Table of Contents
Art
Lemons, Charlotte Kearns...........................................page 1
Fly Away, Libby Freed...…….........................……..…page 2
Starry Paris, Avery MacKenzie….......................….……page 5
Bird, Alyssa Bock……..................……….....................page 6
Rainbow, Whitney Paland……………….....................page 7
The Colorful and Creative Art Piece, Lena Hill......page 7
The Family of Bunnies, Amirah Ameen-Moore…page 9
Magical Twinkle Star, Harper Wendlandt...................…page 10
Early Riser, Veronica Lee……………….......................…page 11
Bunny, Levi Hill…............................................................page 12
A Day at the Farm, Caitlin Prouse........................….…page 13
Parrot in the Jungle, Quinn Dufresne......................…page 15
Spark, Foster Schwartzreich……..............................…...page 16
Jamaican Sunset, Brooklyn Johnson..............…...........page 18
Escape Under the Waves, Ella Burgamy........................page 19
The Big Big Tree, Alex Lejonvarn…...............................page 20
Muhammad Ali, Faris Mubarak….............................…..page 22
Audrey Hepburn, Lucy Miller…................................…..page 23
When Life Gives You Yellow, Bryn Stewart..............…page 25
Mountains, Henry Joe Haynes…...........................…...page 26
Sunny Rain, Elise Lichtenfels…….................................page 27
Golden Hour on the Sea, Eloise Wesley........…..…….page 29
Reflection, Dan O’Neill....................…..........................page 30
Home Alone, Braxton Samuel.................................….page 33
Elfants!, Tess Metcalfe..................……….................…page 34
The Leafy Flower, Mickey Sheedy……..................….page 35 Dog, Charlotte Weightman..............……...................page 37
Stem, Zizza Williams..………………...................…….page 38
Something Precious, Luca Licciardi....................……page 39
Soft Serve, Owen Smith.……………...................……..page 41
Hoot, Jessica Dufresne…….............................….…...page 42
Knight Owl, Blake Myers..........……………...…….….page 43
A Warm Day, Lexi Vishnitsky………………......….….page 44
Isola Bella Garden, Iris Pray…………………......…..page 45
French Bulldog, Quinn Schneider..............................page 46 Eye, Brooklyn Zimmerman…………………….….…..page 49
Ocean Eyes, Fiona Buck.........……......................……page 49
Coloring to the Max, Asa Cantor.............................…page 50
Gooey Dreams, Dale Miller.…..............................…..page 51
Comic Strip, Molly Malyszko.......................................page 54
Lime Lips, Luisa McKinstry..........................................page 55
Nike Kicks, Weston Helen...........................................page 55
El Lobo, Breck Dufresne..............................................page 58
The Cabin, John Hommertzheim...............................page 59
Pixelated Dalí, Aviana Safieddine...............................page 59
Growing Together, Olivia Altman...............................page 60
Bubbles, Ivy Hirschfeld................................................page 61
The Three Peas, Quinn Buranapiyawong.................page 62
Chappell Roan Color Wheel, Avery Pray..................page 63 Flowers for a Friend, Sarah Baldwin........................page 64 Butterfly, Lou Oliver......................................................page 65
Connor’s Underwater Piece, Connor Koontz...............page 66 Turtle, Indira Davis.......................................................page 67
Rainbow Trout, Dexter Chambers.............................page 67 Dragon, Preston Loeffler.............................................page 71 Rainbow of Radiance, Zalun Xiao-Owens................page 72
My Grandmother’s Garden, Charlotte Larkins.........page 73
School Spirit, Erin Saab..............................................page 75
Colorful Eagle, Sawyer Foran....................................page 76
Stripes & Colors, Cole Remington...........................page 76
Creative Writing
Where the Stars Are Born, Petra Kimball……...page 4
The Invention, Ava Thom.....…………………….…page 8
Good Morning, Andréa Crane……........……...……...page 10
Spring, Teddy Stapleton...............................................page 11
Calypso, Eleanor Perlman……...……………...………page 14
Fozzie the Dog, Taylor Sutton.................…........…….page 17
Spring, Solace Cantor.......................…….......………..page 21
You Matter, Ryan Chambers....……………………..….page 22
The Cafe, Ashby Hadden……………………………..page 24
If You Say Goodbye, Anna Rosenberg…........……..page 28
The Globe, Adam Roberts..........................................page 31
Christmas, Ford Finke………………....……...........….page 32
Spring Haiku, Tommy Pitney........................................page 35
The Mysterious Case of New York Harbor, Marcus Feierstein..page 36
Storm, Mitch Masters....................................................page 38
The Dive, Nova Davis...................................................page 40
Joey Lucky Sadoff: The Life of a Dog, Lauren Sadoff...page 47
You Move Where You Move, Kate Murphy..................page 48
How to Take Care of a Tiger, Miriam Radcliffe..........page 52
The Life of Mia, Frances Gill........................................page 56
Haiku, Madeline Witheiler............................................page 61
We Are All Different But That is Okay!, Kenzie King..page 62
Dragon Masters, Claire Achatz....................................page 68
The Dragon, Robby Jordan..........................................page 70
Sallie, Sean Keefe..........................................................page 74
Music
Leafy Light, Maddie Sun.........................…...............…page 26
Beats of the Earth, Matilda Asarch..……..............…..page 27
Minuet in G Major, Alden Leppitsch……...................page 44
Sweet Child O’ Mine, Aubrey Simpson...…..........….page 45
Title
Where the Stars Are Born
By: Author
Petra Kimball, Grade 4
Where the stars are born, a brilliant light explodes into the sky. Shining, blinding. Bright against a clear midnight. A blast of icy air freezes you, yet as you dance across wonderlands of song, a feeling of warmth extends and rolls you into a tropical kingdom. Crystal white stars crash into life, and thrillingly leap onto a cave of sparkles. You thrust yourself through magical galaxies of unbelievable things, your face shining with excitement. Where the stars are born, you are alone in a mysterious, everlasting, solar system, yet it feels as if everyone is with you. That is where the stars are born.
Starry Paris
Avery MacKenzie, Grade 7
Bird
Alyssa Bock, Faculty
The Colorful and Creative Art Piece
Lena Hill, Grade 1
Rainbow Whitney Paland, PreK
The Invention
Ava Thom, Grade 3
One day two girls named Lilly and Evelyn were laying on their bed, bored. They were bored, bored, bored!
“Hey,” said Lilly, sitting up. “Why don’t we go to the lab?”
“Hmmm,” said Evelyn. “Okay sure! What lab should we go to?”
“Uhhh,” said Lily. “What are we thinking? LET’S GO TO CHARLOTTE’S HOUSE!”
Charlotte is their bestie.
“Oh Yeah!” yelled Evelyn.
They leaped off their bed and dashed out the door. As soon as they got down the block and around the corner, they knocked on Charlotte’s door. The door swung open.
Lizzie or Elizabeth is Charlotte’s little sister. Once they got into the lab, Lilly got a great idea for an invention.
“A slime launcher that we can launch into the sky! Let’s get to work,” Lilly said.
After a long time of building and twisting and tinkering they went outside to test.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Evy said as Charlotte was grabbing the slime.
“Trust me, my ideas always work.”
They leaped off their bed and dashed out the door as soon as they got down the block and around the corner.
“Hi you guys! I was just about to call you to say we can have a sleepover!” said Charlotte.
“GREAT!” Lilly and Evy yelled.
Just before Lilly was about to ask Charlotte if they could use her lab, Evy grabbed her arm and said
“We should grab our stuff.”
“Oh yeah,” said Lilly.
But then she got carried away and blurted out,“ CHARLOTTE, WE NEED TO USE YOUR LAB!”
“Ummm, okay I’ll help you on whatever you want,” Charlotte said.
“Okay,” said Evelyen. “We just need to get our sleep stuff.”
After they got back, the three girls raced downstairs .
“Now be careful Lizzie and Elanor are already here.”
“3, 2, 1!”
They launched the slime into the sky.
“WE DID IT!”
They were high fiving and cheering when Evy said, “Um Lilly, earlier you said that every invention was yours.”
“True,” said Lilly.
“But it was not! The bath bomb cupcakes were my idea.”
“Whatever you guys are talking about let’s just get to our sleepover.”
“YEAH!”
They raced inside, ate pizza for dinner, ate brownies, watched Anastasia, and cuddled up for a good night’s sleep and another day of building.
Good Morning Andréa Crane, Faculty
The birds awaken me ever so slightly... can I press snooze?
Wish I could stay in bed, nestled in my crisp clean sheets.
I am drawn out of bed by the scent of freshly brewed coffee.
The cat is waiting by the bedroom door, anxious to climb onto the bed. She sleeps all day.
Dave kisses me good morning. I feel his smooth just shaven face welcoming the smell of his aftershave.
I pour myself a cup of coffee, go outside. Mushrooms have grown overnight, a surprise gift from nature.
With my head in the clouds I imagine my father sitting at the piano playing his jazzy tunes. His music is always with me. I officially begin the day with a bit more joy.
Harper Wendlandt, PreK
Magical Twinkle Star
Early Riser Veronica Lee, Grade 6
Spring
Teddy Stapleton, Grade 5
All the flowers bloom.
The rain is nice when I sleep.
The sun starts to gleam.
Bunny
Levi Hill, Grade 3
A Day at the Farm Caitlin Prouse, Grade 4
Title
By: Author Calypso Eleanor Perlman, Grade 7
I nervously tapped my foot on the ground, waiting for my turn to show the world who I really am. Penelope, Circe, Persophone, and Helen all got their turns, but now it’s mine.
“Calypso!” Circe calls. “It’s time.”
“Coming,” I yell back.
I walk to the curtain and pull it aside. Time to show the world what really happened in Ogygia all those years ago. I step out into the light and begin my story.
That was my punishment, my curse, my eternal torture in paradise.
“When I was a young girl the Titan War began. My father Atlas was one of Kronos’ generals. Being a good daughter, I supported my father’s side of the war but the gods won. I was nervous that I was to be thrown into Tartarus but my punishment was so much worse than eternal torture in the depths of hell. It was entrenal torture in paradise. At first
it didn’t seem so bad. The island was beautiful and the gods visited me every once in a while so I was never fully alone but then the first man came, Odysseus. I thought that he was simply another gift from the ever kind, forgiving gods, but I was naive and stupid. The gods didn’t care about me; they simply wanted to seem kind. I fell in love with that first visitor, but he had a wife, a quest and a family. That was my curse every hundred years or so. The gods would send me a man that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. The only catch was he could never stay. That was my punishment, my curse, my eternal torture in paradise.”
Parrot in the Jungle Quinn Dufresne, Grade 3
Spark Foster Schwartzreich, Grade 4
Title
Fozzie the Dog
By: Author
Taylor Sutton, Grade 1
Jamaican Sunset
Brooklyn Johnson, Grade 8
Escape Under the Waves Ella Burgamy, Grade 7
The Big Big Tree
Alex Lejonvarn, Grade 2
Title
By: Author Spring Solace Cantor, Grade 3
Fresh dew on the deck means the first morning of spring.
When I run onto the wet grass, I know it rained.
I hear the chickadees sing their morning song.
“It must be 70 degrees out here!” I say so loud I think the whole world can hear.
I see some sprouts in the garden so I pick one and take a bite.
“I think it’s lettuce,” I mumble.
I run inside to tell the family.
Now that we are all outside,
I think this is going to be the best spring ever!
You Matter Ryan Chambers, Grade 3
It doesn’t matter what others think about you, it only matters what you believe you are!
Muhammad Ali Faris Mubarak, Grade 7
Audrey Hepburn Lucy Miller, Grade 8
The Cafe
Ashby Hadden, Grade 2
I woke up and I went downstairs to Elsa’s bedroom and I saw that it was a cloudy day. Yay! Right after that my mom walked into the room.
“Can we walk in the rain?” I said.
“You know that I love to walk in the rain and I want to go to a cafe to get breakfast.”
“Yes, we can get some breakfast at a cafe. Now go get ready,” said my mom.
So I went off to go get ready I put on a coat, long sleeves, a hat, and boots and I asked if we could go to the Honey Hill Cafe but my mom said she had a really good cafe in mind. So we wrote a note to my dad saying we were going to a cafe to go get some breakfast. See you soon! From Ashby, Elsa, and Allison.
“Let’s go!” I said
So we went on a walk. A little later we were on the street and it was a beautiful sight seeing the rain fall on the ground.
“I’m starting to get cold,” I said.
“Me too,” Elsa said.
“Are we there yet?”
“No we are not there!”
After a lot longer, I asked
“Are we there yet now?”
“Nope,” my mom said.
A little later we were on the street and it was a beautiful sight seeing the rain fall on the ground.
A little later we finally got there which was good because I was freezing cold. We went inside. It was not as warm as I thought but it was still warm. I looked at the pastries in the glass window of the cafe. There were bagels, croissants, and many different things. There was chocolate milk too! After a long time of looking, I finally picked one… two… things: a croissant and some chocolate milk. My mom did not get anything for herself, but she got some coffee for my dad and a pastry for him too. My sister got a blueberry muffin. My mom paid for our breakfast and we sat down. It was delicious. After that we started to go home. It was still very cold but it was very fun to go out for breakfast and watch the rain fall on the ground.
Mountains
Henry Joe Haynes, PreK
Leafy Light
Maddie Sun, Grade 3
Beats of the Earth
Matilda Asarch, Grade 5
Sunny Rain
Elise Lichtenfels, Grade 3
Title
If You Say Goodbye
By: Author
Anna Rosenberg, Grade 5
If you say goodbye, it does not mean forever.
If you say goodbye, it could just be for a bit.
If you say goodbye, it could be for a longer bit.
If you say goodbye, there is no need to cry.
If you say goodbye, it does not mean that the story is done.
If you say goodbye, it can be sad but I promise that there always will be someone to say hello.
Golden Hour on the Sea Eloise Wesley, Grade 7
Reflection
Dan O’Neill, Faculty
The Globe
Adam Roberts, Grade 5
A globe is like a pearl; a most valuable sphere from which you can view the world all places, far and near
Seven continents and seven seas and every mountain range; it brings the explorer glee for he can find all places strange
Most people say maps are better; say a globe’s too heavy a load; to them I shall write a letter projections can’t show like a globe
This precious little ball of the world, it can show all
Christmas
Ford Finke, Grade 3
Once upon a time there was a town where elves lived and Christmas was near. The little elves were a long way behind on the toys and Santa was sick.
“What will we do?” said the head elf.
But then the elf remembered he had some magic but it was not strong enough. They tried it but it helped one third of the shop. Santa was still so sick.
Luckily, they had one toy left that still needed to be wrapped. But the wrapping machine was broken.
Elf Ford came running and shouted, “There is no more Christmas magic! Dasher is sick. What will we do!? Time to call the scout elf.”
“Dasher is sick. What will we do!?”
Santa agreed. So they called the scout elf and he was able to help them fill the sleigh! The End.
But luckily Santa was better so they got to work. There were only two days ‘till the twenty fifth so they worked so fast they were on fire. But then it was the twenty fourth.
There were 8 hours ‘till Christmas takeoff but 14 hours until Christmas morning.
Spring Haiku Tommy Pitney, Grade 3
Fresh morning dew in my face.
The sun in my eyes.
That is the morning for you.
The Leafy Flower Mickey Sheedy, Grade 2
The Mysterious Case of New York Harbor
Marcus Feierstein, Grade 5
October 24, 2027
I am walking my dog Harvey. It’s hard to do that in the big city. New York may be the best place on earth, but it is not great for dog walking. I live in TriBeCa, a neighborhood on the Lower West Side, which is comparatively less busy than most of New York (with the exception of the West Side Highway cutting it in half). I walk next to Brookfield Place, a big mall near the Hudson River. You can hear the music from the still open mall echoing through the somewhat empty streets. There is a large park along the mall where Harvey and I usually meander along. I love walking at night in the city, especially with Harvey. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends. But when you’re an only child and stuck with two overprotective parents, your dog is kinda like your sidekick. The moon shines like the silver ball along the Jersey City skyline.
need to meddle.
Suddenly, I see a ship. But not a regular ship just floating in the harbor. It was on fire. Bright red ashes were flying from the black ship like a volcano. I listened to the ship closely, but the eerie silence made chills run down me and Harvey’s spines. I saw Harvey’s tail, usually wagging uncontrollably, suddenly in the most somber, almost mourning position. We knew what we had to do.
Harvey and I ran to the ferry port, leaving a nickel at the register, and waited for the next ferry to Hoboken to come. The nail biting tension was too much to handle while I looked at the off Broadway advertisements glistening on the wall. No one has noticed the ship on fire in the harbor yet.
But not a regular ship just floating in the harbor. It was on fire. Bright red ashes flying from the black ship like a volcano.
Then, Harvey starts barking. He’s a calm dog. He usually doesn’t bark, even if the taxis are honking and police sirens are erupting like thunder from the street below. But this one time, he chooses to bark. And then I start to investigate. Let’s be honest. I’m not that big of a mystery solver. Sure, I watched the odd Scooby Doo episode, but usually I just let things be. But this time I had the
When the ferry came, Harvey and I ran to it in agreement that we had to do
something. Once we got on the water, we had a much better view. I took a photo for evidence. The stern rose on the water, reminding me of the time that my cousin made me watch Titanic with her (horrible movie by the way). Once we got to the ferry port, I ran to the rental scooter station with Harvey and rode as far as the pier could go without falling into the ocean. Only the very top
of the ship was still above water, the flames all extinguished. I didn’t see any lifeboats, only wreckage floating on the water. I went back to the ferry port and waited for the next ship home.
But then, I saw something. A flare, shooting like a rocket out of the ship, by now looking like a metallic island with some slicked back black liquid covering the ship. I ran to the pier, quickly grabbing a buoy and throwing it into the water. Something attempts to get on! It’s a...fish. Harvey and I solemnly march back to the ferry. I then realized that a sunken ship would have some kind of people grasping for help. It was like a…ghost ship! I suddenly grabbed my phone. I looked up “Sunk ships in NY Harbor.” Suddenly, something pierces my attention. I read a caption aloud to Harvey that states: “October 24, 1927, USS Cretan spills oil all over the deck, igniting flames just moments into what was supposed to be the first unmanned mission across the Atlantic.” 100 years ago! I wonder if Harvey even realized what happened. He’s too busy looking at the pointed tip of the One World Trade Center. I look at the photo I took earlier, faded and a little blurry. But the ship was still there. I know no one will believe me, but at least Harvey and I know what really happend. We were first responders.
Dog
Charlotte Weightman, Grade 4
Storm
Mitch Masters, Faculty
A small storm, indeed
Hanging in a clear blue sky
Hardly worth notice
Zizza Williams, Grade 8
Stem
Something Precious Luca Licciardi, PreK
Soft Serve Owen Smith, Grade 6
Hoot
Jessica Dufresne, Faculty
Knight Owl Blake Myers, Grade 2
Minuet in G Major Alden Leppitsch, Grade 5
A Warm Day
Lexi Vishnitsky, Grade 5
Isola Bella Garden Iris Pray, Grade 8
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Aubrey Simpson, Grade 7
French Bulldog
Quinn Schneider, Grade 4
Joey Lucky Sadoff: The Life of a Dog
Lauren Sadoff, Grade 5
My life has been great ever since I moved in with the Sadoff family. I’m Joey Sadoff, a small dachshund dog mixed with a terrier. By the way, I was adopted 3 years ago! Everything has been great, just like any normal dog. The worst thing that happens is going to the vet.Or getting my nails clipped. Or taking a bath. Or being left home alone. Ok, there are some things I don’t enjoy, but at least I have LOVE!! (Super cheesy I know.) But hey I get to live with an AWESOME family. Today I went to Vail and played in the snow. That’s when my adventure happened.
land! I let her have it! I began barking like crazy, telling her that I’m calling the cops! But when I finished, she reached into her pocket (probably pulling out a nail clipper to clip my nails) and pulled out… a treat? I was confused too! What type of sorcery is this?
But, being the brave dog I am, I slid down the hill!
I was just minding my own business when a random lady started invading my territory! My family’s mountain house is in this little private street with only four houses, so rarely anybody else comes. So this lady starts walking in big circles in the snow in front of our house, with two other dogs trailing behind her. (By the way I’m probably the most courageous dog you’ll ever meet.) So I climbed the tallest mountain of snow to get to the lady and I showed her that I will not let her trespass on my
Anyway it was a delicious treat, and the two dogs became great playmates. The lady was on a walk so I decided to join her. But that’s not the end of the story. I wasn’t done with my adventure. Our neighbors built a sledding hill, and it seemed pretty fun. My idea was to climb up the stairs that they built and slide down the hill. Once I got up the stairs I realized how tall it was. But, being the brave dog I am, I slid down the hill!
By the time I got down the slide, my paws were as cold as glaciers. I hopped in a sledding tube and made somebody drag me to my house. That night I slept for a LONG time. But that is not the end of the story…
You Move Where You Move
Kate Murphy, Grade 4
Slowly I inhale, taking deep breaths as it looms over me
The new house
“Ok, M, go put your bags in your room, then get ready for lunch,” Mom says, grunting as she drags her suitcase over the threshold.
This is it.
The moment
my life falls apart then (somehow) rebuilds itself
“better”
“stronger” as Dad says. “It gets better. Trust us.”
Hard to do that when I don’t and never trusted them in the first place.
But I don’t have a say in anything, after all
why try to speak out when it will only be swallowed by shallow
mock-sympathetic reassurance?
Mom is cheerful “Always Look on the bright side!” type- attitude.
Dad is (or at least tries to be)
“You can do anything, M&M. Just believe.”
But
I can never believe you! Not after you moved us like little chess pawns to this lousy town! Not after you two wrecked my life!
I want to scream But, apparently this move was so I could have a better life
What a stupid joke.
Eye
Brooklyn Zimmerman, Grade 4
Ocean Eyes
Fiona Buck, Grade 8
Coloring to the Max Asa Cantor, Grade 1
Gooey Dreams
Dale Miller, Grade 4
How to Take Care of a Tiger
Miriam Radcliffe, Kindergarten
Comic Strip
Molly Malyszko, Grade 3
Lime Lips
Luisa McKinstry, Grade 6
Nike Kicks
Weston Helen, Grade 3
The Life of Mia
Frances Gill, Grade 5
Prologue — December
I hear the Christmas ornaments clatter as Mom stumbles up the stairs. I bury my head in my pillow, trying to block out the sound.
“Mia! Come help us decorate the tree!”
Mom makes a big deal over Christmas. Me, not so much. Dad is crazy about Easter, and my sister Lucia just likes birthdays, specifically hers.
I groan and pull myself out of bed. I hear Mom asking Lucia “how she wants to decorate the tree.”
As I’m stomping over to the kitchen, the rainbow tree lights flicker on.
I opened the fridge, all stocked up for the holidays. Turkey, milk, and pudding. I know better than to eat anything in the fridge, so I stick with a granola bar. Mom would be furious with me if I ruined Christmas dinner.
“Look, Mia! We get to put candy canes in the tree this year!” She tosses a few at me.
“Geez, Lucy! You don’t have to throw them at me,” I snarl.
“Mia, be patient with your sister,” like all parents, Dad immediately takes her side.
While Mom and Dad put some ornaments on the higher branches, Lucia dances around the tree hanging them on the low branches as she spins and twirls. I sat up, finding this scene quite entertaining. When they’re finished with the ornaments Lucia grabs her share of the candy canes and starts tossing them towards the Christmas tree.
I take the ornament and cradle it gently in my hand, engraved with birds sitting on snowy branches.
Mom’s phone buzzes ferociously on the table. I walk over, picking it up. Her phone is boring, navy blue with absolutely no decorations. I hear Dad tossing the tinsel over the tree as I fumble with the phone. I drag myself into the living room and fall over the decorations onto the couch. “Mom, you got a message,” I muffle into the couch cushion.
“Whatever,” she replies as Lucia giggles softly sitting impatiently on the armchair.
“C’mon, Mia!” She leaps across the room, putting the candy on the branches that she can reach.
I walk over and hook mine to the tree, each on its own sturdy branch. Mom, Dad, Lucia and I stand back to admire our work.
“Perfect!” Lucia glides to the kitchen.
“Almost,” Mom and Dad hug me tightly. Mom hands me an ornament, but not just any ornament. It’s our grandfather’s, hand-carved out of raw birch wood. He gave it to me and Lucia to hang on the tree each year. I take the ornament and cradle it gently in my hand. It’s engraved with
birds sitting on snowy branches. A detailed cabin is nestled in the trees. I pick a sturdy, strong branch to rest the wire on.
Mom and dad attempt another hug but I dodge them to get a peek out the window. Yes! I was right. “Lucia! It’s snowing!” I squeal. Lucia runs into the room and jumps up to see.
“Yay! I love snow,” she confesses.
“You guys hungry?” Mom really knows me.
Next we went ice skating together. My skates are blue with rough laces, and my sister’s are purple with soft red laces. We do a few laps around the rink then buckle up in the car to head home. We go inside to warm up then spend the rest of the day making snow angels and building snowmen.
“Lucia! It’s snowing!” I squeal.
“Yes!” We race to the kitchen for Christmas Eve breakfast. I walk into the kitchen. I smell pancakes and syrup, French toast and eggs, fruit salad and juice.
Lucia is the first to sit down, licking her lips. We scarf down breakfast, excited for Christmas Eve fun.
After breakfast we list what we want to do today: ice skating, present wrapping, and snowman making. Mom decides the order and we each retreat to our rooms to get ready. I wear a white shirt, blue pants, and a black snowsuit with my purple coat. Lucia wears a pink sweater, purple ruffle pants and her snowsuit, pink of course.
We haul ourselves into the car and drive off. First we went to the shopping center downtown, an old brown brick building turned into a mall.
I got my sister a pink flowered sweater-dress, my Mom a gray dress coat, and my Dad an ornament. We met up afterwards in the plaza for lunch and hot cocoa.
When I crawl into bed that night I shiver. Tomorrow was Christmas Day.
The next morning I sat up in bed abruptly and ran into my parents room. “Hey, pumpkin!” Mom is already up, like always. Dad is awake too, getting dressed for the day. Lucia is in their bed, cuddled up in a nest of blankets.
“C’mon guys!” I can hardly wait to start the day.
“Hi Mia,” Lucia says sleepily. We all ran downstairs and into the living room.
“Oh… Mia this one’s for you,” Lucia handed me a small rectangular present.
“It’s from Mom and Dad,” she reads the tag. I rip open the gift not noticing Moms face towards Dad. It’s the “oh really?” face. The gift is in a white package. I finally know exactly what it is. A phone! That I get to decorate myself! Mom doesn’t look so happy.
Lucia scrambles around the tree to find a gift for herself. She rips the wrapping apart and finds the item inside, a pink flower pin. We open the gifts from each other, and I get a blue sweatshirt from Lucia. This Christmas was awesome!
El Lobo
Breck Dufresne, Grade 6
The Cabin John Hommertzheim, Grade 8
Pixelated Dalí Aviana Safieddine, Grade 8
Growing Together
Olivia Altman, Grade 8
Title
By: Author Haiku Madeline Witheiler, Grade 2
Coffee is so warm
Sun shines through the window lights
Flowers are pretty
Bubbles
Ivy Hirschfeld, Grade 7
We Are All Different But That is Okay!
Kenzie King, Grade 2
Everybody is different but that is okay.
Some people have…short hair, long hair… and sometimes no hair!
But that is okay. Because we are all different.
No matter what skin color or gender you are. You are still special, no matter what. We all are.
‘Cause we… are… all… a… community!
The
Three Peas Quinn Buranapiyawong, Grade 4
Chappell Roan Color Wheel
Avery Pray, Grade 6
Flowers for a Friend
Sarah Baldwin, Faculty
Butterfly
Lou Oliver, Grade 2
Connor’s Underwater Piece
Connor Koontz, Grade 3
Turtle
Indira Davis, Grade 5
Rainbow Trout
Dexter Chambers, Grade 8
Title By: Author The Dragon
Robby Jordan, Grade 7
In the forest there lay a great, big egg. The egg cracks and breaks until a tiny eye peers; After a lot of struggling, a tiny leg. Such a cute creature, it gives me small tears.
I take him home and wash him down and up. He loves me so much and I give my love. For he will be my friend, my new, small pup So calm and as peaceful as a dove.
For my pet, my buddy is very kind; He plays with me, sleeps with me, and much more. But I know this bond won’t always be bind For eventually this dragon I’ll bore.
For he will become a demon of fire And one day my body he will require.
Dragon
Preston Loeffler, Grade 3
My Grandmother’s Garden Charlotte Larkins, Grade 8
Sallie
Sean Keefe, Faculty
My mom was decidedly not someone who sought attention. Although her stories were shared with a sense of minimalism, they always carried emotional weight, conveyed specific points, and contained hidden moral gems.
In contrast, my dad was much more comfortable in the spotlight. He often shared fantastic yet true tales that reflected his love for relationships and the value of vulnerability. One of my favorite stories of his was about meeting Jesse Owens on an airplane and their many hours of conversation. Perhaps it was his Irish heritage that made him such a genuine storyteller.
guidance of my teacher, Mrs. Marvin, I embraced the kindergarten experience at Graland. Mastering the jungle gym and the challenging monkey bars was a significant achievement, as was attending the stock show with my classmates and engaging in various fun and challenging art projects. My mom listened intently to my tales of adventure every day when I returned home.
Knowing my mom is with me in spirit, I feel grateful to roam the Graland campus today.
However, my favorite story came from my mom about the day I struggled to climb the stairs to the bus on my first day of kindergarten at Graland in the fall of 1973. With tears in her eyes, she recounted how difficult it was for her to watch me struggle to get onto the school bus without her assistance. She understood it was important for me to do it on my own.
Throughout that school year, with the kind
She had her own wonderful stories about attending Graland, and I loved it when she spoke about the donkey on campus or how she broke her jaw on the same jungle gym where my friends and I played. But it is the story of me getting on the bus that I think about the most as I continue to mourn her passing seven years ago. My mom was adept at “letting go” as I faced various challenges. Notably, in a full-circle moment, on the night before I left for college, I looked at her across the dinner table as silence fell and realized she was letting me go again.
Knowing my mom is with me in spirit, I feel grateful to roam the Graland campus today. Sometimes, I smile when I sit behind the wheel of a Graland school bus, driving our students to athletic
competitions and taking a moment to acknowledge the connection.
Ultimately, my effort to get on the school bus all those years ago was a lesson not just for me but for my mom as well. I know that keenly now, but my mom always understood it, just as mothers do.
School Spirit
Erin Saab, Grade 2
Colorful Eagle Sawyer Foran, Grade 4
Stripes & Colors
Cole Remington, Grade 3
Matilda Asarch ‘28
Court Boswell ‘28
Nooriya Bokhari ‘27
Desi Bolton ‘26
Indira Davis ‘28
Birch Student Board
Frances Gill ‘28
Elise Harrington ‘27
Charlotte Kearns ‘28
Lila Kirkpatrick ‘27
Chloe Koontz ‘26
Faculty
Advisors
Veronica Lee ‘27
Anna Rosenberg 28’
Elle Sinclair ‘27
Lexi Vishnitsky ‘28
Eloise Wesley ‘26
Sarah Baldwin Cole Hamilton Kimm Lucas
Layout & Design
Sarah Baldwin
The Birch celebrates the diversity of all students’ creative minds at Graland. Created and selected by a hardworking middle school board, faculty and students from all grades have submitted truly special pieces to our magazine, which will be viewed by the entire Graland community. These are pieces made thoughtfully and passionately by the Graland students and faculty, which are now shared to the community through Birch.
Front Cover: Blossoming Heart, Maggie Harper, Grade 8
Inside Front Cover: Lemons, Charlotte Kearns, Grade 5
Back Cover: Masterpiece, Jack Gentile, PreK
