StudentsXpress Fall 2015

Skyla S.

• What has been your greatest adventure so far?

• Ask a family member about an adventure they have had.

•W hat kind of adventure would you have if you had a special talent, skill, or power?

•A n adventure is usually an experience that involves some risk.

Write about a time you took a risk and were glad you did.

• I magine a place that you would really like to explore.

What kind of adventure would you have there?

Working in the Schools (WITS) creates positive learning communities through a portfolio of volunteer literacy mentoring programs and teacher professional development; a comprehensive design to inspire children’s passion for reading.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer, visit witschicago.org #IAMWITS

•W hat kind of adventures do you expect to have in five years?

In ten years?

• Who would you take on your adventure? Why? • Draw yourself on your big adventure (real or imagined).

Please turn in your submissions to your teacher or rachel@studentsxpress.com by October 30, 2015

www.studentsxpress.com Publisher Rachel Switall Magazine Group, NFP President Rachel Switall rachel@studentsxpress.com Editor Rachel Switall Art Director Rachel Switall

Dear Readers, hope everyone had a terrific summer. I’m so excited for another great year of StudentsXpress.

This issue is all about “My Contribution,” or what students can do in their lives now to make the world a better place. This topic was actually inspired by our previous issue: “Where I’m Going.” When the students wrote about what they want S When subm tudents— to be when they grow up, so many of them included the idea itting work, write neat please be s ly. Spell of helping others. I was very impressed with their answers—so ure to so I apolog check does not chec iz e much that this entire issue is based on that topic. But instead if I go t any names k names, Also, if you’ re turning of what they can do in the future, it focuses more on what they in artwork, wrong! paper is th e best. And unlined white can do NOW—in their everyday lives. I strongly believe that write your please name on ev ery page s writing these things down, along with reading others’ ideas, serves ubmitted.

Thank you! as a positive inspiration to take action.

Please take a look at our next topic on the opposite page: “Adventure.” I can’t wait to see what the students submit on this exciting subject. Enjoy the issue!

Advertising Director Rachel Switall Director of Marketing Rachel Switall

Can you find these pictures throughout the magazine?

Printer Topweb, LLC 5450 N. Northwest Hwy. Chicago, IL 60630 773.975.0400

in!

Want to place an ad in or donate to the next issue of sXp?

Please check out our web site and click on Donate or Media Kit for more information.

Cover art by Skyla S.

Help support StudentsXpress!

Place an ad!

Sponsor an issue!

Make a donation! www.studentsxpress.com rachel@studentsxpress.com

Contact rachel@studentsxpress.com if your school would like to participate in StudentsXpress.

Sponsored by Constant Contact

School’s

You can also link to the online version of this and past issues, listen to interviews, view photos and video and much more!

www.studentsxpress.com All ages are invited to the

Englewood Jazz Festival

Saturday, September 19th from 11:30 am – 6 pm in Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd Street.

Yoga can give your child the tools to slow down and unwind after school.

Kids and Family Yoga Kids Yoga (Ages 5-7) Wednesdays at 4:30pm Tween Yoga (Ages 8-12) Tuesdays at 4:30pm Monthly Family Yoga Workshop First Saturday of the month

Yoga for Moms and Dads

Performing are the Young Masters, a trio of outstanding young musicians, trumpet player Corey Wilkes, vocalist Tammy McCann, drummer Makaya McCraven, saxophonist Ernest Dawkins’ New Horizons Quartet featuring special guests Jeff Parker and Kidd Jordan and the festival’s resident band of youth and seniors, Live the Spirit Residency Big Band.

It’s all FREE and it takes place rain or shine.

Presented by Live the Spirit Residency, the program is supported by a grant from the Chicago Community Trust.

For information, call 773-800-2738 or visit www.englewoodjazzfest.org.

While showcasing art and writing from students in Chicago Public Schools, StudentsXpress aims to promote creativity and literacy, encourage alternative expressions, create positive self esteem and open discussions.

Yoga can help parents stay balanced during this busy season. Enjoy one of over 60 weekly classes at our studio.

Visit bloomyogastudio.com for full schedule bloomyogastudio.com 773-463-YOGA (9642) 4663 N. Rockwell Chicago, IL 60625

Yoga and Massage for All Ages and Stages

Tamia H.

Harmony B.

Dakiya J.

Some of my positive choices are to pick up the trash and to help other people whenever they ask. If nobody wants to help them, I will so they will not feel bad or sad. I will help by helping them with their work. —Josiah M.

Jaydin S.

Chamari B.

How can you make a difference in the world? By voting!

Voting can change the world by not making people fight each other about laws, or anything else. Another reason is nobody would have to decide anything. They just have to see which number is bigger. A last reason is, the president does not have to take a lot of his time deciding on what to vote for. That way we just have to vote, and no decisions. We might vote for Barack Obama to be president in the past if you were there. We might vote for no grabbing guns for your safety. That way we’ll have our right to be safe. —Marisol O.

I think that one thing I can do to make the world a better place is to recycle. This can reduce pollution and save wildlife. It also reduces dumps, and can repurpose items to be used again. There are lots of things I could do to make the world a better place. I could raise money for cancer and other purposes. I could work at a soup kitchen to help the —Steven N. homeless get enough food, or I could just be friendly and positive so I can pass this behavior on to others. Some positive choices I can make are not let anger and sadness weigh me down, but try to avoid it because anger and sadness can spread.

Some things I can do to brighten someone’s day is ask how they are, help them with a task, or just give them a smile or friendly wave. One small thing I can do is always be positive. That could create a spark that can make people come together to make the world a better place. I plan to make the world a better place by eliminating one word: bully. Bullies may be powerful, but if you just stand by, you can’t do a thing. I want to make the world a better place by making posters that say: Stand up! Be confident! One thing can make the world a better place! —Helena

Daveon B.

l nie

Da

2

S.

Right now, to make the world a better place I can finish this quickly so I don’t stress like I always do.

Some positive choices I can make are thinking about being done, also really concentrating on my work. Also, I think about what I have to do and make sort of a to-do list in my mind.

Some things I can do to brighten somebody’s day is tell a parent/guardian of them that they are hurt, and take them inside the school to get an ice pack or a band-aid. Also, I can tell them a kind “good morning!” or “how do you do?” or both!

A little something I can do to make the world better is clean my room without being told, and watching out for stranger danger, and really just being kind!

I plan to make the world better by being a good kid and helping people out.

But I have to watch out for strangers!

I may not be a goody two shoes, but I can still be a good kid! —Hazel R.

My contribution for right now is to always recycle and compost to make the world a better place. I can also open the door for someone or say good morning to them or give him/her a compliment to brighten up their day. Another contribution I can make is having a good attitude all day so it spreads and it is a good day. —Adelaide S.

ges every day, , the world chan than one way there is more it lp he to , d ce an made my choi I think I have e. in need a voic e to give thos s survive, helping animal nment thrive, ro vi en e will make th helpful, smiling is also l, ve ha potentia It shows you y. pp ha people feel it also makes S. —Lavinia

Fall 2015

Tessa S.

Bella Winston K.

Sofia M.

I will not leave garbage on the floor because some animals die from eating or choking on the food and garbage that I leave on the floor. And I will not ride a car, because the air is bad. And that is what I would do to help the world. —Amoni A. What can I do to change the world?

There are many children that will soon take over this world. What can I do to change it in a positive way? In this world right at this very moment glaciers are melting, pollution is being spread but why? Many people even you reading this today are causing pollution which is ruining the atmosphere. People all over the world can make a change. Reducing, reusing, and recycling is the way to go. Following these simple steps can improve everything just the slightest bit which can have a huge impact on our Earth. —Mya C. My contribution will be that now I will ride my bike to school and other places. I will pay a lot more attention when I am throwing things away. I will reuse things more. I might even plant some things, whatever I can do to make the world a better place. I will make everybody around me be more respectful to the earth and other people around us. I will contribute to fundraisers and to help donating to families in need. I will not have electricity running nearly as much.

—Ryan H. Olivia B.

Sadie A.

I will change the world by being positive. A lot of people in this world choose to be negative or try to put people down. I try to ignore this, because people like that are wasting their time thinking about all the bad things in this world, when there are so many great things happening. For example, doing things you love and having great friends. These things are amazing things that are missed by negative people. Positivity will make a change someday, and I hope to be part of that change. —Sophia C.

Ella M.

Griffin W.

Martin S.

I think I can do many things to make the world a better place. I can make the world a better place just by being nice to my environment and the people around me. For example, I can hold the door for my fellow classmates. I can pick up trash and throw it away, and throw away my trash as well! I make positive choices by donating to the homeless, as well as donating to diseases such as A.L.S. As I said before, one person can help their environment by picking up trash. They could even plant seeds in their garden or in the grass to make flowers! You can brighten someone’s day just by being nice and complimenting them! I can do many things myself to help others, from helping them with homework, or by holding the door.

I will make my world a better place by doing all of these things. —Amir J.

O

ne little thing I can do is I can donate money to a variety of charities and foundations. I can also give money to people on the streets (aka homeless people). Those are things I find will make a BIG difference, from those little things or objectives or goals.

SAVE THE WORLD! —Keelan M.

Madison D.

CJ B.

Taryn H.

Fall 2015

3

e’s heart To warm up someon comfort m, the to k I would tal them feel them. I would make like they l fee good. Make them many so to ng thi mean some m. I the of e on I’m d An people. they like l would make them fee ne ryo Eve e. her deserve to be ve ser de y the like l fee wants to t tha l fee to be here. They should t bu es, car n rso not only one pe G. a ash many. —S

Mary B.

Leo

To make the world a better place I take care of others and even myself, because if you think about it if you take care of yourself, the people who love you and take care of you will be more joyful and happy. If you take care of others (that sometimes you don’t care for or care for) YOU will feel better as a person.

To make the world a better place I look at places like pet shelters and I try to donate things like food, towels and blankets to them.

To make the world a better place I don’t stop trying to solve a problem of another person and sometimes when they don’t want me to help them it’s hard to stop because I always would imagine it as me in that situation and me thinking about how much that person is in stress or is struggling.

To make the world a better place it’s as simple as saying good morning to someone when they pass by you in the morning or just picking up a piece of trash, but no matter what you do if it’s big or small things you can make the world a better place. —Amy

Isabella A.

Akil T.

I helped the world because after the school Fairdale had a tornado and I brought in some things to help them and I also helped my class because then they had some more things to send in the care package.

I felt really bad for them after I heard that they had a tornado in their city. I also think my principal, Mrs. Cunat, did a good thing because she told us to send the care packages. I think they feel better because of the care packages.

One way that I made the world a better place is by riding my bike instead of using gas when I ride my car. That helps because when I use gas it uses gas and that kills the polar bears because the gas goes on the ground and then into the North Pole. Polar bears are almost extinct so I am going to keep riding my bike instead of my car with gas in it.

I help my mom do chores so she is free after and so that I would spend a little of time with her and I also want her to take a rest of cleaning. She does all the work around the house so now it’s time for me to do all the work around the house. I really think she loves when I help her out. Then it’s easy for her and my whole family. That’s how I help my mom. —Mika D. Michelle H.

What you can do to make this world a better place is make your classroom neat. By making your classroom neat, make sure you pick up after yourself, push chairs in, make sure tables are straight, put books away. When you have a neat classroom, you can do so many things and have fun. It’s nice to have a nice and neat classroom because other people don’t have to clean up your mess. —Allie D. I do many things to make the world a better place to live in. I don’t make messes, and if someone made an enormous mess and I didn’t do it I would pick it up and someone like my teacher doesn’t have to say to me “oh there’s a pencil on the floor” because I will see and I will be the one to pick it up. I think everyone should get money and if someone doesn’t write a will and the government will take it away, they should give to all the poor people instead of keeping it to themselves. It is not fair at all. I think if someone has a disability you shouldn’t make fun of them.

You should maybe help them. In the future I am gonna make a club called “Littering is Bad” Club.

It is gonna be so cool. If we get 100 things off the ground in the world, we would have a dance party at my house. —Gracie B. My contribution to make the world a better place is helping people if they need help. Another way I help is by making people feel better when they are hurt or something like that. Making the world a better place is good because some bad stuff has been happening around the world.

I wanted to say thanks to the people who clean after themselves and recycle when something needs to be recycled, not thrown in the garbage.

—Jacob C. Pierson S.

Abby B. Nathan C. Keira F.

4

Fall 2015

Naomi B.

Amiyah R.

Fall 2015

Carley C.

I help an elder at my church, and I carry her wheel chair down the stairs while she goes down the chair lift. —Jansen K.

by better place the world a by ld or w e I can make th ion. I help at uc ed S. an .J. getting job. —A getting a good learning and

es

At home I turn off the TV when I’m not using it. When I go to the zoo with my grandma I go to the endangered turtle donation box and donate to the turtle. And I recycle. —Molly

os

I am already planting vegetables and fruits. I am taking after my mom by helping the environment. I am doing this because people need air and to get air is to get it from trees and people are cutting down trees but I am going to plant more trees and I am going to teach people how to plant and how to take care of the earth. When the earth has more trees the earth has more people. When the earth has more people I can teach. The more life is with the earth and the more peace with the plants and the more things that survive.

In the future I want to make a place to teach people about plants and to make more life in the earth and to be more mature and to be happy with the world. And to have a big heart and to be a better person to the earth. But when I am done I can make a tree for my kids and for the poor people and to give life to the world and to give hope to the earth and to give freedom to the trees and plants and to make people more happy. And to be a kind and responsible person to the earth and to make more things for the earth and to be a friend to the earth and to be a good person. And be a better stronger person of a bigger world and a bigger universe.

The end. —Sophia V. My contribution to make the world a better place is to be nice to everyone even if they’re mean to me, and to garden in my backyard. Also I am very nice whenever there is a new kid in my class I welcome them, and be nice to them. I love making new friends. They’re so fun.

I have Girl Scouts, and we send toys to the poor on Christmas every year. It is fun to do the packaging. It’s called “Operation Christmas.” —Sophia V.

I can make the world a better place by being a police man. I can catch bad guys and put them in prison. That is how I can make a better environment. —Asher O.

M

Aasiyah R.

Malik G. For me to make the world better I can stop making fun of my friends and do all of my homework and latework and try to hold the door a lot more and I could also buy more stuff for my parents and family to give back. I also will try to get off the computer more and do more homework and go outside more! I could also be nicer to my teachers and help them out too by following their directions quick as possible and eyes on them and listen and be quiet etc... I also could help people’s day by making good choices like cleaning up after myself and be the table cleaner Marvin at lunch time. I also will go and not be greedy, all the toys I used to have when I was a kid that I don’t use anymore I’ll donate it to the Thrift Store. And I have a few bronze wrist bands I never wear so I will give those to the pawn shops for how much they want it for! I will try all those goals by this week! —Amir. F

You can clean up trash at the beach so that the trash won’t flow into the water. You can also donate toys that you don’t play with anymore to charities. —Casey S.

One way you make the world a better place is by recycling, by not litter-

ing, by not polluting, by not smoking, by not driving the car as much, also by picking up trash in the sea, and not pollute and not smoke. Also try not to fight, and not create global warming. Well, try not to anyway. Make a contribution to the world. Try not to start fights on cities or countries. Try not to start major wars or regular wars. If you do this you’ll make the world a better place. —Christian

You fill someone’s bucket all the time. You be their friend if they’re sad or left out. —Ian B. At my school I can help prevent bullying. In my family I can stop fighting with my siblings. In my neighborhood I can help prevent violence. I can also recycle a lot. —Annalie Z. In order to make the world a better place I can pick up the trash when I see it and recycle. I can make positive choices by being kind to others, to share with others, to help someone in need. In my school I can learn to play with others well. Don’t be a bully. If you see someone being a bully, go and tell an adult. I can make a difference when I make my bed and clean my room. I plan on making the world better by obeying the rules. Register and vote when I become of age. —Kamari L.

Cameron

Zoie J.

5

My dad, my brother and I are going to be starting something in my neighborhood called Little Free Library. Basically, it’s a library for your neighbors and you! You need to carve a wooden box and make a little door that can open. The door should be made of see-through glass so people can see the books inside. Then secure it on a beam of wood and place it in the ground. Then add some books, a notebook, and a pen inside. This is based on the honor code. You can pick any book in the library you want to read, then return it when you are done. Encourage neighbors to add some of their own books. Soon the whole neighborhood will be contributing and reading books enjoyed by neighbors.

In the notebook, you can write reviews and summaries of the books you’ve read.

If you want to try this, get an adult’s help!

Not only is this creative and educational, but it can also create friendships between neighbors who enjoyed the same book.

Remember to add instructions on how it works so people can enjoy your library!

—Meredith P.

Talia

Savannah V.

Laelia V.

There are so many amazing things to do to help make the world a better place. One thing I can do to make the world a better and happier place is to shut off the lights in my home when I’m not in that room. Another thing I could do is not use so much paper unless I use the whole sheet. Lastly, I can be kind to nature by not picking growing flowers.

(I don’t do that but others shouldn’t.) Remember: Even the smallest things make a difference. —Alina S. I sometimes work at the food pantry. I usually stock shelves and sort food. Sometimes I make a lunch for the homeless. It is very easy to do and it takes so little time and helps a lot of people. —Sam F. The way I help my community is on my block there’s this kid that always plays but he’s lonely so I ask him if he wants to play with me. So when I’m lonely he does the same.

Another way I help the community is I clean my neighborhood. If there’s a bag on the street, I’ll clean it up. Also when it’s Christmas there’s a lot of snow and there’s this old lady, so it’s hard for her to move the snow so my dad shovels it for her. —G.D.

Kate B. Damir

Isabella B.

ople help other pe others 3 lp he tell them to changes you can make —Lily R. Beckett

Ava

Sofia B.

6

Say “Hello.”

Make people laugh when they’re upset.

Try to stay positive.

Give your time to community services.

Donate to hospitals and the poor.

Stand up for others.

Recycle.

Something that I can do to make my community a better place is study hard in school and do all of my work. This will spread knowledge around the community, and people will become more intelligent. Then that would help people get well-paying jobs that help them pay for things like food and a good house. Also, if I study hard at school, I can go to a good college and also get a good job that gives me enough money to support myself and, most importantly, my very own community!

My contribution to making someone’s day brighter has three ways.

I will give one tip for each way. Number one: Tell them a few jokes; tip: try these jokes: Why is the letter ‘A’ like a flower? It gets followed by a ‘B!’ KNOCK KNOCK! Who is there? Oscar! Oscar who?

Oscar if she likes me! Number two: Buy them a toy they ALWAYS wanted; tip: Ask them what they always wanted if you don’t know.

And finally, number three: Throw a PIZZA PARTY! tip: Ask them their favorite pizza flavor (pepperoni, cheese etc.) and set up the party for the next day. I hope this helps your friend/somebody else!

I throw bottles and all that type of stuff in the recycling, and me and my dad sometimes pick up trash, and I think I am a good sport. At the beginning of the game one person said that they were going to crush us but we crushed them. But we just said “good game” and that is why I am a good sport. And now I am going to tell you what is good about the world and bad about the world. The good thing to do if you see a bag or something you should always pick it up and that is what you should always do. —Jimmy S. For my contribution I won’t waste trees by writing a long essay. What we should actually do is scrap cars and create teleporters. Our civilization should be like the “golden age” in Destiny. We should kill cows for food and because they emit tons of greenhouse gases. We should create robots to do hard jobs and fight. We should create little cubes to follow us around and be personal aids.

We should also destroy GMO Jerrell foods which would lower the cancer rate. —Tristan T.

Perrion W.

Fall 2015

There are many ways you can help the earth for days you could be nice and do the dishes or you could help the environment and save the fishes you could smile even if you just fought a crocodile do not be rude give food give money be funny buy your mom a vase and that’s how you can make the earth a better place —Asier N.

One difference I would make for the world is stop violence because people are being killed. One main reason that I want to stop guns is because people are being killed. People are trying to stop violence, we can make the world peaceful.

My second main reason in our bill of rights it says we can have guns to defend ourselves but people don’t use it to defend us, they use it to make the world a worse place.

If I were the president I would make a law to say whoever sells guns is going to have their license taken away. How can we help? We can help by raising our voices out and screaming out our feelings. —Jocelyn C. I would give stuff like blankets, pillows, old electronics, water, food, clothes, and old glasses to the homeless. I plant flowers in front of my house, in back of my house, and on the side of my house to make it enjoyable to others. I say “hi” to people I know. —Portia

How I would help my community is I would see someone sad and I would go up to them and brighten their day and compliment them and say nice things to them.

Another thing I would do is if I see people litter I would go and pick up their trash and put out a sign that says “No Littering.” The other thing that I would do is I will help teachers and staff if they have so many things to carry. I would see if they need help carrying some stuff or if I could open doors for them and be caring.

—Maya A.

I could in fall rake the leaves for my neighbor or help my dad with snow blowing my neighbor’s lawn. I have fun helping my neighbors.

I could help my mom or dad if they got hurt.

I could always help the poor by sending them stuff you don’t need any more, or toys you don’t like anymore. You can also send them food but the food has to be in cans or when it gets there it will be all over the place.

I could also help animals that are stuck or are hurt. You should also find a lot of ways to help the community. —Ela B. Here are some ways to make the world a better place. For 1 volunteer. Volunteering makes the world a better place whether it’s coaching your little kid’s sports team to even building a house. Volunteering is the way to go especially as a kid because it’s really the only thing you can do so volunteer and help someone today. —Erik D.

Eli

Nina M.

Mensur M. MaeBelle B.

What I do to help my community is being a nice kid.

Like holding the door for other people. Helping people when they’re lost. Making new people feel welcome. I help my parents by vacuuming, cleaning my dish, clean my room, and using my manners. Peace is very important. That’s how everyone is friends.

Making a lemonade stand for charity. That’s how I help my community grow. —Diego C.

Sylvie C.

Anastasia T.

Cans and paper recycled.

Older people need help, we help them.

Nobody is forgotten.

Take your clothes to the poor.

Recycle your cans.

I give away my old toys.

Be kind to others.

U should always give.

Tomorrow will be great.

Everything can be someone’s treasure.

Fiona F. Fall 2015

I can help my community. I will start at my school. I will pick up crumpled up papers and put them in the recycling. I promise to pick up fallen pencils and markers. I will be nice to my classmates even though they might not be pleasant to be around. In my neighborhood I will be nice to neighbors. I will do food drives and fundraisers for important causes. In my home I will help clean and cook, and do what my parents tell me to do. —Layla A.

7

Justin S.

Rylan B.

Joné C.

Phillip S.

Some positive choices that I can make are not talking when the teacher is talking, respecting everyone, not just everyone from my school, but everyone that lives around the world. Consoling people when something has happened to them. I will make positive choices when I am older and right now because I don’t want to make a bad choice and get in trouble. Even if I am not at school I will want to make a positive choice and I will keep on making a positive choice as long as I can. —Isabela G. I can make the world a better place right now because I am not going to litter and I’m going to help people who need help and I’m going to be nice to everybody and those people will be nice and then everybody will be nice.

I will always offer to help people with what they are doing and I will also help people with their chores and I will treat everybody the way I wanted to be treated and I will never mistreat people and I will never let people steal and if they do I will change their mind about stealing from anybody.

If someone is trying to open a door or be on time while making breakfast for their children or self and then when they actually get where they’re supposed to be they are holding books and papers and a tea cup and they just can’t open the door, and I’m there I will help them by either opening the door or holding some of their stuff.

I plan on making the world better by stopping wars. I plan to do that by being nice to people who will be nice to other people who will make other people feel good and wars will stop. —Iris R. Racism—everyone agrees it’s a problem that many people face in their everyday lives. However, how many of us believe that we are part of the problem? The news is filled with reports of people being unfairly treated because of the color of their skin. What can be done to solve one of the biggest problems in the world?

I remember driving through a neighborhood that had a lot of people on the street, mostly of a different skin color. I told my mom that I was scared. My mom told me some neighborhoods are just different, it doesn’t mean they are bad. That day I learned how racist thoughts start and how they can be stopped. If one bad comment can start racism, then one good comment is one step closer to changing it forever. —Alexander D. Tenley F.

Mateo

I can plant more flowers in my back and front yard. I can also eat more organic food and not disturb bees. If I disturb bees, then they will sting me, and if their stinger is in me, they will die, causing the bee population to go down. I can have a diverse garden in my back yard and front yard, so then different species of bees will be pollinating by my home, instead of just one kind of bee. This means that all different species of bees will be getting nutrients.

This is how I can help bees. —Regan Z. Hello, my name is Kierra A. and I am in 8th grade. I usually write poems for this newspaper but since this will be my last I want to do something different. A story or letter of how I will contribute. By using my words. If I could help to make the world a better place, I would do it by being a therapist.

Talking to people and helping them is what I know how to do best! Even if it was a physical therapist, helping people overcome sadness, weakness and bad health. If people could have help with their problems, why not give it to them. This would be my contribution. —Kierra A. What I can do is that I can pick up all the trash that is on the floor, in the park, and in the streets. I can tell the people that it is OK to marry any gender and that gender does not matter. Who thinks that? Also, I can say that kids can’t be bullies anymore. People have to stop. —Emilio H.

I see trees and flowers and think this can’t last forever.

There is pollution and global warming. I’m encouraging my parents to get an electric car. One little thing can make a difference but without all of us trying what can we get done? If everyone is relying on someone else to do the work, what then? —Sadie H.

America is known for its being “the land of the free, and the home of the brave,” and the land of equal opportunities. However, as a person who strives for equality, I have observed that this is not all true. Did you know that per every dollar a man makes, a woman doing the same job gets only 78 cents? Or that African American people are much more likely to get injured by the police than white people? My goal is to help influence the idea of equality among my peers, and help America live up to its expectations. —Linnea S.

Cal-El R.

bird house

Jaira J.

8

Fall 2015

You should recycle, It helps the life cycle, And if you smile, It’s worth a mile.

Sofia D.

Arriana

How I will help my community is by complimenting people about something they do. What I could do is eat just a little bit less, this helps because it will save food for other people who need food. —Devin J. We live on a peaceful world. Kids laughing and arms swaying. But one day, our world will not be as peaceful because we are not taking care of it. People should be kinder and more respectful toward others. Listening and paying attention to their teachers. Helping the homeless. Loving their families. Treating animals with love and not hate. Picking up litter. Stop bullying. Being brave and having faith in others. These are some of the things that people should be doing to make our world a better place. Stop all the hate and anger and start making better choices. —Jalilah C.

Jaleel W. A way to make the community better is to do community service and helping the elderly because they’re not getting any younger so I think doing community service is going to make other people do it too.

—Sade Fall 2015

What can you do to help clean our world?

You could grow a garden in a flash And lessen the smoke in the sky, curled And recycle more instead of trash How can you brighten someone’s bad day?

You can say funny things so they laugh And make some colorful things, not grey Grin, so their dark cloud blows off like chaff What things can you do for other folks?

You can help cook food for the hungry Or just open the door and don’t hoax And raise money for a company These are some things to improve our lives Some things that will make us all cheerful So that we will give each other high-fives and make our world much more colorful —Isabel Z.

Help people when they are hurt, You can help anywhere, Even in Frankfurt, You do it without realizing it, Shampooing helps your hair.

—Maia H.

What I would do to brighten someone’s day would be if someone was sad because no one was playing with them I would play with them. —Rowan

Abe S.

Be kind to people be nice don’t be rude, instead be a nice person —Christopher S. We can all join together And make the world better We could pick up the trash Put more trees in the grass Let’s make the world feel Like it’s in a warm sweater —Maggie K.

Jaime H.

Make people laugh Arrange in environment Kill no nature End global warming Try to be nice Helpful Everyone carpool Want to share Open a door for someone Respectful Laugh at someone’s jokes Don’t be mean

One way I can help my community is by returning my library books so others can read them. Another way I can help my community is by doing all my work. This will Bystanders aren’t allowed spread knowledge. Also I can greet others and use manEnergy that is good ners. Everyone likes a kind community and friendliness!

Try to make Earth a better place There are so many ways I can help out my commuTry to donate money nity. They all benefit in different ways. Some things make Electricity is gone, go back to nature the community smarter, others make it safer and more Recycle friendly. We need to take care of our community so ev—Brad P. eryone feels the community is a great place. —Rachel H.

n T.

What can you do to make the world a better place? Typical answer may be water the plants, pick up trash, and recycle. Those are all good helpful ways to make the world a better place. But! We are missing the big picture! The main reason why the world has gone left. Why we live in a fallen world. In this generation kids are looking up to the wrong people. Half of those people are famous. Singers and actors, mostly singers such as Katy Perry, Niki Minaj, Beyonce. We praise the wrong things these days. What can we do to make the world a better place is by stop listening to music. Music is way more powerful than you think. Think about what is feeding into your brains. Let’s stop talking about one another and stop getting jealous. Don’t follow social media. Don’t listen to them. Let’s stop adding on to the negative and start adding on to the positive. —India L.

You, me, her, the weird guy that lives at the end of your block—we all have contributed to the world and have made a change in someone’s life whether it be good or bad. Me, well I have changed my family’s life and saved two lives. It doesn’t take much to have an impact on the world or someone else. Just try to make it positive. Your contribution to the world is an impact on life. —Aliya J.

Tyso

I want the world to be perfect, birds singing, people dancing, sun shining.

I want love to fill the air, and happiness float to the edges of the world.

But it’s not that way, and it never will be.

There will always be violence.

There will always be hate.

But we can change that just a little bit.

We can each do one good thing, pass it down, and someone else does the same.

Maybe a big heap of those good things can change the world, maybe one day that dream world will come true, or maybe not.

But there’s always hope.

—Tulliah A.

Lucas O.

You should always clean up, And never litter, So pick something up, And don’t be bitter.

9

Donna M. Oskar B.

Anja H.

To help our community we could sell books and donate the money to homeless shelters and our school! I could donate and help sell the books too! We could also have a bake sale with the books! —Saula C.

Get people to make better choices, talk to them, help them out, tell them good things. Tell them you won’t let them down, help them out, be a good person around them, when they are doing something wrong tell them what they are doing wrong and maybe that would help.

—Keneisha M.

Maya

The world depends on us. We are the reason there is peace. We are the reason there is violence. We should help our community. One way you can help is by helping pick up garbage. Also you can take a bus to school instead of taking a car to decrease the amount of gas we use. Another way to help improve your community is by being nice to one another. We should show respect to each other.

Also you can recycle paper instead of throwing it in the garbage can. —Indira O.

Kaitlin K.

Ar ia n

Leiah C. aS

.

We can help our community by being kind to other people because when people have like too many stuff to hold you can help them by carrying stuff for them.

—Eric D. What I want to do for the community is to pick up trash for people that litter because it’s bad for the earth. Also I want to give some clothes for the homeless so they could wear some warm clothes for the winter. —Charlotte

Tom What I can do to make my world a better place -Try and get some people off the streets -Build more Boys and Girls Clubs for the kids and teenagers -Build more centers to keep people active -Help people build better relationships with others -Encourage and help others get their lives back together -Help people with financial problems —Colby T.

What I would like to do for my community is help senior citizens to cross the road or help them with their groceries. —Lalah B.

Henry H.

Recycle: If we recycle we can make the world a better place by using less resources.

Stop Violence: Stopping violence can help the world become a peaceful place.

Share: Sharing is showing that you care and others might need something more than you do.

Use Less Energy: Using less energy could help prevent global warming.

—Pierre P.

10

I plan on making my world better by helping

people that are poor because they don’t have money, clothes, food and anywhere to sleep and I will help people that are stuck or need help finding the way. I will help people that are sick and for the poor people I’ll give them some of my money and give them some food. —Angeline

My contribution to make the world a better place is that my Girl Scout group picked up trash in the park and around the school. We put the garbage in garbage bags. I also ride my bike to school instead of going in the car because we are only two blocks away. —Lilah R.

Oliver

Fall 2015

Megan O.

Karly O.

Change the World Can you lend a hand?

Could you please help?

In this marching band To stop a yelp.

Make a change today.

Make a change tomorrow.

Make someone say “hooray” And not be in sorrow.

Help those around.

Be happy too.

Like a strong hound Make them not feel blue.

Change the world.

Make it the best you can.

Say a nice word.

Make having an impact a plan.

—Chiara C.

If you always expect someone to solve the problems for you, you will never be able to help. If you always rely on some scientists to fix a problem like global warming, they can’t do that without the money from donations.

NO ONE’S STOPPING YOU! Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference!

Don’t litter!

Be kind!

Donate!

Greet everyone with a smile.

Small things like that can make a difference.

Someone’s going to be grateful.

That’s Helping.

—Iliana B.

Positive choices make the world a better place.

Recycling and helping those in need, Being good to animals and hurting nothing, even if it’s a weed.

Charities and doing things for free, Help everyone, Including you and me!

—Tess S.

In my opinion the best ways to help your community is going to a neighborhood restaurant. The reason this is so good is because it supports a local business that uses local foods. The plus side is you get amazing food. It is better than McDonald’s not-real-meat chicken nuggets. —Oliver M.

Gabriel

Coming together Onward together Moving as one Making your day shine United Every year I go to the store and buy pencils, notebooks, Non-judging and erasers for the homeless. —Denisse Interesting people Together I’m gonna pick berries and I’m going to bake cookies and Years of fun muffins and cupcakes to give to the homeless. —Andrea K. I can: • pick up trash • plant trees • take responsibility around the block • make everyone shine!

—Abby S.

Sylvia

I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House. We made chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies and we got to take one cookie. It was really good. We got a tour of the hotel too.

I had so much FUN. And the kid that took a cookie smiled.

That made me smile too! —Jordyn up llying by speaking I can help stop bu . ult ad an l tel for other people or —Jeremy

Ryan

What I want to do for the community is to pick up trash for people that litter because it’s bad for the earth. Also I want to give some clothes for the homeless so they could wear some warm clothes for the winter. —Charlotte

Hillary A. Fall 2015

I can recycle all of the trash in my classroom so we do not ever waste paper and I can make sure that I always throw away tissues in the garbage bin. —Charlie

11

I will be always polite and use my manners, and I will always tell the truth and never lie, and I will always say hello to everyone around me and can also make simple inventions to use. —Aiden

Some things I can do to brighten people’s day is saying hello to them, helping people carry something, or just saying please and thank you. —Anna H.

Generous!

Independent!

Very nice!

Every penny makes someone’s day!

Make good decisions!

There are many things you can do. Like give up your time to help someone! You can make someone’s day! Help the environment! Instead of going on your electronics you can make a difference in the world.

—Samantha D.

27035 5x3 FUND education 4.indd 1

7/27/15 3:01 PM

Conserve water One little thing helps Nice to people Think of others Respect your community I help others Believe in yourself Unique people Thoughtful Every person’s similar —Grace

I can help the community by not stepping on flowers, which is bad for them because the flowers decorate the plain grass.

—Mason

You can be a neighborhood watch or try to work with others, make groups with others to make the neighborhood better.

You can take time out of your day every week to go around with a garbage bag and clean up around the neighborhood and maybe some people might join you.

I can run errands for people around the school and wash tables at lunch. Also I can take out people’s garbage around the neighborhood. Also I can go over to my grandma’s house and help her. —McKyle R.

WITS Word Search C S A W E U F L O W E R S C B

H O R I K T Y F S Z E N M Q J

A C M T J H U N M E D E I N J

V H F M T G Z B T S G T L I E

C H E A U B I N I N B S E C H

E A P L N N U V A R L I V E O

A M R S P L I H E E T L F L K

E O R E O H C T C E C N L B E

G O O V C Z N G Y O Y E O H G

E G A R U O C N E R H C B C X

R L T C E P S E R M S S T Z K

E Y U O Y K N A H T Q F L T Z

A E V I T I S O P U J B R H T

C H O I C E S E S A E L P U W

T E M S Q M J J R E C Y C L E

Use your WITS to find these words CARE CHANGE CHOICES COMMUNITY

CONTRIBUTE EMPATHY ENCOURAGE FLOWERS

GIVE HELLO HELP LISTEN

NICE PLEASE POSITIVE RECYCLE

RESPECT SMILE THANK YOU VOLUNTEER

Working in the Schools (WITS) creates positive learning communities through a portfolio of volunteer literacy mentoring programs and teacher professional development; a comprehensive design to inspire children’s passion for reading.

Write down the letters that aren’t circled to uncover the secret message. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH. Through positive community support, children have opportunities to learn from adults and each other. Thank you to StudentsXpress for providing a creative magazine in local schools that encourages children’s writing, reading and expression. To all those who have given their time, support, and hearts to promote a brighter tomorrow through youth literacy — we thank you.

To learn more, go to: chicagotribunecommunitygiving.com facebook.com/ChicagoTribuneCommunityGiving