Copyright © 2015 The Writers’ Exchange This book was created by Division 7, Ms. Husak’s grade 1 class, at Mount Pleasant Elementary in the spring of 2015. The Writers’ Exchange makes literacy exciting and accessible for inner-city kids through free mentoring and creative writing projects like this chapbook. All Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families we serve, so we could not exist without the support of generous donors, including Bernard MacLeod, Marily Mearns, Megan Abbott, Linda Louis, Lindsay Mearns, Nancy and Ted Maitland, anonymous donor, Social Venture Partners Vancouver, the Waterbury Foundation, TELUS, BPS Wealth Management at CIBC Wood Gundy, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, SpencerCreo Foundation, the Vancouver Foundation, the Grayross Foundation held at the Vancouver Foundation, RBC Foundation and the CKNW Orphans’ Fund. Thank you. And thank you to the amazing volunteer mentors who work with the kids in all Writers’ Exchange programs so that each child can succeed to the best of his or her ability.
881 East Hastings Vancouver, BC V6A 1R8 To read more great student writing, visit vancouverWE.com Writers’ Exchange mentors: Jen, Jennifer, Mira, SJ and Stacey Editorial support: Melissa Design and layout: Larissa, www.larissa.me Writers’ Exchange in-school projects are made possible by:
Printing for this chapbook was generously donated by Hemlock.
The Writers’ Exchange is a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society.
ABOUT THIS BOOK We wrote about our community, and all the things in it that we liked the most. Then we walked around our community with cameras and took lots of pictures of the things we saw. We each chose our two favourite pictures from all the ones we took, then wrote about why we picked them. We love taking pictures, and we love our community!
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44
Abigail Alex Arad Dominic Fatima Haana Jeremiah Leto Matthew Michael Mila Mylee Nahom Nia Prisha Rennadel S.G. Theoren Zayed Zoe Scavenger Hunt
ABIGAIL
I picked this photo because it is cool and it has a cool house with a balcony.
4
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like my grey shoes because they’re really soft. I like purple flowers.
This picture looks interesting because it has cool flowers.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
5
ALEX
I like the detail of the rocks and the spikes.
6
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like to ride on my bike. I like to eat ice cream and look at the cherry blossoms. I like to run around the school.
I like the flowers and the leaves.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
7
ARAD
I like my photos because they are wonderful.
8
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like my home and the playground. I like myself.
I like taking my photos. I love the sun.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
9
DOMINIC
I like my photo because it has a triangle.
10
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like to play soccer, baseball and tennis. I play outside.
This one is a light sabre.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
11
FATIMA
I picked the shadow picture because it looks like the dark and it has me in it.
12
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like to play in the snow. I like gardening. I like the night because the stars come.
I picked the cloud picture because it looks like a storm and it looks like air. When you look at my picture I hope you feel nice.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
13
HAANA
I like this photo because it looks like star.
14
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like plants because they grow every year. I like trees because you can climb them.
I like this one because it has a lot of plants.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
15
JEREMIAH
I like the black flower because it’s nice. It’s a beautiful flower because it looks like my mom’s flower.
16
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like to swim because it’s fun in the pool. I like to run all day.
The white flower is beautiful because it reminds me of my dad’s flower.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
17
LETO
I like my photos.
18
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like my mom and dad.
I like them because they are beautiful.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
19
MATTHEW
My awesome photo is of a dog because he is cute.
20
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like my community because I play soccer. I play tennis, too!
I took another picture—it was a flower and it was cool!
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
21
MICHAEL
My awesome photo is of good shadows. It is good. My friend’s foot is in it.
22
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like to go to my grandfather’s house. I like to go to the store because it has chicken.
This photo is of a space net. It’s really tall and it’s cool and I can go on it. When I see these photos I feel good.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
23
MILA
I like the pictures because they are pretty. The flowers are purple.
24
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like the library because I like to read books. I like to go to the gym because I like to run.
The doll is named Trixie. She likes to sit.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
25
MYLEE
I like this photo because the shadows are interesting.
26
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like parks because they are fun. I like bike riding.
I like the big leaf because it is short.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
27
NAHOM
I like my photos because I took them. I took six photos and 204 photos and 52,000 photos and 20,000,000 photos and sometimes even more, like 500,000,000 photos.
28
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like going to the store and buying food, and I like going to the park.
I like the photos because there is printing on them. They are pretty and nice and good.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
29
NIA
I like this photo because it looks like somebody jumping into lava.
30
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like bird eggs and watching bad movies. I like to go to Science World.
I like the flower photo because it looks like a snake looking out of flowers.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
31
PRISHA
I like the photos because they are pretty and I like to experience animals.
32
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like Science World because it is fun.
I like to take pictures.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
33
RENNADEL
I like my cactus because it’s awesome. I like the dark shadows and the cactus is sharp.
34
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like eating bubble gum and visiting my neighbours.
The flower is beautiful and cool. I like the background.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
35
S.G.
I like the photos because they are pretty.
36
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like my school. I like going to my library. I like playing with my friends.
I like to see the photos because the things had colours.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
37
THEOREN
I like my photos because I like crows and flowers. I like crows because they are smart, and flowers because they move around the sun.
38
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I like to go swimming with my family. I like to snuggle with my dog and pet other dogs.
I like the sky because it’s cozy and fun to watch the airplanes and helicopters.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
39
ZAYED
40
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
41
ZOE
I like the camper because it reminds me of curtains.
42
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
I love my community because of the trees!
I like these thingies because they remind me of lily pads.
RAINBOW COMMUNITY
43
SCAVENGER HUNT Can you spot these things in your community?
Cat on a porch
Grocery store
Camper van
Pink car
An amazing flower
A big shiny ball
Crow on a wire
An interesting fence
Dog being walked
Spiky tree
A neighbour
Flying bug
Swing set
A bus
A place with books
Vegetable garden
Blue house
A really big rock
A pointy spire
Person riding a bike
Building made of brick
A high-up clock
As an author of a Writers’ Exchange book, you are invited to sign up for our FREE after-school and summer programs at the Writers’ Exchange home base at 881 East Hastings Street. Ask your teacher for a signup sheet or go to
vancouverWE.com for more information.