SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Teaching-Writers Emily Pittinos and Chris Mathers Jackson

PAINT ME A PORTRAIT

Adee Use red the color of the bull for bulls are strong and sturdy Make a hoop of sticks, twigs, for kids to play with Make meadows all around for dogs to play and friends to run

Let kids play basketball wearing red jerseys Let me wear 23 for he is my idol Let hammocks be hung in trees far and wide With books all around and clouds loating by

Let me be holding the ball and a book in my hand My friends all laughing and no one sad Have wonderful waters lowing nearby with mountain top in the distance towering above Let this place be colorful and bright with not a frown in sight Let it be a happy place of friends galore Is this too much to ask? All I want is for this moment to be framed in glass

Maisie

One aternoon I was taken by my father to the zoo. I didn’t want to go because of the wind blasting towards my face and the chilly weather getting through my salmon pink and yellow sweatshirt. My dad was going on and on about the zoo’s history.

“Ugh, dad lectures,” I thought. I decided to ignore him and try to enjoy myself. Luckily, I brought my book everywhere I go, so I started to read that instead of listening. Suddenly I heard a loud roaring that was coming from the nearby path that leads to the lions, tigers, bobcats, and snow leopards. I quickly stood up from my seat and ran over there as I let my book and my dad had a very surprised look as I ran to the pathway. When I got there I could see all the majestic animals a few feet around me. When I faced the glass cage I saw a bright red fox sneakily inding its way around the cage. Around the other corner I saw a similar cage to the foxes, except there were maybe two to three bobcats in the cage. They were all a kind of grey and brown with silky fur. I heard then my dad call my name and I knew that he was going to give me another lecture about manners. But boy was I wrong. He started talking about how the animals were endangered and how he was happy that I was curious and excited about the zoo. I had an astonished look on my face and out of the blue said, “You’re not mad!?” “Why would I be?” he responded. “I don’t l know,” I said, chuckling at myself. An hour later my dad said that we had to leave but I didn’t want to. He practically had to drag me! “We can come back next weekend,” dad said. “I’m so excited for next week to come around. I just wanted to see the powerful lions, or ohh I know, the sly foxes, no, the careful snow leopards, ok, I can’t choose anymore.” And as we rode in the car back home all I could hear was my dad laughing at me.

Molly

The sun shines brightly through the leaves on the trees. It relects the vein-like features that rest inside the leaves upon the forest loor. Birds chirp their beautiful song, the harmony that is so natural is the most beautiful. Before long I hear rustling, and the branches of the bushes move switly. I bend down so sotly it is like the animal is unaware of my curiousness and every move. Slowly a small bunny peers out. Its dusty white fur is still so clean even from fending in the forest. The moment it lays eyes on me it does not hop away, but it runs away. Deep into the bush the bunny goes. I lean in closer until the dewy smell of fresh earth creeps into my nose. I feel one with nature and the world.

Bastien

Once upon a time, there were three warrior adventurers named Ronin (me), Salazar, and Aaron. We were going to ight a giant dragon in a large battle arena that was boxed in so the dragon doesn’t escape. The battle arena was a huge canyon with steep walls and no water. The crowd had a protective shield to keep from getting hurt. It had cracks on the ground from battles that had taken place before. While we were walking around the canyon, I said, “Let’s split up in the canyon to ind this dragon to defeat, but if you ind it, run for your lives. While you run for your lives, launch a rocket in the air so that we can ind you. I have to go climb the tallest part of the rocky canyon for the inishing strike. Also, try not to die. That would be kind of bad.” “Ok, but why do you get to do the inal hit?” Salazar and Aaron asked at the same time. “Because I called it irst and because I felt like it, so yeah….” I started to climb, but some of the rocks started to shake and some sharp broken glass fell of, but I didn’t let it stop me climbing. When I got to the top, the dragon’s talons broke into the ground, which split with a loud cracking sound. The crowd cheered and shouted as they saw I had reached the inal challenge. I heard a dragon’s wings lapping as it noticed me too and readied for battle. It roared with a terrible scream. The dragon shot up into the air and stared down at me. It smelled old, like it got sprayed by a skunk or like it hasn’t properly cleaned itself in months. The dragon was going to try to crush me under its huge form, but I got away just in time, rolling to the right. When the dragon crashed into the ground, I could feel the razor sharp scales piercing the hard rocks on the ground through vibrations in the soil. I slashed at the dragon with my sword, and the sword vibrated so hard it felt hot, like you wanted to throw it away to not get burned. I inally got the chance to take my signaling rocket and lit it. Ater that, I jumped down the canyon and grabbed onto a branch that stuck out. My team waited at the bottom of the clifside. When I climbed down, Salazar and Aaron asked me,“Hello Ronin! Need some help slaying that dragon?” Ronin said, “Yeah, that would be pretty handy.” We climbed back up to the top of the clif. Salazar and

Aaron and I saw a gigantic pair of spiky turquoise wings, the leather-like webbing between its wings thick with veins. Its neck was long and slender and plated with thick armor at the throat. The spikes on its neck were short, thin, sharp, with webbing between them like the wings. Its head had a pair of long, dull spikes that were dark and horn-like spikes on its head, like the ones on a bull only duller. Its black eyes were small and beady. I could see a trace of fear in them, like it was scared of us. It let loose a great ball of ire from its throat and the smoke coming of it had a stinky, acidic smell of death. It roasted the shield above our head, the one that protected the watching fans from a iery death.

Piper

The day was warm and bright at the zoo. I could feel the animals’ pain as I walked down the prison for the animals. I felt bad. I never thought that I could see a girl looking out onto the pond. With her thick wavy strawberry blonde hair glowing in the sun. As I walked up to her I could smell her rose perfume when the wind blew. I came up to her and asked her some questions. When she was speaking to me, her calm voice felt like the world was stopping and it was just me and her. She told me that her favorite place is the beach and she wished that she could be there every day. I asked her if she had a dog. “Not any more,” she said. I was in pain when she told me that her dog died in her arms when she was little. Her tears dripped down her face. I looked at her and said, “ Don’t worry it will be ok. How about we go look at some animals.” “Ok,” she said. We walked of to see the animals.

Sala

They feel alive in the zoo. Almost as if they belong there, as if that is their home. They run around and hug every animal. They consider stopping as they look crazy. But the love for animals keeps them going. They are like a kid at a candy store. They love meeting new animals. They have no stress in the world when they are at the zoo. Almost as if they are on laughing gas. They grab sticks and rocks and leaves. They go home and look at these things very closely. They note that the rocks have holes in them. Why do they have holes in them, they wonder. The stick looks like it has hair on it, they note that down as well. The leaves all have a diferent pattern on them. Just like our ingerprints, they write down.

Juniper

For the record, it wasn’t my fault. Well, it was not entirely my fault. It was the 14th of August. The day before my birthday. I was bored and the day so far was terribly dull. I wanted to do something exciting, something fun, something… not boring. I had an idea, an idea that later I would regret with my entire being. I wanted to go to the zoo. Since I was sixteen (seventeen the next day) I could drive there myself. My mom told me to bring along my little sister, April. I was secretly annoyed, but I knew if I said anything, I would get into trouble. “August?” my sister asked. “Yeah?” “Are we going to the new walk-in exhibit? “That’s the plan.” We inally arrived at the zoo, and I took out our family’s zoo membership card and lashed it to the woman working at the administration stand. She nodded, and the guard opened the zoo gates. “Okay we just need to ind the exhibit,” I said, staring at the pamphlet. “I think it is this way,” April replied, pointing toward the west wing of the zoo. There was indeed a sign that pointed to the exhibit. So, as any normal visitor would do, we walked that way. The exhibit was a large, new built looking metal cage with various animals in it. There was a sleeping lion, two radiant gazelles, and many other animals that I have no idea the names of. A voice startled me from my gaze at the animals before me. “Hi, I’m Zoey. Are you here for the exhibit tour?” A voice said. I spun around, and a girl about my age smiled at me. She had long brown hair pulled into a tight bun. She wore green shorts and a white short sleeve shirt with the Zoo logo on the front. Her blue eyes were majestic in the sun. “Uh, yeah,” I said, fumbling around in my pockets for my membership card “Oh no need, the exhibit is free anyway,” she said.

April and I followed the girl into the exhibit. We walked for a while, but then I stopped in horror. I saw the animal I feared most out of all things… rabbits. It was technically a hare, but in that moment I did not know the diference between and could care less. I screamed louder than I have ever in my entire life. April tried to rush me out of the exhibit but I was ten steps ahead of her, literally. Zoey ran ater me and my sister. My red curly hair lew in my face as I ran, trying to ind the exit. My black sweatshirt was getting hot, so mid-run, I unzipped it. I looked behind me, and before I knew it, I had crashed into the water machine that was near the eating area of the zoo. My shorts were soaked. Finally April and Zoey caught up to me. “Are you okay!?” Zoey said, holding out her hand. “I’m ine, just a little...wet.” Zoey laughed, and pulled me up from the ground. “What was your-” “August,” I replied.

Maggi Horses, running and bolting behind me. I’m on one, you see, a black and white paint horse. Looking like a white horse that was splattered with black paint. My long, naturally and a bit curly, but also bone straight, hair lying behind me as I ride along. I’m wearing a white t-shirt, light blue jean shorts, and light brown cowboy boots. I’m riding as my dog is behind me racing against the bolting horses and me. My dog has to be a golden color with some red hues. Her ears back as she runs through the sot, green grass. My cat, Siamese, sits on the rear end of the horse watching us bolt across the green grass. The horse herd, me, my horse, my cat, and my dog.

I’m leaning forward, smiling as I focus on my horse. All of us are running through a smaller lake as water drops are lying up. I’m not riding with any tack except a bridle. The herd is in the background running a bit of a diferent direction then us. There are some far trees in the distance.

Owen The camping turtle slowly trots through the campground curious about what he will do in the evening. He loves all of the fresh air.

All of the neighbors are very quiet and welcoming and like to touch my shell. They also smell all around me. When walking around, I listen to all of the other campers and nature. When I’m done looking around and observing the campground daily, the majority of the time I will go into my camper. I will take a nap on my friend’s lap while my friend is playing cards or doing something with his friend, Kailyn. Ater that my owner or friend and I will take a walk by the river and occasionally go ishing. I watch all of the ish come up and I go swimming. Those are the best times for me to hang out with my best friend, Mike. Another day I’m by the river swimming and I wonder, “why don’t I live in the water?” But then I realize that I wouldn’t want anything diferent from my life now especially if it is without my best pal, Mike.

Suhas One day there was a boy named Lamar. Lamar decided to go to the zoo. He was very excited to go to the zoo because he really wanted to see a Girafe. He brought a camera with him so he could take pictures of all of the animals. When he got there he just started looking for the Girafe. While he was looking he got lost in a dark cave. Lamar decided to explore in the cave. While he was looking around he found a dinosaur bone. Lamar decided to dig up the bones and keep them. When Lamar got home he put the dinosaur bones together. It ended up being a T-Rex. One day when he was sleeping, the bones turned into a real dinosaur. The dinosaur broke out of the house and ran back to the zoo. Lamar ran ater the dinosaur. He saw the dinosaur run back to the cave where he found the bones. Lamar decided to leave the dinosaur in the cave and he never saw him again.