grandmother. She was awake at the time. We all asked her if she was feeling okay, or had she eaten yet, and how her day was. When it was my turn, I didn’t ask her anything. Instead, I just went right up to her and held her hands. I held on to her grip, but all of a sudden, she released her grip. I heard a whimper where my parents were standing. I didn’t understand what had happened, but I started to cry. Years later, I found out that she had passed away at that exact moment when I held her hands. We were all sad and heart broken. I am lucky that I got to hold her hands because it is one of those moments people my age never get to witness. Many people never really get to say a final goodbye to their grandmother or other loved ones when they are on their deathbeds. My grandmother had taught me I should respect the elderly, but now, I’m realizing what this actually means. It is not about hierarchy but about honoring your loved ones and giving them respect for all they have done for you and your parents. In my grandmother’s case, when my parents were away, she would come over and take care of me and my brother. She would also cook us some of her delicious noodles and show us some clips of her living in Vietnam. She was someone whom I would ask questions of because she said a lot of wise things to us that I still remember today, like washing your hands before you eat, trusting in your heart, and that there will always be a path to light. When I was young, my parents would always tell me to greet my grandparents and older cousins in a respectful manner. They would remind me to say hello to them, shake their hands, and ask them how their day was and if they had eaten yet. I didn’t know why I had to do this because they never told me what all of this meant. As I grow older, I have started to realize that greeting my older cousins and grandparents shows great respect to them. I remember a saying, RESPECT YOUR ELDERS. My parents are very religious, and we go to our local church once a week every Sunday. Even at church, we shake people’s hands. Now that I’m more mature, I believe that showing respect to my elders can teach the young to do the same. I believe that being respectful to elders is one of the most valuable and important lessons in life. R.I.P Lan Thi Ngo who tried her best to beat cancer (August 4, 2004) Henry Ngo ’16 Grade VIII
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Rainbow mixed media Adeline Coleman ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
Saylor Leerink ’24 Kindergarten
Caterpillar mixed media Kellan Glass ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
Dear Mr. Segar, I am sad and crying my eyes out that you are going. You are the kindest person on the world. You are the tallest person on the world. Thank you for giving me lollipops. By Estelle and I will never forget you. Estelle Lawrence ’24 Kindergarten
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Vermont Balloon Festival stained glass mosaic Zack Taylor ’15 Grade IX
Yellow is wonderful Yellow is beautiful Yellow is like a flower Yellow is like the sun Yellow makes me feel happy Meenu Ballal ’24 Kindergarten
Peacock Feathers paint Simone Sparrow ’15 Grade IX Through the Looking Glass paint Julia Holton ’15 Grade IX
Street Perspective colored pencil Ava Lewis ’19 Grade V 18
How To Play Tennis
History
Winding, winding on in so many different ways. Up and down it goes just like the world also does. Floating, flooding, famous for just as society does, too. Some people are discriminated against, it stops. All the people do it again and forget that it is not right. So just please stop, and think and remember what is right.
You need: Tennis ball, net, racket, two people
Hayden Idson ’20 Grade IV
#1 So you drop the ball on the ground and hit it to the other person.
Bear paper mâché Naya Powell ’19 Grade V
#2 Then the other person hits the ball back to the 1st person.
#3 Then you keep on hitting the ball to each person.
Kaitlyn Doe ’24 Kindergarten
He hisses He listens He mashes and he crashes He consumes He meets dooms He rumbles He grumbles He slashes He clashes The snake wrote this poem, not I. Kiran Joshi ’24 Kindergarten 19
Self Portrait Sculpture plaster Mu’izza Barnett ’15 Grade IX Steady Thrum: A Pantoum
The wolf sprinting, dodging trees, the steady thrum of his paws, leaping over fallen logs, stopping in a warm clearing, meeting his mate to rest and to love his golden and silver pups. The steady thrum of his paws, leaping over fallen logs, catching long-legged rabbits; when he’s back, he’s there to rest and to love his golden and silver pups, as they all snuggle up to each other. Catching long-legged rabbits when he’s back, he’s there to help feed his family and pack; as the leader, he leads. As they all snuggle up to each other night falls, like a heavy black blanket, dotted with stars. He’s there To help feed his family and pack; as the leader, he leads the pack into harmony, sharing their life and feelings. Night falls like a heavy black blanket, dotted with stars. He’s there to thrive, live, and love. Nina Porter ’18 Grade VI
Beautiful View paint Kym Morris ’15 Grade IX 20
YOLO
Self Portrait craypas Miriam Altman ’21 Grade III
I confess. When I said, “that was my brother,” to the popsicle melted on the ground it was me. I confess to skipping stones at the boat while nobody was around. I confess to glueing my sister’s hair together with putty while she was asleep. I confess to the mustache on brother’s face. I confess to the Kirkland Signature airtight food wrap on the toilet seat. I confess to stealing the whole bucket of candy left outside on Halloween when there was a sign that said “take one.” I confess to locking my brother out of his iPad. I confess to hopefully nothing else. David Rome ’18 Grade VI
Poem 53 by e.e. cummings may my heart always be open to little birds who are the secrets of living whatever they sing is better than to know and if men should not hear them men are old may my mind stroll about hungry and fearless and thirsty and supple and even if it’s sunday may i be wrong for whenever men are right they are not young and may myself do nothing usefully and love yourself so more than truly there’s never been quite such a fool who could fail pulling all the sky over him with one smile
My Soul My soul is a peaceful lion with a golden mane A fierce protective animal caring for its cubs A leader among many and not afraid of a fight A peaceful lion with overwhelming might Will Gedney ’18 Grade VI
e.e. cummings has a way of grabbing the bull by the horns and winning. through poetry, he challenged life, which is the largest “bull” of all. each poem leaves me confused, dazed and mildly mesmerized. “may my heart” captures and questions Humanity beautifully. the speaker tells the reader to stay young, to make mistakes, and to love. alongside the images of “little birds” he uses words like “hungry,” “fearless,” and “thirsty” - all of which have powerful and serious connotations which broadcast the contrasts of the important things in life. in the final line, “there’s never been quite such a fool who could fail/ pulling all the sky over him with one smile,” cummings both manages to mock and reassure Humanity. he refers to men as fools - making a cynical commentary on the intelligence we all think we possess - while at the same time he proclaims that although we may be fools, we hold the skies in our smile and the universe in our happiness. he tells me that even the smallest things in life, like a smile, are infinite and no matter how far i think i’ve fallen, by failing i have actually succeeded. he reminds me that there are more important things than being right, than growing up, than being successful. be fearless, be wrong, be happy. Annie DiAdamo ’16 GradeVIII
Lion paper mâché Tanner Creelman ’19 Grade V
Sofia Nogueira Sanca ’18 Grade VI 21
BLAST FROM THE PAST Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy early works of art and writing from our fabulous ninth graders throughout their years at Park!
Loose Tooth
Once when I was driving in my car, I had a really loose tooth, and I would not let my mom touch it. So I was wiggling it and twisting it. We were driving by a parking lot, and my tooth came out! We pulled over and got out and put my tooth in an envelope. I was so proud. Kate Kelly Grade II 2008
Dulcimer mixed media Zack Taylor Grade VII 2013
Drawing marker Simone Sparrow Pre-Kindergarten 2005
Squares blockprint Daniel Baumel Grade VII 2013 22
Puppet mixed media Wesley Carty Grade VI 2012
Crushing Season
Lobster paper mâché Rick Ono Grade V 2011
The gush, rush, and goop that oozes through my toes. In time, the wine, the juice, will be made By hard working feet Squish it once Squish it twice The gush, rush and goop The purple splashy, sploshy soup Of grapes... And grapes alone. Southwest Desert The wine would be made craypas Jonathan DeJesus Mu’izza Barnett Grade III 2009 Grade VII 2013
Self Portrait craypas Duncan Lamont Grade III 2009
Seascape temera paint Sewina Yu Grade VI 2012
My Family marker Jurnee Peltier Pre-Kindergarten 2005
Self Portrait tempera Chloe Page Kindergarten 2006
Chinese Art paint Caroline Beecher Grade VI 2012
Riots of the Family Griot
A tree that grows throughout time, Twisting, turning, and with a wondrous ryhme, With a mango that falls from such a high height. Sit down and listen; the story won’t bite. First came Papa, the first seed starting all. Without him the tree would fall. After him came the next two Which after few grew. Mom and Dad were the next ones, who made me, But this isn’t the end of the family tree. Roots grew within and without. Our family keeps on going, is never in doubt. Today might not be the day. Who said life would be like living alone at the bay. I’ll be like what Papa used to be And be the seed of the mango tree.
Latin Project mixed media Kym Morris Grade VII 2013
Paperweight handblown glass Emmett Hoins Grade IX 2015
Orlando Cruz Grade VI 2012 Drawing marker Julia Holton Pre-Kindergarten 2005
Dragon clay Cameron Cook Grade II 2008
Hard Work (excerpt) Once again, I am out of position and my forehand flies to the fence like a bee to honey. Frustration overcomes me as I walk, discouraged, back to the back fence. All I want to do is smash my racquet into pieces, but I force myself to remain relatively calm. I’m down a set and a double break in a match that I should be winning, and the thought of losing overcomes me. I had lost miserably to someone whom I had beaten countless times before. I solemnly walked to the net, shook his hand, and walked right off the court. My friends attempted to comfort me, but I didn’t hear anything they said. The only thing that really stuck in my head was my dad’s comment. He told me that I had to work hard if I was to succeed in tennis. I thought about what my dad said a lot. I realized that this quote applied to schoolwork, work, athletics and many more activities, and it was a valuable life lesson. I went out to the courts the next morning and played for four hours straight, working hard and starting to feel the tennis ball again. I read a tennis psychology book and started to improve my game mentally. For the next couple months, I learned to control my forehand, strengthened my backhand, improved my footwork, and worked on my serve tirelessly and overall worked very hard. The sweat, pain and hard work all began to pay off, and I began to improve and get myself back on track. Max Haigney Grade VII 2013 23
Self Portrait Sculpture clay Jurnee Peltier ’15 Grade IX
Poetry Anthology Cover mixed media Sophie Collins Arroyo ’16 Grade VIII
Lamp mixed media Jake Gershberg ’17 Grade VII
Snowman mixed media Jack Oates ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
Winter Dreams stained glass mosaic Kate Kelly ’15 Grade IX 24
Self Portrait Sculpture clay Orlando Cruz ’15 Grade IX
Linda’s Lap Sorrow, sweet sorrow No more impact on me Dance away, sorrow, dance away Sorrow, oh sorrow Your job is done Nature’s area of trees and trunks Frost and froth And lots of MOSS Nature, Mother’s gift Mother, Nature’s gift I’ve seen Heaven Down on earth My soul was filled with solemn sorrow My heart broke My mind sad Wishing for the one who fully understood ME My dead aunt Auntie Linda My teacher said, “Go for a walk” But what he didn’t know was the spot I desired Was far off into the woods It was glorious. I don’t know if I can put it into words There were rocks waiting to be climbed A river waiting to be crossed I walked across the world The ocean didn’t bother me No tsunami came over me I jumped over the Atlantic Ocean with ease I found a tree to rest my head I sang a song inside my head Then I went to bed I gazed at the glory. To the sound of the seven seas I looked in awe and embraced the glory Of the brook, the wonderful trees, the rocks showing the way, trees past their prime, And hidden nature about to rise, and love sprouting, blooming, and rising to joy But never decaying And I saw my Auntie Linda Embraced by the nature Embracing Auntie Linda And guess what sorrow, all my sorrow S lipped away.
Marty Faling ’19 Grade V
Painting dye and marker Eden Wilkinson ’22 Grade II Pushing Through Pain (This I Believe essay excerpt) “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
In life there are things that have knocked me down. There are times when I wanted to give up. These are the times when I desperately needed something, anything, to lift me back on my feet. The quote by Mr. King reminds me that I am strong, I am tenacious, I am enduring, and I am able and must push through the pain. When I was in fifth grade, I came across a moment when I had no choice but to push on and continue through the pain. Every Saturday morning, my family would sit together and eat cereal while watching my favorite cartoon. These moments were the ones I loved: spending time with the people I love, the people who are most important to me. This morning was different. There was no laughing, no cartoons, no cereal; there was only sadness. There was important news, and I was waiting patiently to hear from the two people I look up to the most, my parents. My parents looked me in the eyes. I saw the look of sadness on my mother’s face and the disappointment in my father’s eyes. My mother looked at my father, waiting for him to speak. I had never seen either one of them like this. It was as if they couldn’t look me in the eyes and tell me how they felt. It was as if they felt that they had let me down. My parents were going to split up. After what felt like an eternity, I knew. I wanted to run; I wanted to hide somewhere where I couldn’t be found; I wanted to quit. Words like the ones my parents delivered were like a dagger splitting through my heart, and sadly, it was out of my control. I was defenseless, and I soon knew what I had to accept. In this moment when I had to push through and move forward, I had to demonstrate toughness, grit and perseverance in ways I could never imagine myself doing. If I were to have given up when I was faced with this challenge, I don’t know where I would be in life. I realize that this experience has helped sculpt me into who I am now.
I have learned that everyone goes through different types of pain. Everyone pushes through in different ways. There is no one in the world without pain. There is also no one who hasn’t had to push through. This is why the world is amazing. If there were no pain, if everyone didn’t have something that hurt them, that made them want to give up, where would we be? People would not know what it feels like to struggle, to fall down, to be stopped. They would also not know know what it feels like to succeed, to get back up and to be unstoppable. Caleb King Coleman ’16 Grade VIII
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Q-Tip Design paper Elliz Chara ’24 Kindergarten
Starry Night (inspired by Van Gogh) tempera Charlie Winder ’24 Kindergarten
My Favorite Place My favorite place is a clearing around my house up in New Hampshire. It is a small clearing with tall oak and maple trees in the forest around it. My house is in the middle of the clearing; my house is white as snow with a black roof and black trim. Next to my house is a pond, and at the edge of the clearing is an old well. In winter time the clearing around my New Hampshire house is turned into a winter wonderland. The trees become bare and leafless so all that is left are their trunks, which are grayish-brown, like tombstones. New Hamshire gets so cold that the pond freezes over. There is snow everywhere, on the freezing, hard ground, on the frozen lake, on the tombstone-colored trees, and even on the top of my house, making my house look like a well-constructed igloo. It is always quiet in the cold, cloudy winter time. Then, in the spring, everything starts to melt. The snow disappears, and the pond unfreezes. The trees stop looking like tombstones, and all of the leaves come back. Grass starts growing out of the ground, and flowers bloom everywhere. The clearing becomes so much greener, and the sky is always the most beautiful shade of blue. The land around the pond is like a flower field. Best of all is the fact that the birds are chirping and tweeting away. The spring is a wonderful time of year. The summer is a lot like the spring, except all the flowers are gone. The sky is even prettier than in the spring, and the pond is warm enough to swim in. Now, instead of having birds chirping, there are frogs in the pond ribbiting away. During autumn, the trees are the things that change the most from summer. The green leaves on the trees turn wonderful shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Everything becomes a little less green and a little more colorful. The only sound you hear in autumn is the wind. Autum is the most beautiful season of the year. The clearing around my house changes how it looks depending on the time of year. It can also change what it looks like depending on the time of day. At night, the sky is so dark that it seems blacker than black, and the stars are so bright like a million suns in the sky, probably because they are. Everything becomes darker. There is a stillness in the air that is very nice. That is why the clearing around my house is my favorite place. Lulu Pierce ’19 Grade V
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Everyone Should Take An Acting Class (excerpt) Everyone should take an acting class because it’s good for your body. You might be wondering why moving your body is good for you. Moving your body is good exercise. Don’t you feel better after you exercise? If you don’t exercise you won’t grow big and strong. In acting class you move your body all the time. You always do lots of warm-ups to get your body used to moving. In plays you move your body all the time. Once I was in a play about three girls who dreamed they met Santa Claus. There was lots of moving around. We would walk, jump, throw stuff, and more. We walked all over the stage; we jumped off the stage; and we threw balls! There was no sitting down. Everyone had a “moving” part. It also helps with your emotions. Controlling your emotions is difficult. It’s very, very hard. In acting classes, it’s easier to control your emotions. Why? Well, when you act, there’s nothing to keep inside of you. When I act, I feel free! Once, I did this game that was supposed to help with your emotions. When it was your turn, you were supposed to share your emotions with the whole acting class. When I shared, it made me feel a lot better. I felt like I was squeezing my stomach really hard, and I let it go and felt lighter.
Bench wood Kata Khakali ’18 Grade VI
Helping the Earth mixed media Wyatt Dinwoodey ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
Acting class also helps you to make friends. I have made lots of friends. One summer, in a one week acting class, I didn’t know anybody there, but at the end, I had so many friends. Once, I was doing an activiy in acting class, and we all needed a partner. I was with a girl a little older than me. She was really nice and we became great friends. As you can see I made lots of friends in acting classes. You can, too! I hope I’ve convinced you. I hope you know that acting classes are good for your body, good for your emotions and good for making friends. You can make a difference in your mood. So, join an acting class today! Taya Puner ’21 Grade III
I can help by turning off lights Love, Wyatt Mask (inspired by Romeo and Juliet) tempera Chloe Lelon ’16 Grade VIII
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Sixth Grade Sixth grade - the calm before the storm; the last resting place before the journey into the deep abyss; the shovel with which you are to dig a hole for six years. Sixth grade - at the precipice of lower and upper school. A year which may not seem nerve-wracking in hindsight but was hard with Mr. Smith. Mr Smith - giver of five paragraph essays for a light night of homework, two on the weekend. So why, on that Sunday in March, of a weekend when I was interested in doing nothing whatsoever, did my parents want to ditch me with their friend’s annoying four year old daughter, Lana. My parents sprung the news on me on Saturday night, “Simon, by the way, you need to babysit Lana while your father and I go out with Ana and Taylor. You remember Lana, right? She always has so much fun with you!” So, on Saturday night, just before I went to sleep, I came up with a plan. On Sunday, I woke up early and crept stealthily to the computer across the hall. Once there, I opened up a blank Word document and began to write. I wrote two essays, one entitled “I DON’T WANNA BABYSIT!” and the other entitled “I Do Not Want To Babysit.” The first was in all capital letters and was basically me screaming at my parents about how I didn’t want to go; it demonstrated the argument that I could be making but was not: the yelling and screaming argument. The second title demonstrated how I was being civil and kindly requesting that I be excused from babysitting. My parents decided that because I went through the effort, I would not have to go, and I was relieved! In hindsight, I wish that I had gone and asked for money or some other kind of reward, but all in all, I am glad that I did what I did. Simon Grossman ’17 Grade VII
Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair (excerpt response to Macbeth theme)
Batik painting tempera Maisie Brigham ’18 Grade VI
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I have lived in two houses; in 2010 my family moved houses. The first and the second house were only a couple blocks away from each other, but I was in second grade, age seven, and I was not looking forward to it. All of my memories, when I was a baby, when my brother was a baby, when my sister was a baby, all of them were there. I was so angry and said that I loved our little house. I remember in February, we organized an open house, so we had to leave. Instead of taking a vacation, our whole family of five moved into a three room hotel for one month. We dropped off our two cats at the kennel and ate breakfast and dinner at a restaurant or the hotel. I had three feelings inside me: one was anger at my parents for making us live in three rooms for a month; one was happiness that we got to live in a hotel and eat out; and one was curiosity- what was happening at our house? What was our new house going to look like? I kept on going to school, and one day, we drove by our new house and went inside. It did not look like my dream house. I was disappointed by my parents’ choice. My mom knew that I didn’t really like the house, so she said, “Why don’t you pick out your room first?” “You mean, I don’t have to share with Justin anymore?! YAY!!!” I picked out the room that had the most windows, and of course, it was the biggest room. The room was yellow and really bright. My dream was to be an artist, and the woman who owned the house was a professional artist, and this was the room she painted in. It was all mine! This was not feeling that bad after all! I went outside in my new backyard with my brother, and we found raspberry and blueberry bushes, but mostly, we found a backyard that stretched behind four houses! We moved on June 23, 2010, the day before my sister’s birthday and two weeks before mine. The other day, I was telling my parents, “We’ve been living in this house for almost five years, right? Well, I never really let myself fully adjust to this house until about a year and a half ago.” Fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through fog and filthy air. Sophia Lowry ’17 Grade VII
Animal Poem text and crayon Julia Fattaey ’23 Grade I
Painting Dye and marker Huck Jennings ’22 Grade II
I know a Quetzal I know a quetzal “We can’t leave Costa Rica until we see one” “I hear it” “Look, there it is!” “We are very lucky we saw one” “Now we can leave”
I know a quetzal Pretty birds flying around Green, red, and white People rushing to see this magnificent bird perched on a branch Right in front of everyone Waiting for a picture to be taken, then leaving
Dulcimer mixed media Camila Salcedo ’17 Grade VII
I know a quetzal In the forest waiting for a good look The guide calling while we wait looking at the sky The smell of wild animals and trees The taste of the humid air I know a quetzal “Look through the telescope” “Quickly take a picture” “I got some good ones and a video”
I know a quetzal
Jacob Schuster ’19 Grade V
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It’s my dad on his birthday. I gave my dad a toy Spiderman. He always wanted one. He will share it with me! I love you, Daddy!
Painting (inspired by Jackson Pollack) tempera Talia Klevens ’24 Kindergarten
Daddy crayon and text Jack Bowles ’25 Pre-Kindergarten Poetry Anthology Cover paper and text Sadie LeStage ’16 Grade VIII
Desert Glow The sand glows from the bright sky. All I see is a sandy mountain with a brown lizard on it. The lizard darts across the sand like a bullet at full speed. I see one old tiny, sandy town with only two little stores. With a perfectly blue sky. Only a sound of a lonely bird. It sounds as quiet as a mouse, but I can tell it’s big. The sand feels like a cozy bed; it feels like a dream. Jack McWeeny ’21 Grade III
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Walls in Walls When I get to be an architect I’m gonna draw me a plan about walls in walls And I’m gonna put the smoothest stone floors in it Crisp cuts casting a cool glow And at the same time welcoming and comforting. I’m gonna put the clearest skylights to see the stars And the coziest nooks to curl up in And the tallest stairs to race up And the prettiest view of the sunset And the warmest roof deck to sit on in the summer heat And the frostiest windows to sparkle like stars And the rooms that always stream with sunshine When the days are cold and the house is dark And I’m gonna put the laughs And the cries when the wounds are unfixable And the moments that last forever Of happiness and sadness Of fear and of peace Of life In the walls
Katie Conn ’17 Grade VII Self-portrait craypas George Rowe ’16 Grade VIII
Hamsters (Translation from Mandarin) My two hamsters are called “Peanut” and “Butter.” They are four years old. They are very cute. They really like to eat and sleep. They are really good, but sometimes they fight. Peanut is very fat and not very smart. Butter is not very fat and very smart.
Page of Family Album (in Mandarin) text, marker and paper Shira Wolpowitz ’18 Grade VI 31
Translation from Mandarin Today we went to the West Lake. West Lake is very crowded, and it is a very famous place. Leifeng Pagoda is very high and very beautiful. I like the West Lake the most because it is not only very pretty but also very big. We took a boat tour in the West Lake. Then we walked along the Su Causeway. We also went to a Starbucks next to the West Lake. In the evening, we ate Chinese food in a very nice restaurant. We ate fat pork belly braised in soy sauce and West Lake vinegar fish and drank watermelon juice. I love Chinese food!
Reflections on the Trip to China Jonathan DeJesus ’15 Grade IX
Chinese Painting ink and paper Ryan Swords ’18 Grade VI
Poetry Anthology Cover mixed media Sadie Murray ’16 Grade VIII
Chinese painting ink and paper Chloe Page ’15 Grade IX
I am.....
I am a speaker of Chinese. I am a kid who loves to talk - in Mandarin and in English. I am a person with a giant imagination. I am a person who loves to be left alone at any time. I am a kid who thinks it is glorious to read. I am a kid who loves acting. I am someone who loves to sing. I am an artist. I am an author. I am someone who loves nature. I am a kid who hates chocolate but loves any other candy. I am a kid who hates getting my hair cut. I am a kid who has lots of friends. I am a daughter who no one can predict what is coming next! I am so many things! Liana Min ’23 Grade I
Raven (inspired by Edgar Allen Poe) ink Charlie Guerra ’17 Grade VII 32
Reflections on the Trip to Spain Antes del primer día en España, nosotros viajamos en avión por ocho horas y descansamos en un aeropuerto de Irlanda por dos horas también. Cuando llegamos a la primera ciudad en España, Málaga, comimos en el restaurante Gambrinus. Comimos sándwiches especiales que se llaman “bocadillos”. Los sándwiches sólo tienen un ingrediente, pero los ingredientes son mejores que en los Estados Unidos. Después de comer, nosotros vimos el paisaje bello de España desde el autobús, y por fin llegamos a Granada. Cuando llegamos a Granada, conocimos a las madres españolas y fuimos a las casas para descansar y dormir. Después de descansar un rato, nosotros caminamos por la ciudad en grupo y comimos churros españoles por primera vez. ¡Los churros estaban fantásticos, y el día fue fantástico también! Cameron Cook ’15 Grade IX Translation from Spanish Before our first day in Spain, we traveled by plane for eight hours and also rested in an airport in Ireland for two hours. When we arrived in our first city in Spain, Malaga, we ate in the restaurant Gambrinus. We ate special sandwiches called “bocadillos.” The sandwiches only have one ingredient, but the ingredients are better than in the United States. After eating, we saw the beautiful landscape of Spain from the bus, and finally we arrived in Granada. When we arrived, we met the Spanish mothers and went to the houses to rest and sleep. After resting a while, we walked around the city as a group and ate Spanish churros for the first time. The churros were fantastic, and the day was fantastic as well. Purple and Black tempera Kaitlyn Doe ’24 Kindergarten
Paperweight handworked molten glass Kate Kelly ’15 Grade IX
Self-portrait craypas Claire Randolph ’16 Grade VIII
Reflections on the Trip to Italy
Our last night in Sorrento, we went to the lounge where we had one last jam session. I played the piano while people sang. I almost cried while playing all of these songs. I know I’ll see everyone tomorrow and for the rest of the school year, but it will never be quite as special as it was these past nine days. I have loved every second of Italy. I am honestly so blessed to not only have been able to go on this trip, but also to be with such amazing people to share the adventures. The language trip is something I will never forget. I have learned, experienced, and eaten so much from Italy, and I’m sure I’ll be back one day. I hope the Latin class next year has just as great or an even better trip than we did! Vale, Italia! Kym Morris ’15 Grade IX 33
Reflections on the Trip to France Vers midi, nous sommes arrivés à Paris. Nous sommes allés en camionnette à notre hôtel pour déposer nos valises. Notre hôtel, l’Hôtel des Grands Hommes, était petit, mais très simple et beau. Ensuite, nous sommes allés à un café près de l’hôtel, le Comptoir du Panthéon, pour notre premier repas à Paris. Si je me souviens bien, j’ai pris le poulet rôti avec des frites. Parfait, non? Après le déjeuner, nous avons marché au Musée du Louvre pour participer à une chasse au trésor. C’étaientt les étudiants contre les professeurs. Notre équipe a eu un peu de mal à entrer dans le musée même, mais nous avons enfin réussi grâce aux talents linguistiques de Max. OK, nous, les étudiants, avons perdu la chasse au trésor, mais nous nous sommes amusés énormément! Nous sommes retournés à l’hôtel et nous nous sommes préparés pour le dîner à 20 heures. Cela veut dire dormir jusqu’à 19h30 et puis se dépêcher pour prendre une douche et mettre de beaux vêtements pour la soirée. Notre dîner était à un tout nouveau restaurant qui avait ouvert six mois avant notre visite. Il était petit, mais très élégant et moderne. Ensemble, nous avons parlé de questions mondiales, des expériences drôles et de la vie en général, tout en mangeant une cuisine incroyable. Après le dîner, nous nous sommes promenés dans le Jardin du Luxembourg et dans la place Saint-Sulpice. Enfin, vers 23 heures, nous sommes retournés à l’hôtel. C’était une journée fantastique et la fin d’un voyage incroyable en France. Wesley Carty ’15 Grade IX Translation from French At around noon, we arrived in Paris. We then got in a van and went off to our hotel to drop off our luggage. Our hotel, Hôtel des Grands Hommes, was small, yet very simple and beautiful. Afterward, we went to a café and had our first lunch in Paris at the Comptoir du Panthéon. If I recall correctly, I had roasted chicken and French fries. Perfect, right? We then traveled to the Louvre art museum and participated in a scavenger hunt. It was the students versus the teachers! Our team had a little bit of trouble getting into the actual museum, but we eventually got in because of Max’s amazing linguistic skills. We also may have lost the scavenger hunt, but we still had a lot of fun! We then headed back to the hotel and got ready for dinner at 8:00 p.m. By getting ready, I mean sleeping until 7:30 and then trying to rush to shower and put on fancy clothes for the evening. Our dinner was at a new restaurant that had opened six months earlier. It was small but very elegant and modern. We talked about world issues, funny experiences, and life in general, all while eating amazing food. After dinner, we walked around the Luxembourg Gardens and the Place SaintSulpice before returning to our hotel around 11:00 p.m. It was a fantastic day and the end of an incredible trip to France.
Self-portrait craypas Jack Pierce ’16 Grade VIII
Puppet mixed media Kaori Sakurai ’18 Grade VI
Painting (inspired by French art after visit to the Museum of Fine Arts) acrylic paint Natalie Hatton ’17 Grade VII 34
Character Description (from The Hound of the Baskervilles) pen Jada Smith ’17 Grade VII
Pull Toy wood Bonnie Weaver ’22 Grade II
Pull Toy wood Lucia Cook ’22 Grade II
8:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Noon 12:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:10 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
Mr. Stapleton’s To Do List
Wake up and get ready for breakfast Breakfast Take out trash Read Gym Plan for Sir Henry Baskerville’s death Cook lunch Lunch Groom hound Sharpen hound’s teeth Relax Get ready for Sir Henry to come over Visitor arrives Dinner Clean up Dessert Release hound Sir Henry Baskerville leaves Sir Henry DEAD Celebrate
Zachary Davidson ’17 Grade VII
Mr. Stapleton’s Journal Entry
Morning of the Plan: Today is the day when Sir Henry Baskerville dies. What I will do today will be the most brilliant idea that anybody would have thought of. My plan is to have Sir Henry come to the moor, and then I will bring out the hound. Once the hound has smelled Sir Henry’s scent, he will find him immediately and eliminate him from the Baskerville family. Once he’s dead, all of Baskerville Hall will be mine. I know that this plan didn’t work last time, but the man who was killed was, indeed, carrying the scent of Sir Henry Baskerville, and this time, I’m sure that it will work. After the Plan: Again, unfortunately, my plan has not worked. The hound was so close to eating Sir Henry and killing him, but of course, his bodyguards, Mr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes, were there to save his life. Now that Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson have found out that I’m the spy who has been trying to kill Sir Henry, I must leave the moor as quickly as I can, and hopefully, escape this horrible nightmare for me. If anybody finds this entry, wish me good luck. Ben Moskowitz ’17 Grade VII 35
Greek Goddess ceramic Kathryn Swords ’20 Grade IV
Mask (inspired by Romeo and Juliet) tempera Talia Smith ’16 Grade VIII
Rose’s Visitor (excerpt)
Rose rolled over on her pillow, yawning loudly. She was having a nightmare, and her forehead was creased with sweat. She was breathing loudly, fear drawn across her face. Slap! Her eyes opened. She jolted upright, struggling to breathe. Her hand flew to her bedside table, where a small yet bright lamp sat. The tips of her fingers barely managed to flick the lights on. Immediately, light flooded into the room, illuminating the newly painted white door. The shutters let through little light, but it was enough to see that it was sometime in the early morning. This was confirmed by a quick glance at the clock - 6:00 a.m. Fear coursed through her veins. What had that sound been? A million images of what the sound might have been flooded into her mind. The horror movie and her friends texting her all of last night, “Watch it! It’s so good! It’s scary!” they had said. She had, sadly, listened to them. Her parents were away that night, and she had neglected to use common sense. She watched the horror movie. And, as a result, she had been victim to a horrible nightmare. Slap! It sounded like someone chopping vegetables. Her eyes flew to the door. She threw her covers off, bounding from her bed and tumbling across the floor. Fear had control of her now. She crawled to the corner of the room; her eyes darted around, as if something would appear out of thin air. She turned her back to the wall and stared at the door. What was that sound? When would her parents come home? Was she going to die? ******** Rose’s eyes glanced at the clock - 8:00 a.m. Her parents should be home by now, she thought. By now, her fear had begun to fade, but she still couldn’t manage to get herself to open the door. The slapping sound had continued to happen over the past two hours, but many other logical explanations had replaced her fantasies. All of this logic was shattered when she heard the footsteps. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.... Rose felt her heart race. She didn’t remember biting her tongue, but she tasted the deep, metallic taste of blood. A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek. She felt famished; her arms felt like dead weights and her legs like cement blocks. Thump. Thump. Thump.....“.....Rose?” The voice was high-pitched, girl-like. In an instant, Rose recognized it. The girl from the horror movie. The victim! “Rose?” The voice was soft, kind, even. Rose tried to speak; she tried to scream, but all that came out was a quiet, impish squeak. She heard the door creak open, “Shhhhrrrkk....” Benji Crawford ’17 Grade VII Greek Amphora paper and marker Cordelia Loomis ’20 Grade IV
Greek Plate paper and marker Fatmata Sesay ’20 Grade IV 36
Greek Amphora paper and marker Alex Tang ’20 Grade IV Greek Goddess ceramic Chandler Gilbane ’20 Grade IV
Fox tempera Audrey Kim ’20 Grade IV
Paradise (inspired by poems of Robert Frost)
As I rose from my bed, I saw the light beaming down through my window. I saw a bright pink sunrise, The oak trees were growing orange just how I liked them. And the breeze through the window was chilling. I got a glimpse of the turquoise water down below, And I stuck my head out and whispered, “Hello” And in response, some robins chirped a song. I listened at first, but then moved along. I got to the door of my old, sturdy house, And left it behind without looking back. I walked barefoot through a forest of orange and red. I smelled dirt and morning dew, The birds followed me, still singing, hopping from tree to tree, And stopping every once in a while, to inspect me. I walked under the canopy of towering oak trees, and didn’t imagine Turning around. Then I awoke in my hospital bed, The nurse came to serve my breakfast. The sunrise had just been a dream. I thought of that dream, That dream of sunrise and autumn. That dream of when life was good. “That would be a good place to die,” I said to no one. The nurse was gone. It was just me. But after a while, no living soul was in that hospital room. I left that room and went back to the sunrise, I went to finish my stroll through the forest of orange, But I seemed to have lost track of time. Because I didn’t come back. Duncan Lamont ’15 Grade IX Animal Painting tempera Justin Lowry ’20 Grade IV
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Dolphins (excerpt) Dolphins are amazing! Many people like to visit them in marine parks to play, but what if you could visit them in their natural habitat without them running away? You could if people with dolphins in pools would change it!! Dolphins deserve to be put in fenced ocean instead of pools. Don’t you think so? One reason dolphins deserve to be put in fenced ocean instead of pools is because then the young ones feel safe. For example, Penelope, a three-year old dolphin I met, is happy brushing her nose against the ocean floor repeatedly. She wouldn’t be able to do this if she were in a pool. Another reason dolphins deserve to be put in fenced ocean is because then the dolphins can catch fish when they’re hungry. If they were in pools, they would only get the fish when someone gave it to them. If the dolphins suddenly had to be released into the wild, they would NOT know how to find food and survive. Most importantly, dolphins deserve to be put in fenced ocean instead of pools because then it doesn’t waste water or work to care for them. Miriam Altman ’21 Grade III
Turtle Puppet mixed media Charlotte Hecht ’18 Grade VI
Splashing in a puddle
Rainy Day crayon Sloane Frieze ’25 Pre-Kindergarten Paddle wood Olajuwon Oladipo ’21 Grade III Then you rig. Then you rig the boat. Then you untie your boat. I am sailing. Sailing marker and photos John Eielson ’23 Grade I 38
Titus (excerpt from article in Latin class newspaper) Quis est novus imperator? denotis viris legere soletis. hodie, de notissimo viro leges. vir est imperator Titus. imperator Titus est filius Vespeasiani, et officium tenuit post vicesimum quartum Junii huius anni fuit. cives solicitudes demonstraverunt, timentes ne Titus sit saevus imperator, quod erat priusquam dux praetorii custodis et erat saevus. sed demonstratus justitam et benivolentiam, cives virum favent iam. nuper pecuniam dedit adiuvare Pompeianos post eruptioinem Vesuvii...... Sophie Collins Arroyo ’16 Grade VIII
Animal Poem marker Yael Solomon ’23 Grade I
Translation from Latin Who is the new emperor? You are accustomed to read about important men. Today, you are reading about the most important man. The man is the Emperor Titus. Titus is the son of Vespasian, and he has held the office since June 24 of this year. Citizens have shown concerns, fearing Titus to be a violent emperor, because he was previously commander of the Praetorian Guard and was ruthless. However, having been showing fairness and kindness, citizens favor him now. He recently gave money to help with the eruption of Vesuvius......
Illustrated Latin Vocabulary with the Letter B marker Ainsley Bonang ’18 Grade VI Translation from Latin Bellaria- Dessert Baca - Berries Brunneus- Brown Beatus - Happy Balaena - Whale Barrus - Elephant
High Flying (excerpt)
I looked up at the trapeze swinging back and forth after Ella had gone. When the hot Florida sun burned my back, I felt like a pie in the oven. The big palm trees felt like an umbrella trying to block the sun, but it didn’t work. Suddenly, a cool breeze brushed my warm, sweaty cheeks, and I felt better. But not for long..... Heather called my name and said, “Anna, it’s your turn!” My heart sank....... Could I do it? I walked along the burning cement towards the tall ladder. My shaking hand grasped the first rung, and my heart pounded. I put my foot up. Step by step, I made my way up the ladder. I looked down at the ground ready to eat me whole if I made one wrong step. I thought that I heard white water crashing against devilish rock, but it was just a bird. I got to the top, and Chelsea and I were the only ones up there. Her blond hair glistened in the sunlight. I felt like the tropical buildings were waiting for me to jump. The whistling wind blew my hair, and I felt a sense of bravery. Maybe I woudn’t die. Chelsea buckled the harness, and I could barely breathe. The harness was tight around my waist, but still it felt too loose. Chelsea yelled “HUP!” and I froze....then I fell. I went down so fast that it felt like a roller coaster. Then I swooped up so high that I was probably 130 feet high! On the way down again, my stomach went into my throat, and I felt like I was going to puke. All of my friends looked up to see me screaming like a baby. Suddenly, everything slowed down, and I felt like a bird soaring over the ocean, and I was as big as an elephant with wings blocking the sun. ******************* My heart shattered into a million pieces when I was told to get down. I tried to savor every last second. Once it was over, I flipped and got down. Then, the guy with the deep voice lifted my hand and said, “Anna!” Everyone applauded me. I took one more look up at the trapeze and thought, “That wasn’t so bad!” Anna Fattaey ’19 Grade V
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Pledge of Allegiance (excerpt)
I believe that every school, public and private, should require their students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning because not every student knows it, and they should. One time I was at soccer practice, and all my friends began reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I just looked at them. Then they stopped halfway through and asked me why I didn’t join in. I explained to them that I didn’t know it. Even though they didn’t say anything, I still felt embarrassed. They had to recite it every morning while I never have to. I believe that the Pledge of Allegiance reminds students of the rights that they have in this country, including the right to vote. For example, once I was reading a book about a girl named Malala. She is someone who really believes in the fact that girls should have an education. At first, I thought why does she even care that she doesn’t have to go to school. I’d be plenty happy if I didn’t have to go to school. And then I remembered my friends at soccer practice reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I thought of my life without school. When would I see my firends? Most importantly, how would I learn? Sometimes you need a little reminder of how great your country really is. I believe that those who don’t recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning are at a disadvantage. The Pledge of Allegiance shows respect to the government, and it reminds students of the rights that they have in this country. If we just stop and think, we realize things that we never thought of before. Haley Englert ’19 Grade V
Illustrated French Vocabulary marker and text Kaity Severin ’17 Grade VII
We Should Start Learning Foreign Language in First Grade (excerpt)
Does anyone agree that it is annoying to wait to learn a foreign language? Well, that’s why I’m here. I don’t think it’s fair that we have to wait until sixth grade to learn a language. Learning languages can be hard, but I think the hard work is worth it. I think we should start learning foreign languages in the first grade at Park. Why? Because we could learn a lot more if we started earlier, and we could learn what other people and countries are like. Also, we could start conversations with people from other countries that we might visit. If we started earlier we would learn more because we would have a lot more time to learn. I would probably be speaking sentences in French already. I am in third grade, but I still have three years to wait. My older cousins are twelve turning thirteen in August, and it would be nice to speak and practice a language that they are learning. My cousins are in sixth grade and go to a different school where they start much earlier; they can speak sentences in the language they take already. We could also learn about the people and the cultures of other countries. If we went to that country we would already know some history and background about that country. I might learn about foods, clothing, famous people in that country and more. I don’t want to wait until sixth grade to learn about different cultures! Anna Brenner ’21 Grade III 40
Appreciate The Librarians! (excerpt) When you walk into the library, you see all the books in their places, all the library checkout cards set up on the counter, and the kids laughing and enjoying themselves. None of this would be so if the library teachers weren’t there. I think that Ms. Lane, Mr. Porter, Ms. Black, and Mrs. Kellogg from the library at Park School really do a lot to help the library and aren’t appreciated as much as they should be. The library teachers take care of the library and make sure it’s in tiptop shape. For instance, one time I was in the library and I was in a rush, but I needed to find a book. I looked on the shelf where the book was supposed to be, and I found it very quickly. I was out of the library in no time, but if the library people didn’t organize the books, it would have taken me forever to find that book. You might be thinking, “Organizing books isn’t hard.” Well, think again! Organizing books isn’t only hard, it’s time consuming. And remember, organizing books is only one way the library people take care of the library.
They are experts. You might think, “Well, what do you mean by that?” The library people have memorized the places where all the books go. That is handy if you are a student or teacher looking for a book. In your head, you might be thinking that you can just search the name of the book you want and find it on the computer. That may be true, but the little kids in Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten probably can’t type in the name of the book that they want to check out. The library teachers keep kids and teachers up to date about books and authors. The Park School wouldn’t be the same without them! Stella MacLean ’21 Grade III
Radley House (excerpt of a Reflection on To Kill A Mockingbird) In To Kill A Mockingbird, one of the most important lessons Scout learns is that you cannot judge someone before you know their whole story. Atticus enforces this lesson strongly. He wants his children to grow up to respect their peers and not to make judgments “until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This is one of the most crucial messages that she will learn as she develops into a young woman. At the beginning of the book, Scout is too afraid to go anywhere near the Radley house. “Jem said if Dill wanted to get himself killed, all he had to do was go up and knock on the front door.” She believes it is haunted and that if she went anywhere near the property, the mysterious Boo Radley would come out and shoot the kids. Little did she know that he would end up saving her life. The last few lines of conversation in Harper Lee’s novel are, “Atticus, he was real nice...” “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” We see that even now after multiple years have passed, Atticus is still teaching Scout the same major lesson as he did when she was just a little girl. After all she has been through, she has learned that although people may appear one way on the outside, their true character is only revealed when you spend time to get to know them. Chloe Lelon ’16 Grade VIII Paperwhites watercolor and marker Adam Farb ’24 Kindergarten
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Picking Peaches with Great Grandma (inspired by the poems of Robert Frost) I remember, when I was young, Picking peaches with great-grandma, Velvet, round bulbs lounging on wood. My tiny white razors tearing its delicate flesh, Splurging tart nectar. Specks of miniscule hairs rub my lips Tangy drops of fluid run down my chin Trudging through tall grass blades, I jump. The tip of my sticky finger brushed against the fruit’s fur The velvet, round bulb still lounges on a skinny wood Underneath the wood lie peaches Alongside others, bruised and forgotten. Splurging sour nectar, brown Though the ones neglected, Somehow, the sun knows to shine.
Self portrait craypas Ian Emery ’16 Grade VIII
A golden haze covers their velvet skin. Jurnee Peltier ’15 Grade IX
Animal Poem crayon and text Luca Bene ’23 Grade I
Save the Rain Forests marker Sofia Schultz ’23 Grade I
People are hunting and capturing animals and plants 42
Camel colored pencil Claudia Cortell ’18 Grade VI
The Old Songwriter (inspired by poems of Robert Frost)
What is Gold? (Reflection from The Outsiders)
To be gold you need to be in the beginning of beautiful. The beginning of beautiful doesn’t last for long though. Robert Frost said that gold is the first green; it is beautiful and new, but it does not remain over time. It will fade to green and no longer be a wonder. Johnny believes that you are gold when you are young. You are at the beginning of a beautiful life, and you are innocent, unaware of the horrors that take place in the world. You can’t necessarily see the gold or feel the gold; you can only sense it with your being. You can look around, close your eyes and feel the newness, the freshness and the possibility that something has. That is gold. Gold can take place in everything. A person, a flower, an idea that is so new and ‘eureka’ that you don’t stop to think of all the things that could go wrong. Gold can be love, friends, and anything at all. If you find something that is truly gold, you must treasure it because it will add a spark and happiness in your life that you need. It will create inspiration and a fire inside you that may drive you to do great things. There will always be gold; one just has to look for it. Eliza Lord ’16 Grade VIII
I had looked down that day in front of a swinging wood door At a small built up shack made from birch and from pine The craftsmanship careful, its effort maybe more The architecture simple, but the artwork was fine One knock, then two before the door swung wide A pretty face and golden-haired girl looked up with quiet grace I studied her a moment shifting side to side Until I felt my eyes widen and a smile stretched across my face “Dear young beauty, my travels have been long, I’m a writer, you see, who’s written his fair share of song, If you have the heart to aid me in any way, A small scrap of food would get me through today” “Of course, old traveler, we haven’t much to spare And what we can give you is hardly fair We ourselves have just settled down, But I’m sure you’ll find help, for just south of here is a town!” I smirked slightly as a tear rolled down my eye I wiped it away quickly so that she could not see me cry “Thank you , ma’am, this gift is all I could want; I pray for your happiness, since you were the only one who did not taunt”
Brambi and Maggie marker Chloe Jeppson ’23 Grade I
So I waved and smiled my widest grin as I turned and walked My eyes began swelling, filling with salty water Because the girl who did not know me, the one with whom I’d just talked Was the last thing I loved, my little girl, my daughter. Emmett Hoins ’15 Grade IX 43
We Need A Longer Recess
“Tweet!” the whistle blows. Have you ever been upset because you didn’t get to finish your game or run around a little more to get your energy out? Well, that happens to me a lot. Don’t you think we should finish up our games? Don’t you think we should run around more? That’s what I think every single day after recess. Why only 30 minutes? We need to stay active! We need to have fun! Actually, we need to have A LOT of fun!
We need a longer recess because we need to stay active, and if we’re not, our hearts will beat slower, and if your heart beats slower, it pumps slower. We definitely need to stay in shape, or we’re going to be OUT of shape.
Biker Mosaic stained glass Daniel Baumel ’15 Grade IX Fourth and Fifth Grade Baseball at Park (excerpt) Dear Mr. Robinson, We should have fourth and fifth grade baseball because lots of kids like baseball, and it is a fun sport. Lots of people play baseball in the spring and fall at recess. Baseball is America’s sport, so we should have it, since we are in America. Baseball has been around for a long time, since the 1800s or 1700s. Also, having baseball might make more kids come here because, as I said, lots of kids like baseball. While we are playing, our parents can do more work. We’ll be playing so they will have time without being distracted by us. Another reason is that it is a fun way to keep in shape. You are almost always moving while you play. Doing physical activity helps you think better, so we will focus more in class and do more work at school. If there is baseball at Park, we can just walk there instead of having to drive to a place where a baseball program is offered. Driving pollutes the environment with exhaust smoke, so it will be better for nature if there’s a place to walk to. I know that you might be thinking that we will have to build a baseball field! No, we can just use the field at Larz Anderson! So, Mr. Robinson, imagine walking outside and hearing the sounds of baseball, like the sound of the ball on the bat and the ball hitting your glove. I know that you like it, too, because you watch it when we play at recess. Holden Rosenberg ’21 Grade III
Pull toy wood Leighton Glass ’22 Grade II 44
We need a longer recess because we work really hard for seven hours from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We work hard and need a bigger break than only 30 minutes. Working can sometimes be tedious. If work is tedious, we need a break because it can get really boring. For instance, say you were in math class, and you didn’t get all your energy out, all you’ll be doing is sitting there. When kids don’t get their energy out, they will lose their concentration and will only think about RECESS and not about the lesson being taught.
We need a longer recess because at recess kids have fun! Even teachers have fun! If we have fun and teachers have fun, then we are all happy. If we are all happy, then we’ll be excited about learning! We need a longer recess because we only have one period in the entire day when we can get fresh air, but that’s only for 30 minutes. Some kids love to get fresh air and feel the warm breeze of spring blowing into their faces. Now that it’s warm, we should get more recess time, so we can play and do stuff that we couldn’t do in the snow! If you let us have a longer recess, you won’t change your mind. You’ll see a big difference when we start to concentrate. When we come in from recess, you will notice kids will be more relaxed. Recess is a time to play and to have fun. Let’s have fun!! Rebecca Samuels ’21 Grade III
I am......
I am a good friend. I am a good sports player. I am a little brother. I am a boy who is usually sweaty. I am a Red Sox fan. I am a liker of video games. I am an awesome baseball player. I am the grandson of a 93 year old grandfather and an 83 year old grandmother. I am a liker of mysteries. I am a child who loves pancakes with Nutella and maple syrup. I am a boy who wants 1,000 gumballs. I am so many things! Ben Samuels ’23 Grade I
Puppet mixed media Danny Kang ’18 Grade VI
We Should Have Rugby at Park School (excerpt) We should have rugby at Park after school for fourth grade and up because it helps you learn better at school. It also makes you a lot fitter. It is not as deadly as people think, and it does not take very long to learn. Don’t you want to let in a sport that could do all of these great things? We should have rugby lessons after school because it is a really, really fun sport, and you get a lot fitter when you play because you have to run a lot. You also build a lot of endurance, and your heart gets stronger. The next reason is because you get really tired while playing and that makes you sleep well so that you will be more awake for school the next day. For example, one time I played in Kuala Lumpur so hard that I fell asleep around 5:00 p.m. and woke up at 9:00 a.m. in the morning! If kids sleep better, they can learn better and get a better education. It is a really popular sport around the world and in America. Also, we should honor America because it now has one of the best rugby teams in the world. They made it to the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens quarter finals, and they also made it to the 2015 Rugby World Cup played in England. They are supposed to make it to the quarter finals and, maybe even. the semi finals. Rugby is not as deadly as people say it is, and you rarely ever get injured. For example, I was playing for about five years, and the worst injury I ever got was a small black eye. At the time that I got the black eye, I wasn’t even wearing full padding. Rugby isn’t that hard to learn. I started when I was five years old, and it only took about three weeks to learn. Tackle rugby only took about two more weeks after that. Henry Good ’21 Grade III
All Sports Pull Toy wood Jacob Greene ’22 Grade II
Everyone At Park School Should Appreciate Mr. Tisi (excerpt) I think that everyone at The Park School should appreciate Mr. Tisi. First off, he does so much around Park that you won’t even believe it! Another reason is that some years ago, he refereed in high school and at college hockey games! Finally, he has worked at The Park School for over 30 years! Mr. Tisi does so much for Park, and if we didn’t have him, we would need at least three people to take his place. That shows that he does a lot for the school. For instance, he once came into our classroom, and the first thing he did was bring in a ladder and unscrew the clock; it looked pretty hard to do. He took down the clock, and everybody crowded around him and asked what he was doing. He said that he was fixing the clock because it was too slow. So, you can see how he fixes things even if they’re a tad out of shape. He doesn’t just fix things; he fixes things step by step to show the class or the teacher. As a result, he is a nice guy who fixes things in a nice way. You might know but probably don’t that Mr. Tisi used to referee in high school and college hockey games. He would referee in a lot of games, and his son Robert Tisi is also a referee. Now Robert does NHL instant replay at TD Garden! So you see, Mr. Tisi is busy outside of Park, and he does other things that you might not know about which is also really cool. If you search Mr. Tisi’s name on the computer, you get a lot of pictures, because he is pretty famous. Overall, Mr. Tisi is really awesome. Mr. Tisi has probably worked at Park the most years by a lot. Mr. Bown has only worked at Park for about 10 years. Mr. Porter has worked at Park for a range of 10 to 15 years. Do you think that’s a long time? Well, I do! Compared to Mr. Tisi, it is not very long. Mr. Tisi loves working at Park, and we love him working here, too. Mr. Tisi is a man with one of a kind skills. Nicholas Sullivan ’21 Grade III 45
Collage (inspired by Matisse) paper Walker Sweeny ’24 Kindergarten
Fire Drill Story crayon and text Max Kaufman ’23 Grade I
October October is the time when leaves change color. And turn into red, orange, and yellow leaves. They fall from the trees one by one. Down goes one leaf, down goes another. They keep on falling until the trees are bare. They keep on falling until there are no more leaves. Halloween comes and ghosts and other scary things roam the streets until dark. Dogs will howl and bark. You will go to sleep at dark. The next day you will wake, and it will be November again. Mina Subramanian ’21 Grade III
Collage (inspired by Matisse) paper Liam MacLean ’24 Kindergarten
The Fire Drill in the Kitchen On Friday, the fire drill came on after they dropped off Amanda’s backpack. I said, “Oh, no!” I thought, “Why is the fire drill on?” Takeru said, “ I do not know.” We went out to the hall. We went to the little parking lot, and Miss Carr kept on saying, “Sssshhhhhh...! Takeru said, “Guys!”
An Immigrant’s Story (excerpt from log entries) Entry Part Two: On the ferry I finally made it to the ferry. My siblings and I are so grateful to not get sick. We have gotten through the hardest part of coming to America. I can finally dream of seeing Grandpa and Steven again. I can finally help my faily support themselves. I can finally follow my dreams. I have been overwhelmed with joy ever since I saw the Statue of Liberty.
“We’re in America!” a voice shouted “It’s massive!” another voice said. “Patrick, we made it!” Mac cheered.
When I saw the statue, I nearly cried. I felt like I had accomplished something. I also felt like my past was gone. Now my future awaits. Others were crying and praying, and it felt like my dreams were coming true. I knew I was in Ameria, the beautiful America. Scotty, Chloe, Mac and I held hands and sang an Irish song. It was a very merry time. In a few minutes, the steerage passengers took a ferry to a place called Ellis Island. We were all so happy. Even though we had to wait four hours, we didn’t get frustrated. We were all so happy. I walked off the ferry with my siblings and witnessed the greatest building I have ever seen. It towered over huts in Ireland like a whale to a rabbit. I slowed my stelps as I cam closer. “Chloe, this is Ellis Island!” I said. “It’s huge!” she responded. But as I looked in, I could tell that I had a rough time ahead in Ellis Island. Entry End: Ellis Island awaits..... Zach Pool ’19 Grade V 46
Annotation for the poem “The Bagel” by David Ignatow “The Bagel” starts with five lines of enjambment; the entire poem is only two sentences. “I stopped to pick up the bagel rolling away in the wind, annoyed with myself for having dropped it as if it were a portent.” This allows for the poem to be read in a more rushed and eager way. The bagel is rolling away so fast, just like how the poem is being read. The mood is very joyous, yet it has an ambitious layer under the joy. The poem is not about being mean or violent or having a broken heart, it is about a bagel. Putting that aside, the narrator desperately wants to grab his bagel from the ground and prevent it from rolling any further away from him. The rhythm of the poem is very fast and choppy. It does not flow smoothly like a song. It is more like a short, action-packed story in poetic form. This poem gets its title from the main subject of the entire poem, “The Bagel.” The narrator isn’t the bagel himself, but that is what he is trying to capture. His bagel rolled right out of his hands and onto the ground. It forced him to do somersaults and grit his teeth as he was bent so low that his face was almost touching the ground. The narrator did all this for his bagel. A theme in this poem is completion and satisfaction as seen in the second sentence. “And I found myself doubled over and rolling down the street head over heels, one complete somersault after another like a bagel and strangely happy with myself.” The reader can take these images away starting at the end, when the narrator ends up very happy and smiling after what seemed like a terrible experience of flipping and falling down the street to catch your lunch.
Cityscape paper Kaylee DeJesus ’22 Grade II
I know Baking Cookies
I know baking cookies The sound of a spoon scraping against a bowl “Mom, can you open the vanilla?” The smell of vanilla wafts over to me. And it makes me feel like I am floating on a cloud of happiness. I know baking cookies I put big jars of sugar on the counter There is a big egg on the counter, Just waiting to be cracked.
I know baking cookies Betsy Soloway-Aizley ’17 I spread flour on the counter Grade VII The feeling of dusty flour is on my fingers A window opens, and in comes the smell of spring “Helen, stop eating the frosting!”
I know baking cookies I feel the rough wax paper as I rip it As I put the cookies on the pan, I hear the crinkling of wax paper The oven opens, and cookies go in
I know baking cookies The smell of baking cookies makes me feel good and happy The sound of the oven timer startles me Nervously, I take out the pan, “Ouch, Mom, I burned myself!”
Dulcimer mixed media Caleb Mansbach ’17 Grade VII
I know baking cookies The taste of delicious, fresh cookies Straight out of the oven fills my mouth The warm softness overwhelms me They are so good I am absolutely and perfectly happy I know baking cookies
Tilde Jaques ’19 Grade V 47
Hips (inspired by The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros)
Family trip (excerpt from journal) marker Maura Glynn ’25 Pre-Kindergarten
The world. My genes. It’s just not fair. Why are non-dancer’s hips so turned out? Why are my hips so turned in? Like, HELLO!! I’m the one who needs naturally turned out hips to turn out and extend my body lines while I’m dancing!!!! Why have my parents given me genes for turned in hips? They don’t understand how painful it is when I force my turnout. They don’t understand the pain when my Chinese dance teacher makes me lie on the floor in front of her, on my back with my knees turned in opposite directions. She presses on my knees to try to get them to touch the floor. She tells me to relax but how can I!? How can I relax when there are about 100 pounds weighing my knees down to the ground? The pain! It makes me want to cry. Scream. Groan. It feels like my hips are going to break or get dislocated with her last, most forceful push. Tears begin to blur my vision. I cannot open my mouth or the only thing that will come out would be a whimper. She lets go. I can breathe again. Slow as a sloth, I gently roll my fragile legs and hips to the side carefully, making sure my sore and defeated body does not break. I’m basically dragging myself back to my spot. Mother, father, ancestors! Do you hear this? Do you understand this? Why did you do this to me?! Sewina Yu ’15 Grade IX Fish Painting tempera Lilly Riehl ’18 Grade VI
Pull Toy wood Hannah Goodman ’22 Grade II
Splash story crayon and text Cate Glass ’23 Grade I
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Splash! I jumped into the pool. My ears popped. I was in California. My dad caught me. My parents clapped because my dive was so beautiful. I did a ballet move. It was fun and I had a happy time with my family.
Fish painting tempera Sophie Lewis ’18 Grade VI
Painting (inspired by Picasso) crayon Myles Syken ’24 Kindergarten
The Island (excerpt) It was a nice, hot summer day. All except for the splatty, dirty balls of mud flying towards me. My brother squealed with delight as his mud bomb hit his target. His living target. Who but his poor older brother? Me. Another mud bomb whizzed towards me, missing me by inches. My baby brother was three years old. The crooked, little grin hanging below his stumped hair was disastrous to my plan of revenge as he looked up at me. The summer breeze blew lightly across our tired bodies. We were in Santorini, the once-huge island known as Thera in the Aegean Sea. A portion of a volcano, the destructive force that wrecked the once-whole island, the one that tore it apart into two halves as easily as if it were paper; the volcano that set off a tsunami which eliminated Crete, sat directly in front of our own eyes. The tiny grains of sand that lay at our feet were tanned and hot, and we were staring off at the gaping sea. So blue, so delicate, so beautiful! The waves were sometimes as tall, so tall, that the height would be the one of a mother kangaroo, yet sometimes, the waves were as calm, so calm, that for a few moments on a boat cruising through the sapphire seas, you would think that the boat was totally still and that the engine had broken down or that you were gliding across a mirror. “Oh, this is just great.....” I thought as another mud bomb came crashing down upon me. “SPLAT!” Derek must have really been enjoying his “fun” little game becasue he wouldn’t EVER quit pitching filthy, mud balls at me. The volcano that we were looking up was big. Huge. Enormous. Gigantic. Titanic. We turned around for a special walk to the highly populated, human-infested beach. As we slowly walked on to the sea, I saw a sandy dot in the midst of the splendid, yellow dots dancing among the waves, getting bigger and bigger..... My mom started diving in and out of the water. My dad began to lie down in the sand, sunbathing like crazy. My brother covered himself in sand and then tried to claw his way out of it like a lost, funky chicken. All of them were completely occupied, leaving only me to navigate the sandy dot. When my scorched feet finally escaped the parched sand of this beautiful island; when my feet finally reached the moistness of the sea water, I realized that this dot wasn’t just a dot......It was an island. During my tender six years, I have heard about islands that you could get to in two days of ship riding. I have heard about islands that you could drive to in four hours. But at that time, I had never ever heard about islands that you could swim to in twenty seconds; about islands with sand so soft, so smooth; about island with trees and rocks so tall; about island that make you yearn for them so longingly.....So, I took my snorkeling equipment and doggy-paddled by myself to the island. During that time, those twenty seconds seemed so long. Blue fish with red stripes glided gracefully before my eyes, red fish with blue stripes hurried along swiftly, as if they had some important meeting to get to. A school of blue seahorses swam consecutively, each one trying to get in front of the line frantically. Then it hit me.... When I stepped onto the shore, I realized that the sand was made of rough. large pebbles that scratched my feet. The trees were small and wobbly. “What the-....How?” For the weirdest thing was that there was a whole colony of big, mean snapping turtles in front of me, stanced in their “leave-right-nowor-I-will-have-my-mighty-turtle-gang--snap--you-to-bits” position”............................ Alex Jin ’19 Grade V Back Cover Artwork glasses marker Kym Morris ’15 Grade IX
The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445