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n 2011 e • 1nd editio in az ag m e in nl O

2012 • # 6

Departamento de Comunicaciones COLEGIO LOS NOGALES

Cover by Tomás Mejía / 2nd grade.

e Online magazin

• 1nd edition

# 2011 - 2012 •

6

Why is writing important in elementary?

W

riting is one of the main second language skills developed in elementary through different class exercises. In each elementary classroom, writing has become a daily routine, a fun practice, and a way to make thinking visible to others. Writing has allowed kids to move easily among narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository texts. Writing has also fostered the ability to pose questions, to express opinions, to give explanations, to tell personal experiences, to describe situations, to express feelings, to list facts, and to build confidence by creating an own voice.

We, elementary students and English teachers, invite you to enjoy reading the following great variety of texts.

Luz Elena Barragán English Department Coordinator

Special thanks to our teachers: Mónica López, María Fernanda Rojas , Jessica Hernández, Connie Patiño, Nubia Díaz, Naomi Munk, Catalina Montenegro, Hannah Bishop, Allison Crabb, Kavita Singh, Lauren Rajabi and Luz Elena Barragán.

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1ST GRADE t e M I y a The D o p e r t s e R o e t a M

By Claudio Amaya

It was a cold day and I was going to school. It was the first day. When I entered the classroom my teacher said hi to me and my mother.

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My teacher showed us the classroom. Then she asked me if I wanted to play with someone and I said yes, so she called a boy from the carpet.

The boy was Mateo Restrepo.

Then my teacher took out a box of Lego pieces and Mateo and I started to play with them. Since that day on we became best friends.

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a n o W I n e h W Swimming Medal

By Juan Fernando Avila

I went One sunny day 9:00 to the pool at other a.m. with my m We in her blue car. nt of stopped in fro here a tall building w was the pool was. I I very h appy when arrived there. e me The teacher gav table the snack in a e pool in front of th We with other kids. start waited there to n. the competitio e I swam and th ea teacher gave m use I nice medal beca was was the best. I h the very excited wit owed medal th at I sh s. it to my parent

1ST GRADE

My Parents’

Anniversary

By Emilia Villegas

Saturday was my parents’ anniversary. That day my brothers and I were happy and we decorated my house beautifully and I played some music.

My mother asked everybody to go downstairs to eat and we all ate a delicious meal. We also ate some dessert.

In that way we all celebrated my parent´s anniversary and had a great time.

1ST GRADE

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1ST GRADE The Day my Grandpa

Bought Me a Rabbit

By Felipe Bello

One day I went to Anapoima and saw a beautiful yellow rabbit.

I asked my grandpa to buy me the rabbit and my grandpa answered, “Another day ”.

In my farm my grandpa said to me: “I will buy you the rabbit you like if you behave well” and I said “Okay, thank you”.

Two days later, my grandpa bought me the beautiful rabbit because I had behaved well. That day I felt very happy.

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g o D y

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By Isabella Silva On August 30th, I was in the car with my family because we were going to buy a dog. I was very happy and I was with my cousin because she was going to buy a dog too.

After I bought the dog, I played a long time with him in the park. My cousin, his dog and a friend were playing with me too.

The funniest part of the story was that I went to the vet and he didn´t notice that my dog was a girl and not a boy, and for a week I thought that my dog was a boy. So, first I named him Max and then I had to name her Leila.

1ST GRADE

The First Day I Rode a Train

By Eduardo Jaramillo

1ST GRADE

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O

ne b e autiful morning in S an Franci sco, Califo rni a, my moth er, my fath er, my si ster and I got o ut of th e h otel to go rid e th e train in th e city of S an Franci sco. First we need ed to h av e th e tickets, so my fath er we nt to b uy th em to rid e th e train. Ne xt we went insid e th e train.

a i n, r t e th t g in n s th a i t t n it e s r e a r, e w e r t o my p y m o t h e r. w n W h e o p l e s a i d o py o f m y fat h e pe s a c o py o f m I s a w a tw o w a c n. ster up my s i at I w a s r i d e b e g a at w e nt th s. th he a nd s to p eets at, t r d h t n t s a r d Aft e tr e e s, a n r d v o i c e s a m a ny w n . I h e do a nd

I we nt and to uch ed som e ch airs, a doo r, and oth er things li ke th e b ars th at p eopl e h old from. T h e n th e rid e fini sh ed and I wa s v ery h a ppy and it b ec am e night.

Ne xt we got o ut of th e train. L ater we we nt to th e h otel and h ad d inner. Finally, we we nt to b ed and we sl ept with h a ppy dre ams. T h at was a d ay th at I wi ll nev er fo rg et.

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y a D The I t a h t d e v mo y m o t New e s u Ho 1ST GRADerEos liv

By Samuel O

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The 24 of June of this year I moved to my new house at 8:00 a.m.

The boxe s h ad clot hes, b alls, puzzles. I books, an t was ver d y h ard wor truck cam k! First a e and we p truck. N ext we go ut the boxes in th t in e h alf an h our, we go to our car. After t Then we unpacked to my new house. everythin g.

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We put the clothes into a closet, the books in a shelf, the balls in a box, and the puzzles in a drawer.

After that we had lunch, and we plugged the electronic devices.

Finally, the house was ready and I could play in my new house with all my toys. That day was the best day of my life! I am so happy in my new house!!!

1ST GRADE

The Day I Learned to Ride My Bicycle echa

By Seb astian Mah

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Three years ago I went to the park with my mother and my father to learn to ride my bicycle.

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The park has a bicycle path, monkey bars, and more fun things. First I sat in the bicycle and my mother and my father pushed the bicycle.

I felt scared. Next I fell down so my mom put a band-aid on my knee, and I stopped crying.

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Then I sat again on the bicycle and my dad pushed it. After that, I felt hungry and I told my father that I was hungry. Finally, he pushed the bicycle again and I learned to ride my bicycle! That night my mom told me that she felt very happy for me!

3 GRADE RD

Narrative Workshop - 25

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1ST GRADE

m r a F y M o t My Trip r la Salaza e u n a M By

I like goin gt farm. On o my ed went to m ay I y farm and I play ed with my dog n ame Princess an d d a b all.

I would t hrow the b all and t he would run dog to get it.

Next I ro de horse nam my ed Lucero and he ran fast into the m ountains.

Last I go t in the po ol and swam and pla game with yed a my family. This wa s a day in one of my favorite p laces, my farm.

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1ST GRADE

My October Break

By Juan Camilo Acosta

Last week I had a lot of fun during my October break. I went to Medellin to the rock of El Pe単ol and when I was at the top I saw a hotel and some boats. I also saw Medellin and took a lot of pictures. I saw houses with pools and I prayed to the Virgin Mary. I then went back downstairs and went to Divercity. There I was a detective with my friend. We saw and visited lots of attractions in Divercity. We had a lot of fun in Medellin and in Divercity in Medellin.

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My Holy Week

By Lo ra in e Ca ve lie r

2nd Grade and uncle. It nt au y m th wi s wa I One day ng a Holy W eek. ri du na ge ta ar C in ed happen because my I was taking a vacation the Holy W eek. of y da e on s wa ay hd rt bi

ew one hour. fl d an ne la rp ai e th to W e got the airport to om fr xi ta a ok to we Then, the house and had to in t go e W e. us ho e th W e went to bed. something for dinner. to the beach. W e The next day we went e beach. One th to ys da e th l al g in kept go h, we went to ac be e th to g in go r te day af koalas, and macaws. , er de d ha at th l te ho a and enjoyed the W e also visited a club good. At last we pool. I liked it, it was flew back to Bogota. ned that to be ar le I y. pp ha so lt fe I is fun. That was with my aunt and uncle cause I celebrated the best Holy W eek be ent way! my birthday in a differ

By Ju an ita Sa nt of im io

2nd Grade

d n a y l i m a F My My trip to Cartagena

o or Cartagena for about tw to nt we I d an ily m One day my fa at the Hor vacation. W e stayed be m ce De on o ag s ar three ye it. W e had fun s a beach in front of wa e er th d an e rib Ca l te d in Cartagena. in many places we visite me e beach. There were so th to nt we we y da t The firs didn’t ask to surf. That day we n re ild ch d lpe he at th people short time yed in the ocean and a pla e W . at th t ou ab t walk em th ht we went for a shor nig At ol. po e th in nt later we we mass bext day we went to the ne e Th p. ee sl to en her th and was very hot, as the ot g lon y da l Al . ay nd Su cause it was went to did a long walk and then we . p.m 30 6: nd ou to days. Ar people to teach us how ing rf su d ke as we y e ocean bed. The next da it. Then, we swam in th did I d an er st si y m surf and e pool. That lunch and we went in th d ha e W s. nt re pa y m e with so it wasn’t a hike. Th , ain tr by s wa e hik e afternoon th pool. That d then we went to the an rf su to nt we we y next da ought that anhike and my father th st ge lon e th did we but it y da twenty-five years ago, e on e m sa e th s wa n other ocea d fun surfing, ring those days, we ha Du h. uc m o to d ge an eakch had t trips, having lunch, br or sh g vin ha ol, po e th swimming in a trip in a ose days, we went to th of e On . er pp su d an fast, t day, we took the air las e Th . ds lan is e m ne my small boat to so gotá. Last in the airpla Bo to re he ck ba e m ca plane and e to Bogota we as y Famas. From ther Pic d ye pla I d an r he mot played a lot of that. happy! of fun and I felt very Those days I had a lot

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2nd Grade

t n e m o M l a i c e p My S

By An a So fĂ­a M on to ya en I was little. I wh t en om m l ia ec sp y I had m y mother and my m th wi e us ho d ol y m was at father. ach. She was om st t an gi a d ha r he My mot

s very excited, wa I . by ba e tl lit a ve going to ha nging to my sissi d an g in lk ta d te ar so I st y mother’s stomach. m in ill st s wa he S ter. to have it, and g in go s wa e sh us ld My mother to clinic. Days later, she e th to nt we e sh en th baby. came back with a little I had a pretty e us ca be d te ci ex lt fe I

vorite! sister. She is my fa

t

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2nd Grade

My First Day at American School

By Nin a M az ar ieg os

My special moment wa s when I won my first swimming ra ce. I was with my mother, my father , and my sister. It was in the sw imming part of my club.

First, I put on my ba thing suit.

Then, a referee said, “The race will begin in 3, 2, 1,” and a horn sounded.

I threw myself into th e water. I swam, swam and swam , and then I won. I screamed, “I won, I did it, I won!” Then, my mot her said to me that I swam very fast , and that’s why I won. My mother, m y father, and my sister congratulated me.

In this special momen t, I felt very happy because I like swimming.

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2nd Grade

My Special Moment

By To ma s M ej ía

My special moment wa s when I won my first swimming ra ce. I was with my mother, my father , and my sister. It was in the sw imming part of my club.

First, I put on my ba thing suit.

Then, a referee said, “The race will begin in 3, 2, 1,” and a horn sounded.

I threw myself into th e water. I swam, swam and swam , and then I won. I screamed, “I won, I did it, I won!” Then, my mot her said to me that I swam very fast , and that’s why I won. My mother, m y father, and my sister congratulated me.

In this special momen t, I felt very happy because I like swimming.

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2nd Grade

I p u w o r When I g . . . a e b d woul B y So f Ă­a So to

t you d yourself wha e k as u yo e do. av H u grow up? I yo n he w be o want t want to know what I o t t an w u u. yo Do Let me tell yo p? u w o gr I be when Sciwant to be a Sometimes I exse I would do entist, becau y mom t would help m ha t s t n e im r pe hink old. Then I t never become on the wyer to work la a g in be t u abo my bigr hours. But, I computer fo be a singer. o t is am e dr gest ing in the hy. First, I s w u yo ll e t l l il w chool and in al s he t in , m o bathro hink I . Second, I t go I s e ac pl the d I also prac an , r ge in s d o am a go t, a good one. Bu be o t t lo a tice not like nd that does ie r f a ve ha sad.

I t makes me ha t d an g in s that I is not can sing and it l al e w k n hi . t I ing and I can´t s an c he s t fair tha I can alk to her so t l il w I k n hi It he unant. I hope s l the sing when I w like to sing al I t ha t ds an derst time. a er and to be ld o be o t t an aIw tage and be f s a n o g in s o when singer t u want to be yo do t ha W . s mou you grow up?

2nd Grade

My First Tennis namrgasent Touyr Va le nt in a Va B

nnis with my One year ago I was playing te e, “Vale, you sister when my coach told m mething? You play very well. Do you know so t. Do you want should play in this tournamen told him, “Yes, to play?” I was surprised, I participated in I want to; but, I have never doesn´t mata tournament.” He said, “It ter. I know you can win.”

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Then I went home and told the story to my parents. They said, “That’s great, honey.” Then we went to buy my uniform; it was white with blue stripes. I said that it was beautiful because my favorite color is blue. The next day was the training and I played very well. When the class was over I asked the coach when the tournament will be and where it will be, and he answered, “TOMORROW!!!”. When I heard that, I felt very surprised and scared about it. The day of the tournament, first I trained.

When the class was over, my coach wished me good luck and I got in the car. I started thinking about how I felt and I felt proud about myself. It was a long way to Guaymaral. When we got there, I saw many people. We sat and waited until they called me.

Finally they called me to the court 4, and I played 6 games. At the end of the tournament they asked me who won and I won in second place. They gave me a trophy and we went home. I was really happy!

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2nd Grade

The Day I Won n i e c a l P d n o c Se Tennis B y Sa nt ia go H en ao

s playing a Last September 20, 2011 I wa b. I was with tennis tournament in my clu my family. n most of I was having a good time. I wo children in the games and there were 32 , but some all. I was winning all the games e end there of them were difficult. At th playing a litwere about 8 children. I was e final. At tle bit badly, but I got to th because I had fours I was super nervous final. to do tie breaks. I lost the the same I felt a little bit bad, but at t, I won time happy, because I lost. Bu , too, besecond place, and that is good ed me. cause my parents congratulat

2nd Grade

The Roller Coaster B y C a rl o s D a n ie l R a m ir ez

Four years a go, the great est and the amazing thing most happened to m e.

One holiday I went to Salit re Magico wit two sisters h my , my mother and my two c W e went to ousins. a roller coas ter named “G and I rode f usanito” ive times on it .

At 1:30, we a dogs, pizza a te hot nd coke. It was delicious we ate potat because oes, too. Th en, we went last time to for the the roller co a ster at 4:55 it went too . When fast, I thre w up and my Natalia said, cousin “My cousin t h r e w The man sto up, please st pped the roll op.” er coaster, “It was not and I said, my fault.” M y mother said think it was , “I the coke, don ´t you?

Finally, we we nt to the car and a man dis as a monste guised r said “Goodbye, little bo super. My fir y.” I felt st time in t he roller coa amazing!!! ster was

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3th Grade

t a e r The G Move nd l Crossla

By Cora

om and m y h w w you kno of the car?¨ I f o y n ¨Do a ng out i t t e g p dad kee asked. lied. p e r y e h ¨No¨, t came y e h t r e ute lat We will n i m a d, ¨ bout Then a d and they sai g this sumoo tin in for g dventure star a have an two years.¨ or mer…f and r e h t o h at eac d e k o o l ey Then th be in l l i w e ears, w ocked! I y said, o w t t nex s sh ¨For the lombia!¨ I wa o Hawaii Co to go t t e g Bogotá, d l u hat we o t w s e a w w t though s but it r e could m I m r u e s t o f A for tw ogotá. y hard. l B l o a t e r g n d i ; I crie hey said, were go d e i r c ,I down t d e breathe m l a nIc But whe

¨The good news is you all get a Nintendo DS!¨ So we went to the store and bought a Nintendo DSI! The next day I went to school and told all of my friends. They were shocked. Summer passed and we had a lot of fun. But then we only had one week left before we had to go to Bogotá. That day came soon, too soon.

When we got off of the plane we took a taxi to our apartment building and unpacked our clothes. Then we went to bed. In the morning I looked out our window and saw a lot of buildings and cars. In two weeks I went to school.

School here is not like home. Here they have a campus and at home the buildings are separated by houses. At first I hated Bogotá, but now I like it. But I wish there were fewer roads and more plants. But the biggest thing I am getting used to is living in a city.

My turning point is still happening, but it might change me because later I will know how to live in a city and because I will know Spanish and I will be smarter for that. I wonder how living in Bogotá will actually change me.

3th Grade

Rayo

By Emma Lozano

One time I was walking in my farm and I saw a black thing moving a few meters from me. Then I realized it was a dog, a Border Collie. First I thought it was Ray, my dog, but then I saw that the dog was dirty, very skinny, and that he had lots of flies around him. I felt sad for him, so I took a rope out of my pocket, tied it to the dog’s neck and took him back to my farm.

The next morning I went to see Rayo (that’s the name I gave him), but I didn’t see him tied to the tree where I had tied him last night. Then I noticed spots of blood all over the ground so I followed them until I found Rayo. He was chewing on something so I got closer and realized he was eating one of my favorite bunnies named Nerf! Then I yelled,

¨Bad Rayo!¨

He immediately turned around when he heard me, jumped up and bit me on the arm. I pushed him off of me to the ground and screamed,

¨Why did you bite me?!¨

But I think I yelled too loud because right after that he ran away through the woods and never came back. So, since that experience I have learned that I have to be a little calmer when I am scared or angry because I scared away the dog that I was trying to save.

3th Grade

A Deer Valley Cookie

By Pedro BenĂ­tez

It all happened when I tried a Deer Valley cookie for the first time. I was in the United States for winter. My family and I were skiing in a place called Deer Valley.

We had finished skiing and we went to the cafeteria for lunch. For dessert I got a cookie (but I did not like cookies a lot at the time). I put it in the microwave. When I tried it, that single cookie changed my life.

It was the most delicious thing in the world! The cookie was soft, warm, and a little bit crunchy with had chocolate chips inside. But those were not normal chocolate chips; they were melted! The cookie had something special, a peculiar flavor that made it unique.

For the rest of week, I ate a cookie for dessert. When we left Deer Valley, the thing that I missed the most was the cookies. I have been searching for a cookie that delicious since then, but to this day still have not found it.

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3th Grade

When my grandmother died...

By Alicia EcheverrĂ­a

I was in 2nd grade, in that time I was 9 years old. My parents told us in our house this sad news.

My sister and I arrived from school. We were so happy because my parents were there. They told us that my grandmother had died. We cried too much and then we thought about my grandfather so we decided to be with him. The next day, I didn’t go to school because of the funeral. We were in the funeral all day long. It started at 8:00 am and finished at 10:00 pm. The next day we went to the Mass. There were too many people. I felt so sad but I knew my grandmother was only sleeping. The hardest part was the cremation because I knew I was not going to see her never again in my life.

I was so sad but I knew that it was her time. I love her and I am going to love her forever.

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3th Grade

! t s o l s i e p Lu One day I was in my farm in Anapoima. I was with my two aunts, my grandmother, my cousin, my uncle, a friend (Laura Vélez), and my dad. My dad, Laura, and I were almost going to leave the farm and go back to Bogota. Then we noticed that Lupe (my dog) didn’t come to have lunch. We didn’t worry so much about it because we thought she was upstairs. Then we left and went back to Bogota without saying goodbye to Lupe.

Three days later, we were told Lupe didn’t appear. Christian (the farm worker) called my aunt and told her that Lupe was lost. Then she told my dad the bad news, and he told me.

I felt very, very sad. Then I started to cry. My dad and my mom comforted me. My uncle printed flyers and pasted them everywhere in the town.

They announced in Anapoima’s radio station that Lupe was lost; they said “if you find a

boxer dog called Lupe, please call xxx-xxx-xxxx.” Every taxi driver knew about Lupe. When the farm worker got on a taxi, the taxi driver asked him, “Have you found her?” “No”, Christian answered. He looked for her all around the town.

Finally, and after hours and hours of search, Christian arrived to a farm where he found Lupe. She was tied with a rope to a tree. When Lupe saw Christian, she was so happy! But then she laid down and rested. Christian took her back to our farm. He called my aunt and told her the good news. My aunt called my dad and my dad told me. I was so happy!!! My dog Lupe was back home!!!

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My Little

3th Grade

School

It all started when I was two years old in the best years of my life, in the Little school Periquitos.

I was sleeping in my bed and my mom said, “Wake up, you have to go to school.” I said, “ I don´t want to go” and then I said, “ What is Little school?” My mom said, “ Just go to take a bath.” I went, took a bath, ate breakfast, and got in the car. I said, “ Why are we going here if my grandmother´s house is the other way?” My mother said, “ Because we are not going to grandma´s house, we are going to Little school, Periquito.” I was very worried, but we got to Periquito. I was scared, but then I saw a boy and I said to him, “What is your name?” and he said, “Juan Camilo Santa.” I said, “My name is Samuel Camacho, do you want to play?” Juan Camilo said, “Ok” and we went to see the animals. The animals were rabbits and next to the rabbits was a house made of wood.

I said, “There are toys,” and we went in there. It was very cool because there were chickens and we played. Then more

By Samuel Camacho

kids came and we played, but two of them were throwing things at us. They were Nicolas and Martin. Then a kid named Daniel Paez began to talk about Star Wars. I talked a little bit because I only knew a little bit of Star Wars. Then I got to my house and said to my dad, “ Can you tell me more about Star Wars?” and he told me more about Star Wars. The next day I talked about Star Wars more and played it. I bought some toy light sabers and we brought them to school and we played all recess. Another day we were playing Star Wars and I hid in a Wheel tower. All day no one found me and at the end of the day, the bell rang and I ran for my backpack. I went with my friend Juan Camilo to our bus.

That’s how I passed my Little school. Wait, it doesn´t finish.

That’s how I have many friends and learned more about Star Wars. Today, I like Star Wars and remember Always be happy in whatever you are doing!

3th Grade

By Sofia Fonseca

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Heartbroken

It all started with my dog.

I was watching TV at my houseand I was seeing my dog outside and then I DIDN´T SEE HIM, IT WAS VERYTERRIBLE! Then I called my mom and dad. After that, they came to my house and I said that Benny, my dog disappeared. My mom and dad said that we needed to find Benny. Next, we went to look for Benny in the car. Then I started to cry and I was with my heart broken. I was very sad! After we went to look for him and we didn´t find him He disappeared for like two weeks and I cried and cried for like two weeks. We didn´t know where he was. After the two weeks, on Sunday, I said to my parents, “We need to find Benny – now or never!”My parents and I went to the car and looked for him. I said that he had died or something, but then I said the most cruel thing of the world that was that a man took him and cut his heart. My mom said, “ Don´t exaggerate Sofi!” and I said, “ but it could have happened to my most beautiful thing of the world.” “I

don´t think so Sofi,” said my Dad. “Silence!” I screamed, “We need to find Benny!” So my parents and I went to find Benny. Then I saw nine dogs like Benny, but it wasn´t like always. I started to cry, I knew that it wasn´t Benny because that dog was female and Benny is not a female, he is a male. Then my dad said, “We need to at lunch now,” and I said, “No! We need to find Benny now or never!”

Then we went to my house, it was like 3:50. We spent like one hour looking for Benny! So we arrived to my house and I was heartbroken. Then I saw Benny going to my house very calmly. He was smiling at me. I had a great surprise about Benny. I got very happy that Benny was in my house with me. Finally, Benny was found and I was very calm and happy.

I learned a lesson that you don´t need to exaggerate the things that happen to you.

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3th Grade

I´m Heartbroken One Friday, I was in my house playing with my brother Andrés. My parents were visiting my sick grandma. We got tired and went to sleep. (It was night.)

On Saturday, my parents went to buy something. We started playing for about 30 – 40 minutes. We got a Little bit tired so we started watching TV. Meanwhile, my parents came.

We watched TV about 20 minutes and my parents

entered. We went to say Hi. We watched about five more minutes. We watched Penguins of Madagascar, Sponge Bob, and much more. My brother asked me if we could play Wii. I told him we needed to ask Mom. We went to ask Mom if we could play Wii. We asked her. My parents said they needed to tell us something first. We went running to my parent´s room. They told us to calm down. We calmed down.

My dad said, “Tatay died.”

“She went to the sky,” said Mom. We called my grandma Tatay because when I was a baby, I called her Pitatay, but when my brother was born , he couldn´t say it, so we say Tatay.(That´s why we call her Tatay.) I felt like part of my heart was breaking. I started crying. Then I hugged my mother. Later, I hugged my father. I continued crying. I knew my mother was very sad because it was her mom.

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n That night I didn´t sleep well. I cried and cried.

I knew my grandma´s dog and my grandma would be together again because my grandma´s dog had died too. That was the saddest day of my whole life.

By Juan Camilo Santa

May 14, 2011 was my First Communion.

That day I was very happy and very sad.

It was very happy because I was receiving Jesus in my heart and sad because I couldn´t see my grandma in my First Communion.

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4 a r G

4 Gra th

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4a d

ade

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4th Grade

Reading for Pleasure

By Manuela Villegas

red Have you ever been bo that en with nothing to do? Wh a book happens to me, I pick way I and start reading. That e. People am not bored anymor re for should read for pleasu many reasons. about One of the best things so much reading is that there is to variety! It is your choice can u decide what to read. Yo like. At choose books that you book school they give you a it even if and you have to read read for you don’t like it. If you things pleasure, you can read on and that you are interested reading. that you would enjoy n, but Reading is not only fu ile you you can also learn wh fact read. Some books are find lots books where you can gs you of information and thin also don’t know. There are u can yo history books where haplearn a lot about what

o. You can learn pened years ag ple, wars and about early peo le that existed. important peop ks can teach Even fantasy boo ssons for your you important le everyday life. help you Also books can fun. Joke books enjoy and have ugh and smile. will make you la you can imagIn fantasy books ening and ask ine what’s happ ill happen next. yourself what w ill pass quickly This way, time w ve an excellent and you will ha time. is the best I think reading ur free time. way to enjoy yo will never be If you read, you ally like to bored again. I re everybody read and I think try. Pick up a should give it a ading today! book and start re

Improve your English skills

by Re ad ing Ra z kid s

d a 4th Grade

By Sofía vega

Many people think reading is a waste of time or a doomed activity to do. And they forget or don’t realize that reading is the first step to improve their English skills.

You should read Raz-Kids because Raz-Kids have many special activities such as listening, reading, recording, and taking a quiz to improve your comprehension ability. In the listening exercise, you hear the right pronunciation and check the mistakes you do when you read by your own. Besides, it helps you to identify your mistakes and correct your English pronunciation!

Another reason why you should read Raz-Kids is because it challenges you with a test that asks you different types of questions about the nonfiction or fiction texts. You need to read and concentrate on the text so that you can understand or comprehend the reading. If you don’t under-

stand the reading, you won’t be promoted to the nest level and you won’t win stars for the RazRocket.

The last reason why you should read Raz-Kids is because you get information that is useful and is about different subjects such as history, social studies, or science. Almost all the books of Raz-Kids give you an important information about a person, a place, or a thing too. As a result, you can increase your knowledge and be aware about people’s life.

Raz-Kids make you aware of various topics.

Using and reading RazKids give you many advantages to improve your English. It also has exercises for learning such as listening exercises, reading comprehension tests, presentation of nonfiction information. These are great ways to improve your skills in English. So if you want to improve your English in a fun or excellent way …Raz-Kids is the best way to start. Please come on and start to read…RAZ KIDS!

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4th Grade

Lunch is Important!

By Mariana Tamayo

Sometimes people don´t have lunch because they think they will become fat. But the reality is that lunch is a wonderful meal that will help you get energy for the rest of the day.

The first reason is that, the food you eat in the middle of the day will give you a lot of nutrients to work hard, study, and have fun so that you will be able to succeed the rest of the day. Children have lots of work to do including homework, study for exams, practice sports for health, and be alert most of the time during classes. So, it is very important to have a good and balanced lunch. To have energy, you need to get nutrients.

Besides, lunch will help you not to get sick so easily or catch diseases from other kids who do not eat during the day. Lunch will give you proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients that will help you fight against diseases.

Some children think that when they go to the cafeteria and have lunch, they are wasting time that they need to play, work, and study. However, if you don´t eat; for example, when you are playing, you will have a stomachache that will sound like “URRRR” , why?, because you are hungry. On the contrary, if you eat you will play better and finish your day; you won’t be tired, you will be active to play more, do exercise, and work better.

Lunch is one of the most important meals of the day. It is important to HAVE LUNCH EACH DAY. Why? Now you know the reasons: to play well!, to be healthy!, and to have fun with your friends, family, and all your partners!

WHY PEOPLE SHOULD READ FOR PLEASURE Reading is an experience shared by most adults and children. It is a time for relaxing and at the same time for enjoying. Besides, reading is an opportunity for learning. Reading inspires people’s hobbies too. While some people like sports, others like science or history. That’s why there are books of all kinds. When people read, they have a great time because they can choose a book they would like to read from the variety of books that are found in the library stores, in the school libraries, or at home.

Reading is not an obligation; it is an experience so the idea is to enjoy it and read for pleasure.

There are millions of authors in the world and every author likes to write about a different topic. Based on that, people

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4th Grade

By Sofia Vega

should choose the topic they are interested in and look for a book about it and get amazed with all the interesting facts and ideas they can find. At the time people read, they have fun and when they less expect, they have finished the reading.

When this happens, people are proud of themselves. Another reason why people should read for pleasure is because when they read, they are learning.

Learning is wonderful but there are ways for learning that make you get bored. Through reading, people will be learning in an easier and fun way.

Based on these main reasons, I invite you to read. Take your time, choose a book of your interest, and enjoy it!

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NO MORE LIES

4th Grade

By Sofia DurĂĄn

All people make mistakes and one of the biggest mistake is to tell lies.

Sometimes telling lies does not have a specific purpose, but sometimes there is a big intention.

Haven’t you seen that most of the problems grow because of lies? Or haven’t you noticed that some people are alone because others do not trust on them? That is because they have deceived or disappointed them by lying.

Telling the truth helps you make more friends and keep your friends. If you always lie to your friends, one or another day they will find out the truth.

Could you imagine that horrible feeling!!!!!!? Your friends will stop trusting you and you will be alone. For example, if one girl borrows some money from another girl and the other girl lends it but reminding her that she will need the money back next

day and the money is returned two weeks later, the girl who lent the money loses the trust on her friend. In another situation you can tell a lie and you can feel that it is nothing. However, the lie can become bigger and bigger and as a consequence it can become a great problem. Sometimes people do something wrong and besides that tell lies to justify their mistake.

Sometimes people use lies and accuse others.

Always and at the end, the truth is known. That is why we should not tell lies.

Sadly some people do not understand that and they keep telling lies. But God knows the consequences for each person. Anyway, stop telling lies because you know what will happen and you will have lots of friends.

Massage Chair

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s

4th Grade

By Valentina Think about Sánchez chairs! Mas sage chairs!

When you s it on them do n’t they mak e you want to The school will become lay there all day long? T m o re p o p ular and it w hink about the ill joy of havin get more fu g those cha n d s .

It is a irs at school. T wonderful c he comfort ycle in whic h given by the everybody w se chairs ins. will provide you with the peace a You can als nd stillness o think abo ut you need fo the advanta r learning. If ges of those people repla chairs for stu ce dull, old, dents. For regular cha instance, th irs by brand e comfort o f new massag those chairs e chairs, has a direct everyone w relation with ould be rea students’ ll y happy. Eve grades. If a n teachers’ student is chairs can b comfortable ecome mas, a student sage chairs. is relaxed. O If students therwise, if have massa a s tu d e n t is stressed ge chairs, th , he ey will love to would not b be at schoo e a b le to do l and they wil his work . If l enjoy the students are classes more relaxed, the y can do mu . Everyone ch will enjoy sc better work . hool!

The joy of h aving those chairs at sch ool would be the best thing that I could imagin e. One of th e school jobs is to make students fee l happy. If th e students are happy, parents will be happy. In th at way, parents will recommend the sc hool to othe rs.

Massage ch airs will be great for all of us. You know that e veryone lov es massages.

The chairs that we hav e at school are made of plastic. Thin k about that s ometimes those plasti c chairs hurt you; plus w ith the plasti c, you can ma ke other stu ff .

That would be another business.

Why People Should Appreciate Art Page - 60

4th Grade

By María Camila García

Art is a beautiful way for people to express themselves and sometimes to show them the beauty of life. Sadly, people in our generation are more interested in TV, computers and other stuff like that. They are not interested in art, sports, dancing, singing, learning playing or other creative things that fill their minds with happiness and joy. For instance, art gives you the chance to get knowledge about the past or the development of communities, to express feelings, or to collect memories of an author or creator.

People should appreciate art because it provides them with the opportunity of expressing their feelings in a good and creative way.

Sometimes people’s bad memories accumulated inside them find an easy way to be shared through art.

Other people do not want to use another means of communication with others. They prefer to share what they see, what they feel, or what they are with art.

The second reason why people should appreciate art is because it fills their lives with happiness. Most

of the people in our generation are more interested in TV or Internet, which might fill their heads with negative things (not always) or might not let them see what is around them. Art does the opposite. Art helps you see the beauty, the reality, or the nature. .Art also teaches you how to work individually or in group and how other people are.

The third and last reason why people should get along well with art is because art also provides knowledge about different things.

The great artists Picasso or Botero have been well known because of art. Art has told us how earth was before when cameras and videotapes did not exist. For instance, now we know how prehistoric people hunted, cooked, or lived and how native inhabitants use art on their faces to distinguish themselves among other cultures.

In conclusion, art provides many things that help people in their daily lives. Art is in women, men, in habits; and the most important thing art is in people’s HEARTS!!!!!

s

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4th Grade

The Muddy Track

By Juan Felipe Gómez

On Monday, September 5th, 2011, my friends and I were invited to a hiking trip to Los Llanos Orientales, a large region in Colombia that has few or mostly no hills or mountains at all. In the morning, the tour bus picked us up at Safeway, a supermarket. It took us about five or six hours to arrive to the camp where we were going to sleep during three nights. On the way, we went through four tunnels and we also stopped at two restaurants. In one of them, we ate a small breakfast, and in the other, we ate lunch.

About one hour after passing by the last restaurant, the bus dropped us at an unpaved road that seemed not to have an end. There was where the real hike for us started.

I was happy of arriving to

the place where we were going to stay, but that happiness didn’t really last long. Zambo people, the hiking leaders, told us that the camp was 9 kilometers away from that spot. I felt really disappointed because I was not going to rest at all. A minute later, everyone was walking, and I didn’t want to be the last to start. Besides the long distances, the temperature was really high.

The weather in those plains is extremely hot.

I noticed that at the sides of the road, there were some really big puddles of brown water.

I wondered why there were such enormous puddles in a place that is basically a desert. But I remembered that one day, my dad explained

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to me that the in these places are very cold. Days could be very warm, but nights could be freezing cold. So, during the night was when it rained, because of the cold.

After walking for about two hours, I saw a really big puddle, which was right in front of me, in the middle of the path. Then, I took a closer look, and I could tell it was very deep and its color was a horrible, light, and thick brown.

Obviously, we all had to go around the path, otherwise we would sink. Two tracks were around it, each at the puddle’s sides. One of them was dry; it had sand, dust and some small rocks. The other one was completely the opposite; it was muddy, it had some water, and it had moving sand almost everywhere.

I saw that Laura, Valentina, and Federico were really enjoying the hike because they were going by the muddy track. On the contrary, Lorenzo was going by the dry track and he was lonely, silent and sort of bored of walking all that much. In addition, I saw a snake going really close to him. That made the dry track dangerous. I thought a lot about it, and I decided to go by the muddy track.

It was funny, and I knew that I would enjoy the hike a lot more if I went by the muddy track.

When I entered to the muddy track, I noticed that besides being dirty, it was very sticky. I took three steps and after the third of them, I got stuck. While I was stuck, my shoes sank, and my socks got extremely dirty. After many tries, I finally got out of the moving sand. Suddenly, I lost the balance, and I fell backwards. This time, it was harder to stand up because all my body started to sink.

After going out of the mud, I was dirty, full of mud, from head to toe. My sneakers were originally gray and blue, but after this incident, they actu-

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ally turned brown. I took my socks off and they were full of mud inside of them. I noticed something jumping out of my sock. I observed closely and I realized what it was.

It was a frog! It didn’t seem to be scared at all. After cleaning my left sock, where the frog was, I revised the other one to see that there wasn’t another frog in it. While I was doing that, the frog jumped right inside my muddy shoe. It started pushing the shoe towards a brook that was nearby. When I noticed that, I ran after my shoe, because having a wet, dirty, muddy shoe is not that comfortable. Right after grabbing my shoe, I took the little, green frog out of my shoe very carefully because I didn’t wanted to harm it. Then, I put my shoes on, and I continued on my hike.

When I finally arrived to the camp, the first thing I did was washing my clothes. I saw another frog in one of my shoes! I think that I bring frogs around. I don’t know why, but now the frog jumped into one of my shirts and start taking it, only that this time it was going towards one of the tents. The only problem was that it was already late. The night was arriving as well

as the darkness. The frog had hidden beside a corner of the distant tent. I looked for the shirt with my lantern.

When I found it, I searched for the frog. When I touched it, the little animal jumped out of the shirt. Unfortunately, it landed on a puddle that was really close, and my shirt got even dirtier, because the tiny frog spilled the puddle’s water all over it!

After this wonderful experience, I learned not to be afraid of tiny animals like frogs.

Some of them can be very dangerous, but those are not seen so often. The animals that are usually close to us, humans, are the least dangerous. They could hardly hurt you. They are all harmless.

However, we will always be surrounded by nature. It’s extremely difficult not to be close to nature. Maybe someday a butterfly will pose on my nose, or a lizard will climb all the way to my shoulders.

Who knows? Anything could happen!

s t u n l a W e • 1nd edition

in Online magaz

2011 - 2012 •

#6

Walnuts collects some of the best Elementary School Writing.

2011-2012