By the kids of Strathcona’s Division 18
Copyright © 2020 The Writers’ Exchange This book was created by Division 18, Ms. Tam’s grade 1 class, at Strathcona Elementary School in the fall of 2019. The Writers’ Exchange gets inner-city kids excited about reading, writing and their own potential through mentoring and creative projects like this chapbook. All Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families we serve, and we could not exist without the support of amazing donors, including BC Social Venture Partners Vancouver, Marily Mearns, Linda Louis, Bernard MacLeod, the Grayross Foundation held at the Vancouver Foundation, Sasamat Foundation, the Blue Planet Links Foundation, Nancy and
Ted Maitland, John and Nina Cassils, Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, Jim Fletcher, Lindsay Mearns, Richard and Suzanne Cole, the Wolrige Foundation, the Van Tel/Safeway Credit Union Legacy Fund, Grant Conroy, Morie Ford, Jamie Evrard, Leslie Lenny, Theresa Shaw, CLICK (Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids Society), Not Just A Coffee Fund, Tweedledum Foundation, Scott Shaw and Marion Man, Steve Munford, Symcor, Royal Bank of Canada, Little Mountain Holdings Co., Mount Pleasant War Memorial Community Cooperative Association, Andrew Igel, Gordon Ross, Massy Books, Mark Tindle, Diane and Robert Matson and Rain or Shine Ice Cream.
Writers’ Exchange mentors: Irene, Laura, Nicole, Stacey, Terry and Wendy Design and layout: marameolab.net Creative lead: Jennifer MacLeod 207–877 East Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6A 3Y1 vancouverWE.com
We are honoured to be able to provide safe, fun and welcoming programs for kids and their families on the unceded and traditional territories of the xwm 0kw y’ m (Musqueam), skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and ’’ selílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As uninvited guests on this land we are grateful to be able to enjoy this beautiful place and we are committed to building relationships and learning about ongoing traditional ways of life from our Indigenous friends.
THE WOLRIGE FOUNDATION
VAN TEL/SAFEWAY CREDIT UNION LEGACY FUND
provide direct support to Writers’ Exchange in-school projects.
generously donated the printing of this chapbook.
CONTENTS Lucia
4
Owen H.
5
Sydney
6
Kiana
7
Orion
8
Jeenat
9
Celeste
10
Linda
11
Quintus
12
Jarin
13
Troy
14
Owen M.
15
Eva
16
Neeno
17
Wesley
18
Tanner
19
ABOUT THIS BOOK We sent questions to lots of different people who had different kinds of jobs. They sent us back answers, and we learned about what it’s like to have each of their jobs. We also got to meet with the people in real life and ask them more questions.
Then we drew different people with different kinds of jobs, and thought about some of the things they might say or do. Turn to the back of the book to see the questions we sent the different people with jobs, and what they said back to us!
4
I like cutting hair.
I’m going to cut people’s hair!
Do you like cutting hair?
What kind of hair do you want?
BARBER By Lucia
5 I like to give needle shots.
THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE
At the doctor’s office, someone got in trouble! The doctor didn’t listen to what he said!
DOCTOR
By Owen H.
6
Do you want gelato? Enjoy your food!
CHEF By Sydney
7
I am a hair stylist.
I like gold.
HAIR STYLIST
By Kiana
8 Do you want a menu? Do you want water? Do you want food?
Do you want spaghetti? How much money do I make? I make $100.
When can I go home?
SERVER By Orion
9
I am a gardener.
I like pink flowers.
GARDENER
By Jeenat
10 THE RADIO HOST
One day at the radio station, the radio host got in trouble. She was being bad by telling people bad words. The boss was watching all the time. The radio host was talking good before, but then she talked really, really bad. The boss got so mad that she turned the radio off and the radio host was suspended for 1,000 years. THE BARBER
One hundred days after the hair salon opened, a customer walked in with crazy hair. That was the first customer. Then the next customer came in. Then the barber had to cut the first person’s hair. She said “Give me coins,” but she got paper money. The next morning, another barber walked in. When she came in, she had a broken dress.
BARBER By Celeste
11
Rainbow
I am a teacher. It is writing time.
TEACHER
By Linda
12
I will eat cookies.
FOOD TASTER By Quintus
13
I am a girl. I am a hairdresser. I cut hair.
I really like my shoes.
HAIRDRESSER By Jarin
14 I am very funny. I prank my mum and dad.
Hi. I am very busy.
By Troy
15
I love you, mum.
ASTRONAUT
By Owen M.
16
BUS DRIVER By Eva
17
I am wearing a mask and gloves.
By Neeno
18
What kind of hair do you want?
BARBER By Wesley
19
By Tanner
20 MEET OUR PROS We’d like to thank Ben from Session Games, Charis from JackFM, Haley the farmer, Marlon and Reign from WSDM Club Barber Shop, Melissa the editor, Rory the server and Scott the bus driver for coming to meet us and answer our questions!
SERVER Do you get hungry at work? Yes, but luckily I can have a snack if I’m hungry. Some food is free, but special food is half-price.
Do you like the song “Move It, Move It”? Yes, I love that song. Do you like your job? I like it! It’s fun, and I get to listen to music and make people laugh. What do you do if you have to go to the bathroom? I put on a very long song.
BARBER Does everyone want short hair? Not everyone. Everyone has their own style. Does hair dye smell like smelly markers? It smells very strong with lots of chemicals, but not very nice.
Do you ever sneak food from a customer’s plate? Never!
Do you get tired of standing up too long? We can stand for eight hours sometimes, so we have to eat good food and drink lots of water.
Do you get to keep all the money? No. Most of the money is for the restaurant.
Do you like cutting hair? I like to make sad people happy when I cut their hair.
RADIO HOST
BUS DRIVER
Do you ever get in trouble at work? Yes, sometimes, when we say things on air that we shouldn’t. Like too many fart jokes.
Is it fun to drive? Yes! It’s fun. You get to sit up high and see all the other cars. They’re really big.
21 Can you eat and drink while you’re driving? Only if you’re at a red light.
Do you like to draw? I like to draw Ninja Turtles!
Is it hard when people are rude to you? Yes, but most people are nice. Sometimes people are having a bad day.
EDITOR
GAME DEVELOPER Do you have to draw when you make games? Absolutely. You have to draw a lot. How do you come up with the stories? By reading lots of books. How do you make video games? It takes 10 people and each person has a different job. I get to test the video games. Do you like Mario? He’s the best!
Are the letters sometimes upside down? No, but they can be in the wrong order. Do you get to play during the day? I get to walk, and sometimes go to the beach on breaks.
FARMER Do you have to work in the rain? Yes, I work in all weather. Is it hard? Sometimes it’s hard. How deep can you dig? Very deep! Why did you want to be a farmer? Because I like to grow food for myself and other people.
22
DRAW YOUR FAVOURITE JOB
23
MY JOB:
THINGS I DO:
THINGS I SAY AT WORK:
AUTOGRAPHS
As an author of a Writers’ Exchange book, you are invited to sign up for FREE after-school and summer programs at the Writers’ Exchange home base at 207–877 East Hastings Street. We run programs for kids in grades 1 to 12.
Ask your teacher for a signup sheet, go to vancouverWE.com or call Jennifer at 604-428-8228 for more information.