Summit Wordworks 2018

Wordworks

Wordworks

Literary Magazine Volume 2 Spring 2018

Editor-in-Chief:

Brendan McEachern, Grade Six Language Arts

Student Editors:

CC Chavez & Sarah Stewart

Graphic Design & Page Layout:

Megan McGrath

Photography:

David Mason

Student Photographer:

Madison Metzner

Special Thanks to the Following Faculty Members for Guiding Our Students in Writing & Art: Hilary Carvitti, Fourth Grade Art Meghan Cole, Fifth Grade Language Arts Frances Keller, Fourth Grade Language Arts Samantha Setterlin, Sixth Grade Art Paula Yarnell, Fifth Grade Art

Welcome to our second issue of Wordworks. This magazine contains one piece of writing from our students in grades four, five, and six. Each student is showcasing his or her writing ability in a variety of prompts ranging from an animal’s point of view to biographical poems to book critiques. In order to show the progression of writing in the grades, the staff has attempted to keep the authors’ voices as authentic as possible without too many major editorial changes. The goal of this magazine is to show writing talent ranging from the fourth grade in the Lower School to the sixth grade in the Middle School. This magazine is a wonderful way to witness writing progression in our Lower and Middle School classrooms.

Enjoy our second issue!

1

Brendan McEachern

The Summit Country Day School

Authors George Baker

Pg. 15

Lilly Dwyer

Pg. 7

Alexandra Katris

Pg. 6

Haley Baker

Pg. 12, 44

Kylie Eastman

Pg. 36

Kadyn Keeney

Pg. 26

Ashleigh Barrere

Pg. 34

Lexi Eastman

Pg. 16

Gracey Kelly

Pg. 34

Katelyn Bastos

Pg. 14

Allison Ebken

Pg. 27

Natalie Kenter

Pg. 35

Joaquin Beatty

Pg. 8

Carolyn Federle

Pg. 8

Nick Bergeron

Pg. 42

Callie Fox

Tanner Berry

Pg. 33

Tyler Berry

Pg. 29 Pg. 32

William Bishop

Axel Kindel

Pg. 6

Pg. 37, 47

Elizabeth Klocek

Pg. 19

Aaron Fraley

Pg. 25

Owen Kohlhepp

Pg. 22, 44

Christian Francis

Pg. 27

Colin Koran

Pg. 26

Lily Gentes

Pg. 38

Finn Kropp

Pg. 14

Pg. 23, 45

Jude Gerhardt

Pg. 15

Paige Kropp

Pg. 29

Vivi Bohmer

Pg. 42

Rosie Gieseke

Pg. 28

Annette LaLonde

Emily Bolan

Pg. 19

Liam Girkin

Pg. 18

Ethan Lam

Maggie Bissmeyer

Pg. 30, 44 Pg. 28

Mirabella Bosse

Pg. 41, 45

Ava Go

Pg. 9

T.J. LaMacchia

Pg. 41, 45

Braden Bricking

Pg. 17, 45

Esmé Gonyo

Pg. 9

Claire Lamarre

Pg. 13

Reagan Bricking

Pg. 10

Carleigh Gottenbush

Pg. 14, 46

Sydney Brinkman

Pg. 36

Jonathan Grooms

Pg. 11-12, 44

Katie Buckius

Pg. 5

Carson Hall

Pg. 32

Trey Lippert

Pg. 38

Colleen Busher

Pg. 31

Brenden Hamilton

Pg. 30

Cammy Lorentz

Pg. 11

Pg. 32

Mason Butler

Matthew Langenderfer Holland Lippert

Pg. 7, 47 Pg. 40, 48

William Hartmann

Pg. 43

Leo Lyons

Pg. 39

Jackson Campbell

Pg. 10, 47

Tarek Hasan

Pg. 31

Brett Maples

Pg. 16

Mia Cavallo

Pg. 23, 48

Lucy Hayes

Pg. 9

Donovan Mathews

Pg. 28

Coleton Chadwell

Pg. 38

Tucker Hayes

Pg. 7

Jasmine McCarter

Pg. 13

CC Chavez

Pg. 30

Charles Healy

Pg. 5, 47

Katie McLane

Pg. 9

Jillian Chavez

Pg. 4

Drew Hinton

Pg. 39

Lennard Mellin

Pg. 21

Hana Conte

Pg. 6

Sam Hinton

Pg. 38

Madison Metzner

Pg. 18

Heidi Crowther

Pg. 40

Elsa Hobbins

Pg. 18

Lily Mitchell

Pg. 29

Meghana Curran

Pg. 29

Tom Hobbins

Pg. 12

Nia Neal

Pg. 25

Jackson Curt

Pg. 5

Margaret Hobbins

Sophia Nery

Pg. 16

Devlan Daniel

Pg. 39

Zoë Jackson

Pg. 13

Kira Njegovan

Pg. 21

Lily de Lacy

Pg. 24

Max Jambor

Pg. 25

Kendall Northern

Pg. 40

Grant Desch

Pg. 36

James Johnson

Pg. 40

Emma O’Brien

Pg. 36

Joey DiPaola

Pg. 24, 46

Alaric Jones

Pg. 31, 48

Luke Pappano

Pg. 41

Benedict Domville

Pg. 15

Trey Joseph

Pg. 20

Benny Penote

Pg. 42

Ava Dona

Pg. 12

Zaina Kamran

Pg. 41

Carlo Quintero

Pg. 8

Caleb Driessen

Pg. 6

Callie Karageorges

Pg. 22

Kaitlyn Rassi

Pg. 33

Carson Dwyer

Pg. 13

Kwadwo Karikari

Pg. 24

Izzy Rawlings

Pg. 20

2

Pg. 26, 43

Wordworks

Cover Art

Mercer Reynolds

Pg. 5

Jack Riley

Pg. 17

Charlie Ritch

Pg. 35

Joaquin Beatty, Pie

Anna Grace Sanders

Pg. 13

Ava Dona, Stained Glass Window

Connor Schaaf

Pg. 37

Christian Francis, Circle of Life

Madeline Schaefer

Pg. 17

Carson Hall, Abstract Painting

David Schnitter

Pg. 14

Kwadwo Karikari, Lines of Color

Lilly Sievering

Pg. 23

Benny Penote, Teton Mountains

Nabil Sinno

Pg. 37

Grace Tounge, Still...Life

Kali Smith

Pg. 27

Lyla Soper

Pg. 35

Alek Stanisic

Pg. 10

Sarah Stewart

Pg. 11

Elena Stone

Pg. 18

Maddie Sumnar

Pg. 4

Sabian Swan

Pg. 43

Charlotte Thompson Anna Toebben Grace Tounge

Pg. 19, 46 Pg. 10 Pg. 24

Ethan Traiforos

Pg. 32, 48

Allen Wang

Pg. 4, 46

Harper Wood

Pg. 21

Ryka Woodruff

Pg. 33, 43

Shareef Zawaideh

Pg. 28

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The Summit Country Day School

Allen – a Bio poem Allen Wang Gr. 6 Calm, lover of blue And cookies Wonders where space ends Who dreams of world peace Who feels happy with life and peace And fears world destruction Who cares about family and friends Sister Amina SND – an excerpt from the fictional Sister of Notre Dame biography Maddie Sumnar Gr. 6 The story begins in Namur, Belgium. Sister Amina is living in a convent and is 20 years old. She walks into her room in the convent to find lavish gifts on her bed. Her favorite gift was a pale pink dress with ruffles and a hat. As Amina started writing her thank you cards, the Sisters were called to the main living room. Sister Amina, and a few other Sisters, was picked to go to America. Amina rushes to her room to pack her items.

She puts on her dress and her hat, and sets off to find the other Sisters.

Sister Amina boards the Eliza Thornton with the other Sisters. The boat is huge and has many rooms.

Sister Amina unpacks her clothes and shoes, and sets off to explore the boat. The boat is gigantic and has many sails. She saw dolphins swimming in the ocean. The boat ride became boring after 2 weeks. They were running out of clean water, and everyone was seasick. After 6 long weeks the Eliza Thornton finally reached land.

As Amina reached shore everyone scurried off the huge boat. Everyone was so relieved to get back on land. All the Sisters were sad to get back on a final boat. Amina enjoyed her journey on the riverboat. She could see all of Cincinnati from the boat. Amina saw many beautiful landscapes and sunsets. The Sisters could see pigs running through the streets. On the 12th day they finally reached the port of Cincinnati. This was where they would start teaching.

Sister Amina had become a teacher, and loved her job. All of the desks were in tidy rows and were made of wood. Sister Amina had been assigned to English and gym class. In gym class the children climb on ropes and play kickball. In English class all the children learned proper grammar and punctuation. Amina`s children were well behaved, but if a child misbehaved, Amina would give them extra homework for the night.

Antagonist Jillian Chavez Gr. 4 Kate was a beautiful, young girl with light blue eyes, rosy red lips, long black hair, and pale skin. She was lovely. Her appearance was perfect in every way. The loveliness was only skin-deep. Kate loved to cause trouble. It was as though trouble followed Kate wherever she went. Mischief was her shadow.

Everyone wondered why Kate behaved the way she did. It was hard to believe that someone so pretty could act so awful. Well, I know why Kate was the way she was. I lived next door. When Kate was a small child, her parents were always fighting. Who knows what she might have been like if she had not grown up listening to her parents yell at each other all the time. I often wonder if Kate’s actions are revenge for the happiness that she felt was stolen from her.

4

Wordworks

Ants Marching Katie Buckius Gr. 4 “Come on guys, it’s time!” I shout as I race out of the top of the burrow. Millions of my siblings follow me out marching one by one. We approach the picnic. Our eyes glitter with deliberate intent, and our mouths water while the cool summer breeze blows softly through our antennae. We make a run for the picnic. I take a bite out of a pear. It is juicy and ripe. Next, I go to the salad. The refreshing crunch of lettuce, tomatoes, and radishes fill my mouth. Then I do a synchronized swimming routine in a vat of hummus. Before I could reach a peanut butter sandwich, a little girl appears. “Retreat!” we yell as we grab our grapes and hurry back to the safety of our burrow. We give the haul to the queen and head back to our rooms. That was one good lunch.

Art Criticism: Triceracopter Jackson Curt Gr. 4 My art criticism project is about a sculpture called Triceracopter. This sculpture was made by Patricia Renick. This massive sculpture took three years to make. It started in 1973 and it was finished in 1977. This sculpture is 11 feet tall, 30 feet long, and 8 feet wide. The style of this sculpture is surreal meaning not real.

To make this sculpture the artist used clay, paint, a real helicopter, and fiberglass. When the artist made this sculpture, I think she was trying to send a message out. Dinosaurs were alive and they were very scary, and war was scary too. In a way, they are both extinct. Patricia started making this sculpture right after the Vietnam War ended. She used a real helicopter from the war to help make this sculpture. Anyway, if you want to go see this sculpture then go to the Langsam Library on the fourth floor of the University of Cincinnati.

Sometimes, I feel a little bit sad for the artist because she must have endured many, many hardships while she was making this sculpture, and it must have taken a long time to finish. Another reason she might have made this sculpture is because maybe she just wanted us to remember the dinosaurs.

Asian Carp – an Ecosystem project Mercer Reynolds Gr. 5 The Asian carp is the best creature in the world. It got to the new location from water farms and the Asian carp went up river and came to North America. It’s spreading because it has better food than where they originally came from. The Asian carp is causing more damage because it is basically taking over the world!

The Asian carp is negative because it is stealing other fish’s food and nothing eats the Asian carp. I want something to eat the Asian carp so we have a good ecosystem, not a terrifying ecosystem. If you don’t want it to spread than if you are catching fish don’t use Asian carp. Nothing eats it and plus it’s too strong.

At Sea Charles Healy Gr. 4 I am crossing the gulf to Mexico. Strong and mighty as I push through the waves. I feel them as they crash against my sides. The sun beats down on me, glimmering in the droplets that cover me. In the distance, the rumble of thunder disrupts my smooth rhythm. I cannot stop now. I cannot turn back, so I push onward. The waves hit high and strong, but I do not stop. I push on harder than before. I bounce back and forth on the waves. No matter how far I tip, I right myself. A sliver of land appears on the horizon. I am almost there. As I power through the last of the storm, I hear the cheers of relief from the crew.

5

The Summit Country Day School

The Bahamas Alexandra Katris Gr. 4 Over spring break we went to the Bahamas. We did so many amazing things like kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing, and riding an inflatable banana, but the coolest thing we did was snorkel. The water was beautiful and calm. When I jumped off the boat, the first thing I saw was a stingray in the coral. There was a huge turtle swimming by me. A massive school of minnows surrounded my god-sister. It was awesome but a little scary. Fish freak me out a little bit, so I was nervous about being so close to them. I was relieved that there were so few of them where we were snorkeling, but suddenly there were fish everywhere. It was like all the fish in the ocean wanted to swim next to me. I panicked and began shaking my legs as fast as a cheetah trying to get to the boat. After the snorkeling adventure, we went to a dolphin training center. The attack of the thousand fish quickly left my mind.

The Ball Hana Conte Gr. 4 You shrink down to the size of a toad and you have wings on your back. You are in the grass which your Dad has not mowed for two months. You climb up a dandelion stem and sit on the petals. You look up to see your dog staring at you with a big slobbery mouth. You picture his empty food bowl in your head and, how you forgot to feed him. He lowers his head to you and opens his mouth so that you can see his white teeth shining from his bath yesterday. He picks you up by your dress with his white teeth. Then you hear a familiar voice call, “Buster! Breakfast!” He drops you and runs towards the door.

Band Sort Axel Kindel Gr. 4 My specials group was on the way to music when I found out that we were heading across the hall to the band room. Once we got there, half of the grade was already in the room. Kids were everywhere, sitting on the floor, in chairs, and standing around. I noticed people wearing black collared shirts with logos on them.

They clearly did not work at the school. We were separated into groups. I ended up in the trombone group which is one of the brass instruments. We decided who would go first through last based on the way we were sitting. I was almost the last one to go in my group, and even though I had watched all the other kids when it was my turn the trombone barely made a sound. I blew harder, but still nothing. I think I will stick to piano.

Birthday Gym Day Caleb Driessen Gr. 4 Today is my birthday and gym day. EEK! I am so excited! I walk down the hall ready to play. Wait what is this? A substitute teacher? I can’t help thinking this is pretty messed up. Sure enough, the sub walks us to the gym. I feel like my awesome birthday gym class is probably not going to happen. After changing, the class votes on whether to play dodgeball or kickball. It is close, but kickball wins. We chant boys versus girls. The girls score nine runs in the first inning. The third kicker for the boys scores a triple, and we follow that up with three more runs. I am up. The ball is slow pitched to me with bases loaded. The clock is ticking down to the last few seconds of the class. I know it is up to me. I kick the ball. Grand Slam! The boys win 10-9. Not a bad birthday gym class after all.

6

Wordworks

Black Rabbit – a Vocabulary Unit Creative Response Matthew Langenderfer Gr. 6 After hours of fighting, the Black Rabbit had finally defeated the homicidal maniac. The Black Rabbit figured the dreadful incident was influenced by the White Rabbit. He felt indignant towards the White Rabbit and decided to hinder his presence. Having known the White Rabbit’s customary routine, he found the available time to strike.

As the newly “widowed” White Rabbit was coming back from the funeral, she did not see the poised Black Rabbit ready to pounce. The White Rabbit’s indifference to the easily transparent plan was a haphazard one.

The time had come. The Black Rabbit confronted the White Rabbit. In attempt to dissuade the Black Rabbit from defeating her, she said, “I could never cater to every one’s tastes, especially the coyote. How did you come out of that fight unscathed?” The Black Rabbit replied, “You will never again trick or harm anyone again because I’m feeling like having some Rabbit stew tonight!”

Blessed Lilly Dwyer Gr. 6 Blessed are those who hate for they will love.

Blessed are those who persevere for God, for the will rest in peace.

Blessed are those who follow The Golden Rule, for they will have friends.

Blessed are those who wrong, for they will be forgiven.

Blessed are those who have lost their parents, for they will be loved.

Blessed are they who are courageous for God, for they will be shown gratitude.

Blessed are they who care, for they will be cared for.

Blessed are those who helped for they will be helped.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – a Book Review excerpt Tucker Hayes Gr. 6 The book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba was a book involving poverty, and perseverance leading to success. In the small village of Malawi, there was a boy named William Kamkwamba who cared about his family’s success more than anything. Maize (or corn), is a key crop in the village that feeds the entire population. When every family’s maize field dies due to drought, the village falls into extreme famine and poverty. William’s family was surviving on one meal a day, but not maintaining weight or strength. Some village children were so hungry, they would hastily eat crumbs of the road, scooping gravel, and all into their mouths. People who had no food wandered the streets hopelessly, occasionally asking for a job or blob of nsima (a bread-type food made from maize).

One week, the rain finally returned and the maize crops speedily returned. William’s family couldn’t afford for him to go to school, so he spent the days scouring science books to learn. He noticed that electricity had to be paid for, and only the rich could afford it. William had seen an example of a windmill in the text book so he decided to make one to generate electricity. The junkyard filled with old cars and parts was the perfect place for William to obtain the materials he needed to create the windmill. People called him a madman for collecting the parts, but levels of respect rose when he generated power with his windmill. William continued to learn and added to his windmill and was able to power his whole house! Newspapers made the amazing story popular, and soon TED found out! They invited him to be present at one of their meetings, and give a speech. William was delighted and traveled by plane to the conference. He gave a wonderful speech and impressed thousands of people with his engineering and intelligence. William later went to college, graduated, wrote this book, and continues to improve his small village of Malawi day by day.

7

The Summit Country Day School

Sister Britney SND – a fictional Sister of Notre Dame biography Joaquin Beatty Gr. 6 Sister Britney is a nurse at the convent. Sister Britney gets a telegram from Sister Julie. She is asked to head to New York to spread the word of God and to teach children. Sister Britney was very excited about this.

She immediately started packing for her trip.

The trip to New York was not pleasant. She was very sick during the trip. There was nothing to see or do on the boat. The only thing to do was wait. But when they landed, she felt alive again.

Sister Britney felt much better when she arrived. She stopped feeling sick when she put her feet on the ground. Pigs were everywhere. One of the pigs even went on to the boat. She was going to like Cincinnati after all.

Sister Julie brought Sister Britney to The Summit Country Day School. She was going to be teaching math.

The classroom had everything she needed. The students were very nice. She was going to like this very much.

After twenty years of teaching, Sister Britney went to retirement. During retirement, many advancements have happened. Telephones have been invented. She missed teaching the children. Sister is finally able to go to Rome. During her final breaths, she started to reflect. She started to think about her arrival. The welcome was nice and warm. The schools were still being built. She took her final breath.

Bunnies Carolyn Federle Gr. 4 Can you imagine hopping across North America on little tiny feet being chased by pumas and other predators completely out of breath? Let me tell you, it is not easy. After I have escaped my predators, I hop over and get food for the group of bunnies I live with. We are herbivores, so we only like eating wet yummy plants. Suddenly, I hear a loud growl from outside our burrow. A hungry puma wanting to eat us all is hovering at the entrance. We scurry away like the place is on fire. I keep from being trampled by the almost 90 rabbits that live in the burrow with me. I know I have to do something about this chaos, I whistle with my two small front teeth. Everything freezes. After getting everyone’s attention, I yell at the top of my tiny bunny lungs, “Every bunny stop and calm down! The puma can’t squeeze through the opening of our little burrow!”

They calm down, and after a little while the puma bores of the waiting game. Finally, I stretch out. After that adventure, I am ready for a nap.

Capstone – an excerpt on Mansa Musa Carlo Quintero Gr. 5 Mansa Musa lived a courageous life. Musa had a lot of faith even if he had to go through pain. He was a really good role model. Musa once said… Now make sure you can say that you chose your life, you didn’t settle for it.

Mansa Musa showed courage throughout his walk to Egypt. Musa was the first African king to walk that far and he knew that he could easily be attacked by all of the slaves that were around him. Each city he would go to he would donate money to whatever charity he wanted to donate to and he would built an elegant temple. Throughout Musa’s journey he had walked 4,000 miles.

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Wordworks

Character Esmé Gonyo Gr. 5 What is Character? Character is qualities of an individual that states their personality in different ways.

I work on this pledge everyday so I can grow to be a better person. I can “take responsibility in my own learning” by doing the three examples I will give you. My first example is not cheating on a test and doing my own work. Doing work in class is good so the teacher knows what you know not the person you are cheating off of. My second example is paying attention to the teacher in class. If you pay attention in class a test will be easier since the subject will be familiar. The last example is believing in yourself. This will help calm stress and help your self-confidence. In conclusion “taking responsibility in all I do in my own learning” is one of the best things you can do.

I can “treat others with fairness, kindness, and dignity” by doing the three examples I will give you. I can treat others with fairness by not relying on one person to do all the work. I can treat others with kindness by not being mad at the other peer for how they learn. This could make them less confident and more stressed.

The last thing for treating others with dignity is thinking before I speak. You should think before you speak so you don’t say something wrong or rude. Saying the Character Pledge each day tells me I should be a kind and respectful person. I will try to follow the Character Pledge.

Character Pledge Katie McLane Gr. 5 At the Summit Country Day Middle School we recite a Character Pledge every morning. We remind ourselves that we are capable and kind. I do this by striving for my best, taking responsibility, and treating others with fairness, kindness, and dignity. I take responsibility for my learning and strive for my personal best by trying my hardest. I take responsibility by studying mostly in my own time. I strive for my personal best by paying attention and doing the assigned work as best as I can. I try my best at Summit because my parents spend a lot to get me here. In conclusion, I respect, honor, and follow the Character Pledge.

At Summit I treat others with fairness, kindness, and dignity. I play fair and don’t argue back. I don’t try to hurt people and go to clubs to help the community. I treat others with dignity by recognizing their feelings and seeing if there is anything I can do to help. I hope that others think I do this and more. Repeating the Character Pledge day by day helps me to remember to be responsible and kind. Everyone is given this chance, but only some accept it. In conclusion, I learn and commit myself to the Character Pledge, and hope to be a better person by doing so.

The Cheetah Lucy Hayes Gr. 4 I am hiding in the tall, green grass gazing at a gazelle. The very sight of her makes me drool. Unaware of the danger, she begins to trot away. Her agile legs break into a run, and I know I must act fast. I spring up and begin chasing after her. I hear the birds chirping and feel the wind blowing through my fur as I reach speeds of 75 miles per hour. I am faster than cars on the highway. I really want the gazelle for lunch. The blazing beats down on my broad back as I thunder closer to my prey. Today is a good day. I love my life as a cheetah.

Clay Mishap Ava Go Gr. 4 My classmates and I were listening to the art instructions. We were going to do a project using clay. When I got ready to make my piece, I forgot to put on an art tee shirt. I was shaping my clay when I accidently let go of it. “Splat!” It landed right on my freshly washed tee shirt. A mass of sticky gray stuff in the middle of a field of white. I tried to remove it from what use to be my nice clean shirt and put the remnants of my sculpture back on the table. My shirt was no longer clean. It looked like I had been splattered by gray paint. I eventually finished the project, but from that day on, I have always remembered to put on an art tee shirt.

9

The Summit Country Day School

Clayton Byrd goes Underground – an Original Poem based on the book of the same title Jackson Campbell Gr. 6 Cool Lesson Learned Clayton loves to play the Blues, He wants to follow in Cool Papa’s shoes.

He grinds away on his silver blues harp, He sneaks to play in Washington Square Park.

Cool Papa tells him, “Look sharp, be cool,” He uses the saying often as an encouraging tool.

His Mother keeps telling him “no more blues,” So he decides to run away and break her rules.

After getting caught by the cops for hanging with the wrong crowd, he finds out the reason why mom says the blues aren’t allowed. ] Collette Quinn – a fictional Sister of Notre Dame biographical poem Alek Stanisic Gr. 6 Sister Collette She is nice and fun loving And likes to spend time with her three brothers and yet Her calling is teaching, nursing, and helping She is nice and attentive and definitely funny She is scared people will not respect each other by being caring and loving She has nursed and taught and her personality is always sunny Sister Collette hopes the world will be kind and free of sin She is from Chicago but has lived around the globe and loves all people, young and old Comparing a Book to a Play – a Journal Entry Anna Toebben Gr. 5 I think that Lions of Little Rock and the play Polkadots are similar because they both have a conflict. In Polkadots the conflict was the youngest square refused to be friends with Liz Polkadots same as Liz in Lions of Little Rock. Others refused to be friends with her after people found out that she was black. Though at the end of the book and play, both have best friends.

I think that Polkadots and Lion are different because Liz Polkadot is a Polkadot and Liz in Lion is not one.

I also think that Liz in Polkadots is not in danger. She just feels left out and Liz in Lion is in danger. Also Liz in Lion went to an all white school and Liz in Polkadots goes to a happiness school. That is what I think is different about Liz in the book and the Liz in the play.

Confetti Girl – a Book Review Reagan Bricking Gr. 6 For my March Book Report I read Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez. The main character’s name is Lina. Her mom died and because of that her dad has been (rudely) absorbed in books. Lina’s best friend, Vanessa, is super obsessed with boys. Vanessa’s mom and dad got a divorce and since then Vanessa’s mom has been always making cascarones, or hollowed out eggshells filled with confetti. Lina’s dad was so preoccupied in books that he read instead of politely watching his daughter play on her volleyball team. Lina and Vanessa both play volleyball, and they were both asked to come to a volleyball camp for the high school coach. Lina was so excited and decided to play basketball for conditioning, but then she stupidly forgot to study for a vocab quiz and failed. She was sternly told that she could not play the sport. She was so upset that she locked herself in her room and cried. Over winter break, Vanessa completely forgot about her and she got so mad.

Things ended up getting better, because Lina talked to her dad and her best friend and smoothed things over. My favorite scene was the very last one, when Lina, Vanessa, Lina’s dad, and Vanessa’s mom talked everything out and cracked a bunch of cascarones on each other’s heads.

10

Wordworks

Criticism: Triceracopter Cammy Lorentz Gr. 4 The Triceracopter is a surreal sculpture created in 1977. It is made out of fiberglass, clay, and a helicopter. The Triceracopter is 30 feet long, 11 feet tall, and 8 feet wide. The helicopter is from the Vietnam War. Around the helicopter, Renick used fiberglass and clay to create the body of a triceratops. This sculpture merges old and new by creating a hybrid animal.

Patricia Renick could have picked any animal or object but, I think she picked a triceratops because she wanted to show her feelings about extinct animals. I think Patricia Renick sees dinosaurs as a historical animal and she wants to tell a story about them by creating a sculpture. I think it is pretty cool how she incorporates the whole helicopter instead of just the rotor and sides of the helicopter. This sculpture reminds me of the extinction of dinosaurs and how their environment got destroyed.

The face of the Triceracopter looks like it is bolted, but it is just clay. The art looks like it morphed more of a machine than animal. I like this piece of artwork because Renick used parts of history. One that was actually used in the Vietnam War and dinosaurs are part of history. Another reason I like the Triceracopter is because it is life sized. This sculpture took a long time, but she is made with love. I also like this work because no other artist has sculpted such a lifelike sculpture. Renick is a creative artist because it is very hard to think of and make such a beautiful piece. Lastly I like the piece because the body of the Triceracopter is smooth but also looks like it has rocky kinds of textures.

The Days I was Lost – an excerpt from Ch. 1 of 21– a Perseverance Capstone Original Story Sarah Stewart Gr. 6 I woke up confused by where I was. All I remembered was that I was camping with my family the night before. I have three little brothers, Josh, Patrick, and Ryan. I also have loving parents. Oh, I also have an older sister, Cleo. She is 17; she did not go on the camping trip because she was with my Aunt Marcelle because she got in trouble. I am 13 years old, and my name is Kira, Kira Demarito.

“Mom? Dad?” I scream. I looked down to see my phone. I thought I could call my mom and ask her where she is. I dialed her number, and I heard, “Sorry, this number is not available.”

I am annoyed and very scared at the same time. I realized that I did not have reception!

“Kira! Kira help!”

The voice reminded me of my Brother, Patrick’s voice! I walked towards a lake, and I noticed the noise getting louder when I closed in on the lake. I saw some figure in the water. It was Patrick!

“Patrick it’s you! Where is everyone else?”

I yelled from the other side of the lake. He just kept yelling help and I did not know why. Then I realized that Patrick could not swim! I jumped into the lake and pulled him ashore.

“I’m so sorry Patrick! Where are the others?” I said trying to pump some water out of him.

“I do not know, by the way, I was flapping my arms and yelling for twenty minutes and you never came for me!” Patrick said getting up. “Oh I remember what happened! Josh, Luke and I were going to prank you. We moved everything to a different location, so you would be confused. We knew there had to be some way you had to find us, so we left a trail of pretzels for you. I was knocked out while I was carrying the last thing over to the location. That is all that I remember. I do not know where we moved though. Wait! We can follow the trail of pretzels we left behind.” He said looking around at the ground trying to find pretzels.

“HOW CAN WE FOLLOW THE PRETZELS IF ALL THE PRETZELS HAVE BEEN EATEN? Did you EVER think of that?” I said yelling at the top of my lungs. Patrick started to cry. I hugged him close to me and we sat down for a while. We sat in silence until Patrick said, “No.” “Patrick don’t worry we WILL find mom and dad and everything will be okay.”

Death into Life: The Life of Christiaan Barnard – a Capstone Excerpt Jonathan Grooms Gr. 5 For a long time a failing heart meant death. This all changed when a young doctor named Christiaan Barnard began experimenting on heart transplants. It took him awhile but he finally figured it out and showed how to successfully transplant a heart. Christiaan Barnard was very courageous because people thought what he 11

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was doing was crazy. He contributed to society in many ways. His biggest contributions were teaching other doctors how to successfully transplant hearts and improving the survival rates of people who needed transplants. Dr. Barnard brought a heart-lung machine back to Africa with him and trained technicians to use it and it helped many people. He created a new heart valve that is still used today and is working very well.

The Dollhouse Ava Dona Gr. 4 One day I woke up in a dollhouse. I was spooked out about the fact that I was in a dollhouse, but I would figure out how to escape. I got out of bed, and I was surprised by how CREEPY it was. When I looked down at my clothing, I knew I had to get out. It was a ragged dress with what appeared to be cobwebs stuck to it.

I heard a noise that sounded like someone tiptoeing up the stairs. Creak, creak came from the old wood. I hid behind the curtains, and saw a shadowy figure poke around the corner of the door. BAM! I ran for it, and rushed down the wobbly staircase. It felt like an eternity.

I glanced over my shoulder. At the top of the stairs stood a creature I had seen before. I knew I had to pick up my pace. Overcome with fear, I sprinted toward a crack of light at end of the long dark hall. With my heart beating out of my chest, I charged toward the light. I pushed hard and woke with sunlight pouring into my room. My dollhouse in the corner sat eerily in the shadows.

The Door Tom Hobbins Gr. 4 When Mr. Summerton moved into his new gray cottage, he had simply assumed that miniature door with the bronze knob was for storage. He had tried and tried for weeks to open that door, but his desire to open that door all ceased one night. Late that night he woke up in a cold sweat. Images of a horrible dream flashed through his head. There was a silhouette of a monster he’d seen in his dreams many times before. He liked to call it the “Shadow Creature.” He never told any other people about it because it embarrassed him to be afraid of something that was “only in his dreams.” Tonight he realized he was wrong. Defenseless except for a measly fountain pen he walked through his dark hallways repetitively saying to himself, “It’s just a dream.

It just a dream.” He got to his kitchen with a huge relief until he saw a foot that looked like the Shadow Creature’s foot round the corner to the basement. He followed it hesitantly after grabbing a knife from his kitchen. When he got to the basement door, he cracked it open to scan the dark room. He saw nothing. He shuffled against the wall in order to not make any noise by knocking over something from one of his huge piles of junk in his cluttered filled basement. His cautious, shuffling caused the knife in his hands to clatter to the floor. His heart was pounding. He was sure he had seen the doorknob turn.

Dream Haley Baker Gr. 4 “Whoosh!” Pink fluffy clouds whipped my face, reminding me of cotton candy. A pale blue sky was stretched out all around me. Below me was a vast forest filled with birdsong as sweet as chocolate. The wind blew my hair behind me like a drape. The Pegasus that I was riding on spread its magnificent shimmering wings out like a bird taking flight. We descended, and after a minute of fear from me and determination from my Pegasus, we landed. I have never seen a land this beautiful. There’s a majestic, purple mountain range in the distance. And the ocean with its waves splashing up against rocks here and they are reminding me of puppies frolicking and playing at the park. The sea foam was whipped cream on a blueberry shake, a HUGE blueberry shake. There was the forest that I had seen from the sky, phoenixes and parrots flew around creating a rainbow blur. And there was a clearing off to the side with a Pegasus so beautiful I mistook them as movie stars. There are tide pools with starfish that I thought were true stars, they look like so much like diamonds.

The sea anemones that waved their arms at me.-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! Sadly it was all just a dream.

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Easter Zoë Jackson Gr. 4 I woke up and screamed, “It’s Easter!” My sister and I got dressed rapidly and ate breakfast quickly. We had scrambled eggs. We headed over to our neighbor’s house so we could hide the eggs. I grabbed the plastic eggs with candy inside and got to work. I spent two hours hiding the eggs for the seven little ones.

Finally, they could hunt. They were so excited to find the eggs. Every time Mia found an egg she started to eat the candy. That is why she did not get a lot of eggs. Nina and I helped my little sister, Isabell, hunt. I was hoping Nina and I would get her eggs. She had 50 of them. After all the eggs were found, it was time for lunch. We had vegetable lasagna. It was quite delicious. We had so much fun besides when Nina gave Isabell’s candy away. That means I didn’t get any of the candy. This will be an Easter I’ll never forget.

Eggs Jasmine McCarter Gr. 4 Over Spring Break I went to Columbus to see my uncle, aunt, and cousins. We were there Easter Sunday.

First we all took a family photo. Second, we were split into teams to go find eggs. We all had to have a phone in order to scan the barcode inside the eggs. It was my first time scanning a barcode on a phone. We all had our own Easter egg color. Mine was green and pink. We cheated and got extra help from my uncle without my aunt seeing us. He helped us find the eggs and he scanned the barcode for my sister and me. The scans told us hints of where the eggs could be found. There were 20 eggs total.

Then, when we came back in the house and prayed before we ate. When we finished eating we had candy.

We then played a game. My mom, uncle, grandma and grandpa then left and went back to Cincinnati. After they left we went to bed. We all enjoyed ourselves in Columbus on Easter Sunday.

Elizabeth Blackwell – a Capstone excerpt Claire Lamarre Gr. 5 Elizabeth Blackwell once said, “It is not easy to be a pioneer-but oh, it is fascinating! I would not trade one moment, even the worst moment, for all the riches in the world.” She lived a very courageous life, as well as also making huge contributions to society. All her life she never game up on her dream and passion to become a doctor and help others.

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was a very courageous woman. When a friend of hers was dying, it influenced her enough to earn a medical degree. Although she was a woman, she stood up for herself and was the first woman to earn such an honor. By pursuing her dream, she made people realize that women can be doctors.

Her passion gave her the strength to stand up for women’s rights while becoming an inspiration for many women.

European Rabbit – an Invasive Species response Anna Grace Sanders Gr. 5 The European Rabbit is an invasive species that you will probably see a lot today. A European traveler brought his pet to America, and apparently let it loose. Due to the fast breeding rate and the massive amount of food, the rabbits cover all of America now. The European rabbit competes with the Mini lop in Europe, and the American rabbit in America. It eats grasses and crops. The people poisoned the species and endangered it, but the population grew back just as fast. It is also eaten by lynxes, foxes, and sometimes hawks.

Today, you might own a European rabbit as a pet and not know it!

Fear – a Journal response Carson Dwyer Gr. 5 I have a fear of robbers under my bed. My fear of robbers affected me when I forgot to look under my bed before I went to bed so I was scared. I have tried to overcome my fear by going to bed without looking under my bed and just fall asleep. Also by not going downstairs for my dad to look.

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Feral Swine Carleigh Gottenbusch Gr. 5 Today I will talk about a cute animal that is causing more damage than you think. Yes it’s a feral swine. The feral swine is an invasive species. It is native to Europe and Asia and it is invasive to Ohio. The feral swine got there by going wild and came to Ohio. They can spread diseases such as swine brucellosis and pseudorabies to livestock. Feral swine are omnivorous. They are very opportunistic feeders and much of their diet is based on seasonal availability. Foods include grasses, herbs, roots, tubers, acorns, fruits, bulbs, and mushrooms. Feral swine are able to spread quickly in a previously unexploited habitat.

Finn - a Bio Poem Finn Kropp Gr. 5 Smart, silly, quiet Lover of cats, dogs, fish Wonders about no homework, world peace, and watching people get along Dreams of good days, peaceful days, and quiet days Fears spiders, snakes, and bugs Cares about family, pets, and sleep Who feels happy when sleeping, biking, and watching a show Fiona – a Persuasive Essay excerpt David Schnitter Gr. 6 Fiona isn’t overrated. If she wasn’t in captivity, she would have 100% died. She also would have died if the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital wasn’t there to help her. Because Fiona was premature, she wasn’t fully developed and was alone with mom Bibi. When hippo babies are premature, they can die, but humans survive.

Fiona is the first hippo on record to survive being prematurely born in captivity and lived. This was a BIG deal for the zoo since Harambe’s untimely death. This was a heartwarming discovery to share.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital really helped Fiona. She needed feeding tubes because her insides were drying out, but the zoo’s tubes were too wide and breaking Fiona’s veins. The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital used human baby feeding tubes that were thin enough to work. The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital actually learned about preborns from Fiona. The hospital used IV tubes to hydrate the little hippo (WCPO). The IV tubes helped Fiona back to full health. Without the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Fiona would be dead.

Through this whole time period, the zoo took videos and pictures and put them on their Facebook page and everybody loved the cute pictures. People started donating money to the zoo for Fiona because Fiona needed funds for her treatment.

Fiona was soon famous from all of the movement on Facebook and half a million people knew about Fiona. Everyone would share the pictures and video to people they knew who would share what they saw to people they knew and the process repeated thus, raising awareness about an innocent and cute hippo.

Florence Nightengale – a Capstone excerpt Katelyn Bastos Gr. 5 Florence Nightengale was a nurse who lived about 200 years ago, before modern medicine was discovered. She was one of the very few women who had been admitted into the nursing school. She was courageous for saving peoples’ lives when she had heart problems. Nightingale revolutionized the treatment of the sick.

Florence Nightingale contributed to society in many ways. She reorganized the hospitals and trained others to become nurses. Nightingale wrote a book called Notes on Nursing so that everyone could understand how to heal others. Florence Nightingale greatly contributed society.

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Eastern Gray Squirrel – an Ecosystem Project excerpt Benedict Domville Gr. 5 The Eastern Gray Squirrel is quite a nuisance for many British people but it is their fault because it was English people who took Gray Squirrels from America and imported them to England in 1870. In England people were used to a smaller, lighter species (length 13 inches weight 10oz), commonly known as the red squirrel, which has tufted ears and fluffy tails as well as a beautiful rich, red color. The Eastern Gray Squirrel in comparison (length 20 inches; weight 12oz) was considered exotic and therefore more desirable than the original native read squirrels.

As the ecosystem was not strong enough to support both species, the larger more dominant Eastern Gray Squirrel thrived but the red squirrels became endangered and today are close to extinction. Red squirrels are threatened because although they eat the same things as gray squirrels they eat the food only when it is ripe whereas the gray squirrel eats the food when it is not quite ripe, it’s similar to eating a green banana.

Free Reading – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Jude Gerhardt Gr. 6 Free reading in class is a great thing. This is otherwise known as Drop Everything and Read (DEAR). Letting kids choose the books that they read has many benefits. If free reading is allowed in class and kids are reading what they want it makes it fun for them. It gives students a fun and healthy habit.

If kids choose what they read they might want to read more. This is the point that Valerie Strauss and Joanne Yatvin were trying to convey in The Washington Post. If there is a topic that kids like, they could want to read more. They could develop a love for books at a young age. Reading allows kids to have another healthy habit while also making them smarter. Books have many benefits. They let people learn better grammar and vocabulary. Free reading in the classroom lets kids learn. Only a little time can let kids learn so many words. Reading also gives kids more patience.

Patience and the ability to be calm are two virtues that most kids don’t have. Reading can help. If young kids realize that they like books, they will learn to sit down and read. Once kids learn this skill, they’ll be able to apply it to other things. Then kids will be able to sit still and calm down.

George – a Bio Poem George Baker Gr. 5 Loyal, optimistic, social, talented, unselfish Lover of doing celebrations in lacrosse Who wonders if Tennessee will ever win a college football championship Who fears dark rooms Who feels happy when my friends are around Who cares about family and friends Who dreams of starting a lacrosse team at the University of Tennessee

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Great Wolf Lodge Lexi Eastman Gr. 4 On my Spring Break I went to Great Wolf Lodge. The first day we got there we went to the pool and we were waiting for my parents to come. I was with my grandma and grandpa and so my brother showed up with my parents.

Then we got in the pool with Colton, my sister and Dad. We went in the wave pool. Then we went to some baby slides for my brother. We got on the dark blue one and then the orange. There were two bigger slides and of course Colton wanted to go on both slides. He was able to go on it so he was moving down the slide and there was a life guard there. He stopped in the middle and smiled. He was stuck a couple of times. He was happy. He finally made it down the slide.

Then Dad, Ashley, Kylie and I went in the hot tub. We were in there for a little bit. I got nice and warm.

Then we got out and went to the water playground. My brother had lots of fun there, same as me. All of us waited until the big bucket of water dumped on us! So it did! There were 10,000 gallons of water in the bucket.

Now it was time to drive off and get ready to have some yummy dinner to eat. But we were going to come back to the water park after breakfast!

Harlem Summer – a Book Review excerpt Brett Maples Gr. 6 My book takes place in Harlem in 1925 and it is about a 16-year-old named Mark Purvis. He loves music and one day his friend, who is also a big time musician named Fats Waller, wanted him to help him with a job, but needed one more person to help. So Mark goes to his friend Henry to help him. The job goes bad and later they find out that the job was for gangster Dutch Schultz. Now they each owe him 10 thousand dollars.

Mark asks Fats what to do, and he says that Mark should go to a gangster by the name of Bumpy Johnson and ask him for money.

When they went over to Bumpy Johnson’s house there were two policemen there. Then bumpy Johnson walked out with another gangster and paid the police to leave. After a long conversation between Mark and Henry ant the gangsters, the gangsters agreed that they would pay off the money that Mark Henry owed to Dutch Schultz. Then afterwards, Mark and Fats were arrested for a crime they did not commit, but Fats convinced the police to let them go. Mark vowed he would never get caught up with gangsters again.

Heaven is for Real – an excerpt Sophia Nery Gr. 5 I imagine Heaven as a beautiful kingdom on fluffy white clouds, with beautiful forests, oceans, and beaches.

I believe that when any animal goes extinct on earth, they are reborn in Heaven. I want to see my favorite animal, the giant cheetah, (who went extinct in the last Ice Age), hunting happily in Heaven, undisturbed by humans. Colton saw his mother’s dead baby, and I will see Yara, my aunt who died as a baby. Everyone has their own ideas of Heaven, and eventually we will all find out.

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Julius Caesar Script – an excerpt Madeline Schaefer Gr. 5 Madeline: Who was Julius Caesar?

Rider (Kwadwo): Well, Julius Caesar was a war captain. He had many experiences with war. The chance of Caesar winning a war was very high.

Anna: Well, what did Julius Caesar do that was so important?

Rider (Kwadwo): He went against the senate by crossing the Rubicon. When Caesar did this he angered the Senate.

Madeline: Why did Julius Caesar cross the Rubicon?

Rider (Kwadwo): Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon because he wanted to have more power over Rome.

Anna: Where, how, and when did Caesar cross the Rubicon?

Rider (Kwadwo): Caesar crossed in the Gaul of Rome in the southern rim of Rome in 49 B.C. after the senate said to Julius Caesar to come home.

Helen, SND – a Sisters of Notre Dame fictional biography from Namur to Cincinnati Jack Riley Gr. 6 Hello my name is Sister Helen, and I have just turned 20! In the convent I am a utility worker, and it is very nice. I am so excited to go to America. I feel everyone can make a difference so that means I too can make a difference.

The journey is not that fun because there is not much to do. There is just water to really look at. Every once and a while I will see fish jump in the air. At one point I did get sea sick. I do miss home a little, but I am so excited for New York I don’t really think about home.

I finally took the riverboat to Cincinnati, and there aren’t tall buildings. There are a lot of leaves on the ground though. Surprisingly I haven’t met anyone that interesting. The Ohio countryside isn’t really different from Belgium. There is a house every once in a while. I loved the river boat ride. I got to see so many cool houses on the trip.

The classroom is small so there is not a lot of room to move around. I think Language Arts is really fun to teach. I feel that I am nice, but I can be strict when necessary. I haven’t had a really bad student. I don’t want to jinx it though.

My retirement is really restful and peaceful. I have seen quite a few changes in technology. I think vacuums are an easy way to now clean up. I do miss my classroom teaching. Even though I am not in a classroom I can still teach. I might travel a little later but right now I am good where I am.

The past 80 years working in and outside the convent was amazing. It changed my prospective on the world. During World War 1 I was sad to see all the soldiers die. I think it was amazing to see all the inventions created. I feel I did make a difference to so many children.

Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Braden Bricking Gr. 4 It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day when I got out of bed and stepped on a sharp little LEGO. I went downstairs and stubbed my toe. I got my cereal and split milk all over me. I went upstairs to take a shower. I turned on the water, and moments later my brother shoved me into the shower with my clothes still on! After my shower, I headed outside to play. As soon as I opened the door, it started pouring down raining. I went downstairs to play on the X-BOX, but my brother was playing on it…like always. I got my iPad out, but there was no internet connection. I had nothing to do. My brother finally had to go to basketball practice. It was time for lunch, so I heated up two slices of pizza. When I took a bite, I burned my tongue.

Mom decided to take us bowling since we were all so bored. When we were getting our shoes they didn’t have my size. I had to squeeze into threes. My feet felt like they were being strangled. Then, when I was up to bowl, I dropped the ball on my toes. Now my feet are black and blue. HOW CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE?!

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I Pledge – an excerpt on the Middle School Character Pledge Elena Stone Gr. 5 “I pledge to stand firm in my commitment, to honor God and my peers and teachers around me.” We say this pledge every day in the S.C.D.M.S. Through the character pledge we strive for and learn responsibility for our actions, fairness, kindness, and dignity. How can I show responsibility with my own learning and show fairness, kindness, and dignity through the character pledge? I can show responsibility for learning, fairness, kindness, and dignity in many ways.

I can show responsibility and strive for my personal best in many ways. I can show my personal best by completing my days’ work and chores before I watch TV, play games, or do activities. Also, I complete my work to the best of my abilities. Lastly, I can show responsibilities by taking care of something, or someone, even if I’m not asked to do it. That is how I can show responsibility every day.

Inside Out and Back Again – a Book Review Madison Metzner Gr. 6 Inside Out and Back Again is about a girl named Hà. Hà had to leave her home where she has lived for 11 years and traveling to a new place which she knows nothing about. This book takes place in 1955 during the Vietnam War. Hà lived in Vietnam. She loved it there, but one day her mother said to pack up their things and that they were going to America. Could you imagine this, your mother or father walking into your room and saying hey there you need to pack, we are moving to a country we haven’t heard of before now! It was hard. The ships they traveled on were supposed to just have about a hundred people and supposed to be a secret. Well there were about a thousand people there, and they were pushed together. They rode for 3 weeks before getting to America. Once they arrived there Hà had to attend a new school. Hà was picked on and kids would pull her hair and talk about her behind her back. She would confuse words and get laughed at by her new classmates in a brand new country.

Japanese Spider Crab Elsa Hobbins Gr. 4 I live 50 meters deep in the cold dark Pacific Ocean near the Japanese islands. My exoskeleton makes for great camouflage. I blend in with the rocky coastline. It smells like salt, and there are creatures all around me. My eight legs span is 3.8 meters. My two arms are made for feeding and they are 1.5 meters long. I weigh a whopping 41 pounds. I am longer than a human. I could eat you if I wanted, but I don’t because you’re disgusting. If you are not algae, plant matter, carcasses, or mollusks, I am not interested. My only predator is the octopus. In Japan many efforts are being made for my conservation as my habitat is being destroyed.

The Journal of Joshua Loper – a Book Response Liam Girkin Gr. 6 Joshua is a shy kid, sticking to his heart and trying his best. He gets chosen to go on a trail up to Kansas. By going on this, he deserts his mother temporarily and must fight for his safety. He is black, so he has “owners,” and one of them is on the trail with him. The Captain has never liked Joshua, so that’s just more trouble. They bond as friends along the way. They experience traffic, per say, from nearby rustlers. The saddest part of this book is when Joshua’s horse, which he values as a friend even more than some humans becomes too ill to where he needs to be put down. They make it to Kansas, but with that pain caused by Pretty’s death, Joshua has made his decision to get out of that business. After being through death and gunfire, he is truly a cowboy.

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Julius Caesar – a script excerpt about his assassination Charlotte Thompson Gr. 5 Alaric (as Caesar): No one would ever dare to assassinate me (has an evil laugh)! Because I’m going to be the best Emperor ever. Emperor Julius Caesar has a ring to it.

Charlotte: NO, IT DOESN’T! That would be the worst emperor name ever!

Sophia: Yeah I agree with you.

Lily: Julius, you’re overdoing it!

Sophia: Surround him.

Charlotte: Okie Dokie.

Sophia: Hurt him!

Charlotte: Yay, yay, yay.

Sophia: (rolls eyes).

Just Dessert Emily Bolan Gr. 4 And then, I was there. The scene of my parents’ mysterious unexplained disappearance. I was doing my homework on the couch while my parents talked about what to make for dinner. Just as it had been all those many years ago. I saw Sansha waltz in. I closed my eyes preparing to hear her chant that awful spell again, but then something amazing happened! Sansha vanished, and my parents were back and alive! I am going to live an ordinary life again, at least I thought. Sansha had had a good plan, but why did she chose a pumpkin, a knife, and a snack to pull it off? What was I missing? After all, it was just a piece of dessert.

The Keep Elizabeth Klocek Gr. 4 In the distance stood the magical castle surrounded by a large moat and drawbridge. Its gold tipped towers glittering like lighthouses. Beside the castle, the lush, green forest stood guard. Above the sky was painted orange and pink by the setting sun. The clouds floated by on the gentle breeze. Beautiful butterflies danced in the last rays of sunlight. The taste of sweet summer air tingled on my lips while birds chirped a lovely melody. Suddenly a doe came prancing out of the forest. Behind her followed a giant band of animals. The castle was the stuff of fairytales until I glimpsed the smoke pouring from its sides.

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Learning 7 new tricks on a Mountain Bike Trey Joseph Gr. 6 Purpose: Can I learn 7 new tricks on my mountain bike?

Mountain biking is my passion and I have been wanting to learn more about how to do tricks on my bike. In the past, I have had a lot of crashes and not many successes with doing hard tricks and I want to be able to successfully complete hard tricks. Not giving up will be the key to my success.

Hypothesis: If I am practice tricks on my mountain bike every day, then I will finally get all 7 tricks down by the end of the year because practice makes perfect.

Observations and Data: I observed myself actually getting a lot better at MTB throughout the project. At the beginning I wasn’t able to do as many tricks as I can now. I started with the wheelie. It was difficulty to hold the wheelie for most of the year but now I find that with determination I am able to hold a wheelie. The whip was one of the hardest to do because in midair you have to move your body and bars to put the bike’s body out to the side.

It was a lot harder than any of the others and it is still hard. The stoppie is when you ride fast, slam on your back breaks and slide. I flipped over many times while practicing this trick.

Conclusion: For my capstone project I wanted to see if I could learn 7 mountain bike tricks. My hypothesis was that if I practice tricks on my mountain bike every day, then I will finally get all 7 tricks down by the end of the year because practice makes perfect. So far I have been following up on my hypothesis although I have to do one more thing than I will be done with the project. My data shows that I will reach my goal of 7 tricks because I have 6 done so far. I did learn that I will not be able to land every bike trick. One real life situation is that I encountered was popping my tire it did not take too long before it got fixed so was up and riding again in about a day or so. I also learned that perseverance means that if you fail, you need to keep trying and never give up. This will help me be successful throughout my life because perseverance is one of the keys to life.

You will not always be successful on your first try, but if you don’t try again then you will never find success.

Leaving Early for Recess - a Persuasive Essay Izzy Rawlings Gr. 6 Students should be able to leave early for recess during lunch. Students want recess earlier. I eat quickly and want recess. We also have a short recess. Students should be able to leave right after eating. Students should be able to leave early for recess. Some students arrive to lunch early and finish early. Students should go out to recess at 11:15, but teachers dismiss at 11:20 giving us around 8 minutes of recess. Students want longer recess and they only get 10 minutes. Students are learning to socialize.

Recess some days is 5 minutes long. I personally get to lunch before 11:00 along with others. I finish eating at around 11:08. I look around and other students are waiting to leave. Our recess is very short. Students need to control their unstructured time. Students exercise during recess but can’t get a full one because of the time. If students could leave lunch early they could have 20 minutes of recess instead of 8. Some kids don’t even eat a full lunch. 20 minutes is much better than 8. Those are my claims. Students should be able to leave lunch early. Kids want more recess. Students only get 8 minutes. Many students finish their lunch early. Students should be able to leave lunch early.

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Life of an Ant Harper Wood Gr. 4 Dear Diary, I had the weirdest dream last night. It was so realistic. I thought it was REAL! Until, that is, my alarm went off. What happened was crazy. I was going to the Tree Sprout to meet some friends when I saw the food squad ants by Sprout Hill. Those guys are FAMOUS! They collect food for every bug to eat. I wondered what they were staring at. Then I looked up at the big hill. It was a couple having a picnic! On my, the food galore!

There was everything an ant could imagine, watermelon, ham sandwiches, pie, and more! Then the girl’s hat blew away in the wind! The girl and the man started racing down the hill to get the hat back. Suddenly the food squad ants started charging to collect the food. I ran with them. They started grabbing pieces of food, and I did the same. Then the worst possible thing that could happen to us happened. Can you guess what?

That’s right, the humans were back. All of the food squad ants grabbed their last chunk of food and started to retreat. I ran as fast as I could. When I got half-way down the hill, I saw a huge shoe coming down. I ran almost as fast as a cheetah. Just before I had officially escaped the jaws of death, my alarm clock rang. Now that I have told you the story, I have to get going, or I will be late to meet my friends at the Tree Sprout. I will make sure to tell you what happens later!

-Annetta Ant Lions of Little Rock – a Reading Test Response excerpt Lennard Mellin Gr. 5 In Lions of Little Rock, Marlee, the main character changes throughout the story in many ways. She changes by liking TJ and ending up liking little Jimmy and how she changes fears into fun. This story has twists and changes.

First Marlee likes TJ but throughout the story she ends up not liking him. Marlee doesn’t like him anymore because he was mean, and called Liz a bad word. She started liking because she thought he was handsome. Finally it turned out he was ugly to her. He also was kind of dumb too. Marlee changes by liking little Jimmy but still having TJ as a friend.

Little Rock – a Lions of Little Rock Essay Response Kira Njegovan Gr. 5 In the Lions of Little Rock, Kristene Levine creates many themes and settings that change throughout the story. Lions of Little Rock contains many details including friendship, overcoming personal challenges, breaking stereotypes and prejudices, and standing up for one’s beliefs. The Lions of Little Rock is full of adventure and thrilling activities that interest readers of all ages.

Next, Kristene Levine represents standing up for one’s beliefs. Marlee believes that segregation must stop so she joins the WEC, an organization that wants to help reopen schools in Little Rock. The organization is only for women and Marlee is determined to reopen the schools that are closed because Little Rock does welcome African Americans who want to attend the schools there. I feel that Kristene Levine is showing readers that it is good to stand out and keep believing in yourself and others.

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Lonek’s Journey – a Book Response excerpt Owen Kohlhepp Gr. 6 At the start of the book there is a boy named Lonek who lives in Jaroslaw, Poland. On his way home he finds his dad wearing a Polish military uniform. He was extremely confused. His dad said sadly that he was going to fight the Germans because they want to invade Poland. When the war started, people were loading up their wagons to get out of Poland. The war was over, and his dad was not back from the war so Lonek thought he was dead. One day he came back and said, “We have to leave.” They left on a wagon with very little essentials. They asked a farmer if they could pay him to live in their barn and he let them. Lonek woke up and they had to leave because the farmer didn’t want them there. They left to go to Lonek’s aunt Sosa’s farm and they lived in a hole covered with wooden boards on top because they didn’t want the Germans to see them there.

They left to go to the Russian side of Poland. They were in a big house with many other people. The next day Russian soldiers came to put all the people in trains to go to gulags. When they got to the gulags there were many other people there. They had to sleep on hay filled trash bags and there was a little stove with a hole in the ceiling for light and the smoke to go out. The men had to go to the woods every day and cut down 22 trees. The women had to take the branches off and the children under 16 often stayed back and tried to find food for the family. This went on for three and a half years just for Lonek, but for others it was up to 13 years longer. After that they were freed by Anders army (who is a general in WWI and WWII) they got on a train to a place where they could live better and wait. Lonek’s mom walked Lonek over 10 miles to drop Lonek off at an orphanage. A train went and picked the orphanage kids up to go to camps where they taught academics. Lonek found his best friend there and his name was Krauss. They once were playing and Lonek started to see nothing but black. He was rushed to a hospital to get help. He went blind for a bit because of how he didn’t have enough food to nourish him.

The Lost Earmuffs Callie Karageorges Gr. 4 One snowy afternoon, there was a little deer named Sophia who lost her earmuffs. These weren’t just any earmuffs. They were her favorite! So she went straight home to look for them. When she got home, her mom was making lunch so she didn’t bother her. Sophia went to see if her dad had seen them, but when she asked him he said he hadn’t. After that, she went to look in her room, but there was no sign of them. She sprinted over to Mrs. Porcupine’s and asked if she had seen them. Unfortunately Mrs. Porcupine said, “Sorry sweetie, I haven’t seen them.” Sophia thanked her and left. Next she wanted to see if her friend Ally had seen them. She was a fox so Ally was very good at finding things. When Sophia arrived at her friend’s home, Ally answered the door without even a knock. Sophia asked, “Have you seen my earmuffs?” Sadly Ally hadn’t, but offered to help look. They went to many more houses all with a sorry and no. Eventually Sophia gave up and sat on a tree stump. Her ears began to get cold, so she picked up some leaves. They felt fluffy and warm.

When she looked at them, poof it was her earmuffs! She went home to celebrate.

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Lucky Broken Girl – a Book Reading Response Mia Cavallo Gr. 6 I read Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar for my March Book Report. The main character is Ruthie Mizrahi, and she and her family had just moved to New York from Cuba. Ruthie’s mother does not speak much English, and Ruthie has to help her everywhere she goes. Ruthie meets a boy from India, named Ramu, at school and his brother, Avik. Ramu and his parents move back to India after Avik unexpectedly dies. Ruthie has more family in America and on her way home from visiting them, her brother, parents, and grandmother are in a horrible car crash and Ruthie is left with a badly broken leg. Her brother and father had to have stitches on their head and her mother and Baba, her name for her grandmother, are unharmed. All of the boys, who were underage and driving, sadly passed away from crashing into Ruthie’s car. Ruthie is put in a full body cast for six months.

Ruthie received many visitors, but only two from school. They were Ramu and Danielle, a girl who was from Belgium and was Ruthie’s neighbor. Danielle only visits once and awkwardly says hello and leaves.

When the six months have passed, Ruthie is put in a double leg cast that only covers her legs because her right leg has not healed perfectly. She is in this cast for another six months and is given a normal cast when her leg is healed. Ruthie struggled to walk but eventually was able to. While she was in her cast, she had a tutor named Joy that came to her house. Because of this, Ruthie was able to keep up in school. On her first day back at school, her teacher asks for a student helper for Ruthie. Danielle volunteers and they become best friends.

Maggie – a Bio Poem Maggie Bissmeyer Gr. 5 Funny, friendly, creative Lover of dogs, the beach, and family Wonders if she will ever get married Fears of maybe ever dying Dreams of being a famous fashion designer in New York Cares about world peace Who feels happy when she is with her feelings Malala Yousafzsai – a Capstone Essay excerpt Lilly Sievering Gr. 5 Malala Yousafzsai’s life is full of excitement and sorrow. Malala was born on July 12, 1997 in Swat Valley, Pakistan. She was a normal girl at first with two brothers Atal and Khushal, loved to play Cricket, she like Justin Bieber and Harry Potter, and had a best friend. Even though she didn’t know it her life was about to change completely. At eleven years of age she became an advocate for youth education which ended up in a Taliban plotting a death threat against her. At age 17 she got shot in the head. Luckily it went in her head bounced off her skull went out her ear and she survived because she is not finished with her cause.

Malala was courageous in so many ways. When she was little she told her mom she would never cover her face the way those other kids did because her face was her identity. When she did this her mother was shocked that she had the courage to say that. She overcame direct death threats. When she got shot in the head she didn’t cry because she knew God would be there for her and, that if God didn’t take her life then she wasn’t ready to die. She even said “My world has changed, but I have not.” That took a lot of courage and she definitely had it in her.

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The Man with a Withered Hand – a Miracles pop-up book Kwadwo Karikari Gr. 5 You can find The Man with the Withered Hand in Mathew 12:9-14 and Mark 3: 1-6. In this story of healing a man has a withered hand walking from place to place till he goes to the church. Jesus is there. The people ask him “Will you help him Jesus” he replies “If you had a sheep that fell in a hole would you not help it?

Isn’t a human more important than a sheep?” Then he looked at the man and said, “Hold out your hand.”

The man did and it was healed.

Changing water into wine Before his first minister, Jesus and his disciples were to attend a wedding. At the wedding they ran out of wine. Mary asked Jesus if he would go and get some more wine. Jesus replied by saying, “It isn’t my time yet.” Though after lots of begging Jesus ordered six water jugs to be filled to the brim with water. And, he said to give it to the head waiter. When the waiter tasted the water it was wine, and it tasted great! This story can be found in John 2:1-11.

Marlee – a Lions of Little Rock Book Character Response excerpt Joey DiPaola Gr. 5 Marlee is a dynamic character. Marlee has spoken more often to people. Her fear of heights has gone away. Marlee has changed her view on people. Throughout the book, Marlee has changed in many ways.

Marlee has changed how much she talks to people. At the beginning of this book, Marlee only talked to family. Later she gave a whole presentation to her class. Then she spoke with strangers. For example, she had a conversation with a flight attendant.

Marlee’s fears have changed throughout the book. At the beginning Marlee was standing on the high dive, frozen because she was scared. Next, Liz got her to climb up a tree and she liked it. Finally at the end of the book, she jumped off the high dive. Marlee’s fear of heights has gone away throughout the book.

Maturing Marlee – a Lions of Little Rock Book Character Response excerpt Lily de Lacy Gr. 5 Throughout Lions of Little Rock, the main character of the book, Marlee Nisbett, has changed and matured in many ways. Marlee does this by no longer being quiet, facing her fear, and not saying names to people.

Marlee was known as the mute girl, and never really talked to anyone unless she had to. It had become a fear. There was a point in her life where things became difficult, and she wanted to be able to stand up for herself, so she started talking to people. She made a list of the people she had to speak to. She became better, and better at it that it just became natural. She realized that she didn’t need a list, and that she could just talk to anyone. Next, Marlee faced her fears. Liz and Marlee were at the rock rusher, and decided to do a challenge where they faced their fears. Marlee faced heights, and Liz faced creepy crawly things. Marlee faced her fear, by climbing a tree, and Liz faced her fear by catching crawdads.

Mesopotamia – a response comparing and contrasting Mesopotamian and Egyptian irrigation Grace Tounge Gr. 5 Mesopotamia built dams and channels to bring water to their farms. Egyptians built basins and canals to bring water to their farms. The Nile was better because it was more predictable and controllable flooding. The difference was that the Egyptians built basins and canals and the Mesopotamians built dams and channels. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were unpredictable and uncontrollable. The similarities were that they both had floods. They both tried to control them, and that they both tried to make the best of them by building things to water their farms.

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Mindfulness Nia Neal Gr. 5 Teacher Question: How have the mindfulness activities helped you? Which one has been your favorite?

The mindfulness activities have helped me when we had our band concert and I was a little stressed out because I didn’t know where we were in the song, but my mom reminded me of deep breathing, and that helped me a lot. My favorite mindfulness activity is deep breathing and happy thoughts.

Minimum Wage – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Max Jambor Gr. 6 I think the minimum wage should be increased. It is really hard to live on a minimum wage job. How do you support a family with only 200 dollars a week? Just food alone costs about 150 dollars per week. You also have to pay for rent, transportation and save up for your kid’s education. That is why the minimum wage should be increased.

Federal minimum wage is 7.5 dollars. That is about 200 dollars a week after taxes. Think about buying food that takes you down 50 dollars. Now you have to pay for rent. Then you have to pay for transportation and save up for your kid’s education. A minimum wage job is really hard to live on. Do you want millions of families to be in debt?

When you’re in debt you can’t pay for anything or get anything you need. When you have a minimum wage job you can’t pay for education or a good college for your child. When you get a bad education you will probably get a bad job and stay in a poverty loop. This most likely will end in a loop for a long time. That is another reason the minimum wage should be increased.

I think the minimum wage should be increased to 12 to 15 dollars per hour. I thought this was a reasonable wage because this is the national poverty rate for a family of four. I also think this is a reasonable wage because this is enough money to pay for everything. Increasing the minimal wage will cause problems. To make money big businesses that pay minimum wage will raise their prices to get their money back.

The Mist Aaron Fraley Gr. 4 The mist rose up to the big, stone bridge, rising as if made of nothing. The stone castle looked as if it were far away, but in reality; it was at the end of the hard, stone path. The bridge towered over the cool, blue stream. The gargantuan, white clouds loomed over the vast amounts of grass, casting shadows over all.

The magnificent smell of fresh pine, lingered in the air. Butterflies flapped their wings, landing on beautiful evergreen trees.

The water splashed against the hard stone, chipping off fragments. The bright giant star of the sun slowly set, spreading darkness over the landscape. Night began to consume the daylight as the bright iridescent light of the moon revealed a dazzling landscape. The river sparkled brightly, and the grass darkened in color.

The temperature turned cool and relaxing, as the shimmer light of the moon became visible as it began its climb.

The moon rose as the sun sets and most life fell into slumber, knowing day will come once the vast darkness of the night departs from its current place. Day and night will constantly be cycling with each other, one for sleeping and one for activity and labor.

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Mixed Art: Triceracopter Kadyn Keeney Gr. 4 The Triceracopter is a piece of art by Patricia Renick. In this picture I see a triceratops with roader blades on the top and tail blades on the back. It is made out of a helicopter, clay and fiberglass. It is 30 feet long, 11 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The helicopter is from the Vietnam War. It was made right after the war and it took Patricia 3 years to make the sculpture.

The Triceracopter is a dinosaur and a helicopter mixed. The historical animal goes well with the helicopter because they’re both very old. I think she put them together because they’re both old and because they’re both very heavy. The average weight of a triceratops is 13,000 to 26,000 lbs. The average weight of a helicopter is about 10,000 pounds. I could not picture it flying quickly off the ground.

Patricia was a professor at the University of Cincinnati. The Triceracopter looks like it is ready to charge straight at you if you if you look at it from the front. I think she did it because she might have a relative in the Vietnam War or because she wanted to put a living creature with something nonliving.

St. Maximilian Kolbe – a Wax Museum of Courage excerpt Colin Koran Gr. 5 St. Maximilian Kolbe showed courage in several ways. One time he showed courage was during World War II, when he was one of the only brothers at his monastery. This took courage because his town had recently been invaded by the Nazis. Another way he showed courage was by resisting whenever he was being transferred to Auschwitz. While in the concentration camps he preached to others, and gave away his rations and bedding. Yet, another way he did show courage was taking the place of Francizek Gajowniczek who was going to be starved to death in the hunger bunker because someone broke out pf his cabin. These were a few courageous things that St. Maximilian Kolbe demonstrated.

St. Maximilian Kolbe contributed to society in several ways. One thing he did was starting a friary called Niepokalanow, meaning city of the Immaculate. Another thing he did to help society was he started a printing press in Grodno. He printed once per month in several languages. While he was in the hunger bunker being starved he preached and sang hymns to nine others in the hunger bunker. After his death, people were so inspired by him that they named churches after him. These are some ways that St. Maximilian Kolbe contributed to society.

Middle School Mornings – Analyzing the Daily Character Pledge Margaret Hobbins Gr. 5 What happens every morning at the Summit Country Day Middle School, teachers and students say the same thing when morning announcements come on “I pledge to stand firm in my commitment to honor those around me.” That being said every morning it’s drilled into our brains. Why we say this, every morning is to make sure that everything is going well. To remind us to be kind to one another, and I think it works and nobody’s feelings gets hurt.

To explain the line of the pledge “take responsibility for my own learning, and strive for the best in all that you do,” means not blaming your parents or for not having or missing your work that you need. Where it says “and strive for your best in all that you do” means to do your best in all that you do and to not give up when the going gets tough and to just try your best.

The line of the pledge that says “treat others with fairness, kindness, and dignity and respect.” Means that you should not be mean. You should treat others how you want to be treated. You would want to be treated with fairness, respect and kindness, you would not like it if someone treated you like you didn’t matter. This pledge is a tool to help students be kind to one another. Treat others with respect. Be helpful to teachers and take responsibility for yourself and your work.

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Miracles – a Religion pop-up book excerpt Christian Francis Gr. 5 This miracle is when Jesus resurrected a widow’s son (Luke 7: 11-17). When Jesus was approaching the town of Nain, someone told Jesus that a son had died and was being carried out. When Jesus saw this event he told the widow not to be sad and told the son to get up and he did, was also talking. Everyone that saw it happen spread the word and it spread from Judea to outside of it! Jesus would definitely be remembered for that.

The miracle when Jesus calmed a storming sea (Matthew 8:23-27) One time Jesus and his disciples went on a boat by themselves to cross the sea of Galilee. Jesus was sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat.

A huge storm arose and caused the waves to become stronger, with that the boat was being flooded and then the disciples woke up Jesus and he said “Peace! Be still!” and then the waves were still and the air was calm.

Jesus then said “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Mongoose – an Invasive Species Project Kali Smith Gr. 5 The Indian Mongoose was brought to Hawaii from India and South Asia in 1883. They were brought on purpose to eat the rats that were affecting the farms. In India, the ecosystems they live in are tropical moist forests, tropical dry forests, and desert and xeric shrublands. In Hawaii, they live in rainforests. In India, they eat rat, eggs, insects and in Hawaii, they eat birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects, fruits, and plants to get energy. Competition for the Mongoose in India is the weasel; in Hawaii it is the Hawaiian owl and hawk.

The mongoose population is spreading well in Hawaii because of the wide variety in their diet, their ability to adapt to the Hawaiian rainforests, and their high rate of reproduction. The mongoose has no predators in Hawaii. Now there are too many. The mongoose is an invasive species because they kill many different endangered species of birds and they also eat Sea Turtle eggs and are damaging the population of Sea Turtles.

They are bad because they carry around rabies and leptospirosis. To try and fix the problem of mongooses being in Hawaii, people are trapping them. Things people can do to help not spread them any further are to keep it illegal to bring them into the United States and scientists and researchers can use birth control methods to control the population. In conclusion, the mongoose is a big problem in Hawaii and steps need to be taken to reduce the mongoose population.

My Favorite Part of Winter Break Allison Ebken Gr. 4 My favorite part of winter break was when we went skiing at Perfect North. It was the first time so I was nervous and excited. When we got there my Dad told me to not put my skis on yet. Finally, I told my Dad I could not walk with my skis any longer. We stopped and put our skis on and I realized why my Dad had us walk. I could not move! Eventually I moved and I went down my first hill (bunny hill). My Dad taught me his steps of skiing which are 1- Move, 2-Learn to stop, 3-Learn to turn, 4-Become an awesome skier. There is one hill that I’ll never go on again. It is called Clyde’s Super Slide. It was really steep. I tried to go down slowly but it didn’t work. I fell! I couldn’t get up. Even when I did I just kept falling. Finally, I got up and stayed up! Then I tried to keep going down, but I fell down again. It really hurt! I eventually got to the bottom of the hill and decided that skiing was still my favorite part of winter break.

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My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Rosie Gieseke Gr. 4 I woke up at my friend’s house since we had a sleep over. I went to the bathroom and my head started to hurt, so I looked in the mirror. My head was bleeding like crazy, and then I remembered that I woke up on the floor because I had fallen off the bed. Later in the day, I went to my Grandma’s farm to ride my horse Cocoa Puff. I galloped, and my sister galloped behind me with the biggest horse in the barn. I fell off, and she was still galloping so her horse almost ran me over.

I went to the farm house to get some lunch. It was chicken. I was chewing my food, but then I started to choke. My mom had to do the Heimlich. After lunch, I got my courage back up and saddled Cocoa Puff. I started to warm up. When I was all warmed up, I tried to make Cocoa Puff gallop. She wouldn’t, so I kept trying and trying and finally she went. She didn’t go where I wanted her to go. She went the other way and bucked. I fell off, again! My wrist landed on a rock. I was pretty sure that I had broken it.

On the way to the hospital, my mom was almost out of gas. We had to stop, but she had forgotten her purse. Luckily, we had enough change to get to the hospital. The doctor said my arm was broken. Then he gave me a cast and sent me home. It has been a terrible, horrible not good very bad day, and I am never riding Cocoa Puff again.

Night Hunter Shareef Zawaideh Gr. 4 There I am, black as the night surrounding me. I catch the scent of something while scanning the horizon from my treetop hideout. It is a warthog. I pounce down. Now, I am on the chase. I run through the jungle at the speed of 35mph. The fastest that I can run. I am right on his tail. My mouth can almost taste him. I can get him, but what if he kicks me? No time for thinking. I have to get my dinner. I jump on the warthog. I get a bite. Yum, so juicy and delicious.

Paula Marie – a Sisters of Notre Dame Biographical Poem Donovan Mathews Gr. 6 Paula Spiritual, committed, and honest Loves traveling, music, and astronomy Experienced happiness, passion, and love Fears poverty, war, and people moving away from God Successfully taught for 12 years, becoming a sister Wished to see world peace and the whole world to work together Born in Ohio Currently living in Ohio Marie Pepper and Midnight’s Misadventure – an excerpt Ethan Lam Gr. 6 It was a stygian Friday night. Rain poured heavily over the roof of the Summit Country Day. The school was quiet and desolate. Not one living thing was inside… except for two chinchillas, Pepper and Midnight.

“Pepper,” whispered Midnight. “Pepper…ahem…PEPPER.” Pepper woke up startled. It had been a long day.

Kids were picking her up all the time. They were always chasing her around the room. She had spent the entire day running around. Pepper was a light shade of gray while Midnight had a dark black coat. Pepper was the smartest chinchilla, while Midnight was the most ambitious. “Leave me alone,” groaned Pepper. “It’s 10:30 at night.”

“But Pepper, I want to explore, the door is open,” argued Midnight. Pepper looked up, astonished to find that the cage door was open. “Weird...,” Pepper thought. “Usually the door remained closed. We’ll go out, but let’s wait until daylight.”

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Perfect Snow Day Meghana Curran Gr. 4 Playing in the snow, making snow angels, sledding, building snowmen. Then going inside to sip hot chocolate with marshmallows. Next, enjoy popcorn and movies with my parents as snow falls gently like powdered sugar.

Then our cats, Eve and Frankie, come and tackle each other like professional wrestlers. Finally, they both come and snuggle with us, and it seems like nothing could go wrong.

Perspective of the Ant Paige Kropp Gr. 4 I smell food. I wonder if it is a picnic. It is about lunchtime for me. They will not mind if I take a little bite of food. Hmmm, I wonder if they have pumpkin pie. That is my favorite. Well, I guess I like apple pie too, but not as much as I like pumpkin pie. Maybe they have a drink for me, as well as, a sandwich and ice cream. I really love ice cream. What if there is nothing left? What if they squash me? What if it isn’t tasty? What will I eat instead of the food? What if…Just go and get the food already! Oh no! They already ate everything!

I guess I will just eat what I normally eat. It sure is nice to get a delicious snack once in a while. Wait, is that more food being put out to eat? I am not going to waste any time getting something to eat this time. I will not take all of the food. I will leave some for them. After all, they made me really happy.

Photography – a review excerpt on Pete Souza: Official White House Photographer for President Obama Lily Mitchell Gr. 6 Pete Souza was born in Massachusetts. He grew up there too. His parents were a nurse, and a boat mechanic. He didn’t expect his life to go from simply living in Massachusetts, to working in the White House.

He graduated and received a master’s degree in journalism.

Souza won many photojournalism awards, including several times in the prestigious Pictures of the year annual competition, the NPPA’s Best of photojournalism, and the White House Photographers Association’s yearly contest. Souza has solo exhibits of his work too! Pete Souza has had so many accomplishments in his lifetime.

Pete Souza persevered many times throughout his lifetime. During the fight in Afghanistan, he had to take pictures of wounded warriors. When the President had to visit sites where the war occurred, he had to take pictures of it. Also, in times of Presidential crisis, he was there. Pete has been an exceptional photographer.

He has gone through so many things throughout his life. Such as, wars, different Presidents, and being a role model for young photographers. He went from tiny Massachusetts, to big Washington D.C. and the White House with Presidents Reagan and Obama! He has had an extraordinary life with his wife and his turtle, Charlotte.

Playing an Instrument – a Persuasive Writing excerpt Tyler Berry Gr. 6 Playing an instrument is very helpful to relieve stress. It’s fun and relaxing if you don’t get mad that you’re playing it wrong. There’s always time because it only takes 5 minutes and that’s all you need. Plus there are 1500 instruments in the world, and there is no excuse that one of these is not for you. Just try to pick up an instrument and if you don’t like it, fine, it’s not for you. It is not enjoyable at first but one you learn to play it’s extremely fun.

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Pledge – Analyzing the Daily Character Pledge Brenden Hamilton Gr. 5 “I pledge to stand firm in my commitment to honor the goodness of God, self, and others.” Every day at 8:15 A.M. the Summit Middle School recites the Character pledge. I practice this pledge by taking responsibility for my own learning and be treating others with fairness, kindness, and dignity.

I take responsibility for my own learning by paying attention to the teacher when he/she is talking. Also, I do my homework on time. I strive for my personal best by studying the right amount of time before a test.

Finally, I practice my skills even when I don’t have homework. In conclusion I think I take responsibility for my own learning and I strive for my personal best in all I do.

I treat others with fairness, kindness, and dignity. I treat others fairly by letting people play the game that I’m playing. I treat others with kindness by helping people with something when they need help. I treat others with dignity by not messing with any of their stuff.

The character pledge reminds me how to be responsible for my learning and how to treat other people with respect every single day. Every student in the middle school is reminded every morning through the middle school announcements. In conclusion I want to be a better person in the future because of the character pledge.

Princess Diana – a Wax Museum of Courage excerpt Annette LaLonde Gr. 5 On July 1, 1961 Diana Spencer was born in Norfolk, England. When her parents divorced she was sent to a boarding school at West Health. Her family was close friends with the royals, but she really never met them. Until her friend Philip asked her to watch Prince Charles play Polo. After the match she met Charles and he was very fond of Diana and he wanted to see her again. They became friends and on February 6, 1981, Charles proposed to her. She agreed immediately and they were married on July 29, 1981. Diana had two boys, William and Harry, but the royal couple wasn’t doing that well. They divorced on December 9, 1992.

Diana and her boyfriend Dodi got in a car in Paris trying to avoid the paparazzi but were found. Diana’s driver ran a red light to try to avoid them as much as possible. They were going so fast that the driver didn’t notice a car in front of them and their car slammed into it. Diana went into full cardiac arrest and she died on August 31, 1997.

Princess Diana was one of the most famous people who helped the world. Diana wanted to make the world a better place. One thing she accomplished was she opened up the first British hospital dedicated to people who had AIDS. She also auctioned off all her royal dresses and all the money went to charity, they raised $3.26 million dollars. She was different than other royals because she didn’t want to be in the spotlight. Diana just wanted to help people as much as she could.

Prisons – a Persuasive Essay excerpt CC Chavez Gr. 6 Prisons. When you hear that word, you may think, “Ah, those people get what they deserve!” And they do, but that’s not the point that I’m trying to prove. Prisoners do deserve what they get but, not from lack of doctors, overcrowded cell blocks, and prisons that house people with mental issues but, will not let them see a psychologist. These issues are real problems that people in prisons face. And these issues need to be addressed.

An ADX prison denied a man access to see a psychologist when he clearly had mental issues. It all started in 2009. A friend of the man who needed mental help named Jones was sharing the same cell as him and, “It was clear, the man had mental issues,” says Jones. Jones decided to look up his friend’s name in the prison’s library because he knew that the man had mental issues, and he wanted to see why he was not seeing a psychologist. He looked up his pro-bono case and found a quote that his friend had said, “I am supposed to have a hearing before coming to the ADX! They never gave me a hearing.” He continued, “I need some help because I have facts!” Please help me!” Jones showed his findings to a lawyer, and the lawyer soon found many cases similar to this one. As you can see the ADX prison denied many men hearings, and this is illegal.

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Rabbits’ Return – a Sequel Story to the picture book Rabbits’ Wedding Colleen Busher Gr. 6 Black rabbit woke up to the crisp fall breeze. White rabbit was still sleeping, so he snuck out of their burrow quietly. He was going to get some water from the stream, when he ran into Danny deer. “Good morning black rabbit, how are you today?”

“Good Danny,” answered black rabbit. That is when black rabbit saw Danny’s pumpkin. “Where did you get that pumpkin Danny?”

“I got it at Poppy pug’s pumpkin patch,” replied Danny. That is when black rabbit thought about what he and white rabbit can make with the pumpkin. Danny told him the directions. When he got home he told white rabbit about Danny’s pumpkin and how yummy a pumpkin pie would be. They got the wagon ready so they can get two pumpkins. They have been hopping along a trail for an hour and starting to hope it is not that much farther. That is when Coyo the coyote jumped out at them. Black rabbit got scared and fell back.

“Sorry to scare you rabbits,” said Coyo. Black rabbit was laying on the ground because he hit a rock and hurt his paw. Black rabbit couldn’t hop anymore and white rabbit was not strong enough to pull black rabbit and two pumpkins in the wagons. Coyo volunteered to pull the rabbits to the patch and back to their burrow.

When they got back they invited Coyo in for pumpkin pie. After a good dinner that joked and laughed all night.

The Realness of Heaven – an excerpt Alaric Jones Gr. 5 The things that surprised me about Colton’s journey are Him seeing heaven. Also him not dying during surgery in the hospital. Him seeing Jesus and his sister that died in her mom’s belly before she was born.

Even seeing his dad’s grandfather! Those are the things that surprised me about Colton’s journey.

A few things that delights me is Colton staying alive at the hospital and people praying for him. Also another thing that delights me is that the dad didn’t really stop believing what Colton said. A few things that disturb me is nobody except Colton’s dad believed what Colton said! One other disturbing thing to me is that Colton was made fun of by his dad’s friends and Cassie’s (his sister) school mates! Those are a few things that pleased me and disturbed me.

Referees: Why NFL refs need to adjust their calls – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Tarek Hasan Gr. 6 NFL refs have a hard job. Millions of people are watching them and they have to make calls. Sometimes they make one or two questionable calls a game, but they’re usually good. But sometimes they make calls that everybody knows is wrong.

One example was on January 21st, 2018, the Patriots beat the Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC championship.

The Patriots were only called on for 1 penalty the entire game (a holding during a kickoff). On the Patriots’ last drive in the 1st half, A.J. Bouye (cornerback for Jacksonville) was called for a DPI (Defensive Pass Interference). First of all, it was a bad route by Brandin Cooks (wide receiver for the Patriots). He ran out of bounds. It had nothing to do with A.J. Bouye. Second of all, the ball was badly thrown. Then, early in the 4th quarter, Danny Amendola (wide receiver for the Patriots) threw a pass to Dion Lewis (running back for the Patriots). Myles Jack (middle linebacker for the Jaguars) forced a fumble. Myles Jack recovered and got up. He started sprinting towards the end zone. But, the refs blew their whistles, and he was called down. He would’ve had a touchdown if he hadn’t been called down. That could’ve change the game.

NFL refs are tasked with a very hard job. Sometimes they make a few questionable calls here and there, but overall they are good. But there are just some calls that are downright awful and ridiculous. To solve this, NFL refs could look at the play more closely, talk to more people in the booth, and review the play carefully.

Maybe the league should have refs per game to help with debating a call.

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Reflecting on Running Out of Time – a Book Response William Bishop Gr. 5 I liked Running Out of Time because it had a lot of things going on and it was kind of a mystery and it wasn’t boring. I would think it would have a happy ending. I think they would survive by thinking of all the stuff they learned at their old school so that they will already know some of the things they are going to learn.

Requiem of the Light God – an excerpt Carson Hall Gr. 6 When we all thought it was safe we heard a devilish laugh coming from inner part of the underworld. We were disturbed, because the laugh felt like more than just a laugh, but the screaming and suffering of thousands, no millions of tortured souls. That very second a portal erupted from the mahogany wooden floor that swiftly conveyed us into the wrathful abyss. There was a poisonous and ghastly aura that made all of us become distraught. Jude said, “Why are we back in this hollow place?” I responded with “I don’t think you know where we are.” Jude asked “Where are we then? It looks just like where we defeated Lucifer.” I responded with, “No it may look like it but it is only a front.” As I was saying this I walked over to the door of a million souls and realized it was an illusion. I asked Benny if he could speak Elven which is the language of the elves. He said he could, because he is the plant god and the elves worship him. The elvish lord told us that the seven rulers of the underworld have resurrected and are coming for us. As he said that a million chains came out if the ground and we heard that lough again, we all trembled as we were pulled into the nether realm.

Roman Script – an excerpt Mason Butler Gr. 5 Kali: My name is Felicia Walker and welcome back to Good Morning Rome! Last night we saw security footage of the Mt. Vesuvius eruption. Today we have a very special guest who survived the eruption. Julie you may come out now.

Mason: So, when did you notice that the mountain was a volcano?

Esme (Julie): About 2 hours after my husband died then it was grumbling and shaking the earth and that doesn’t happen naturally.

Kali: How did you know this?

Esme: I worked with an oracle for many years.

Mason, So, where did the people go for safety?

Esme: Chambers and the water and some people didn’t even get out of bed to survive since they thought it was a hoax.

Real Courage: Arthur Phillip – a Capstone excerpt Ethan Traiforos Gr. 5 Courage is defined as strength in the face of pain or grief. Arthur Phillip’s experience as an officer in the British Navy developed his skills as a leader. In organizing and leading Australia’s first colony, he was a role model who contributed to his community. He aided society by saving the first Australian colony from starvation, disease and violence. This took tremendous courage and responsibility. Phillip’s contribution to Australia will never be forgotten.

Arthur Phillip demonstrated courage as both an officer in the Navy and the governor of the colony of New South Wales. When he arrived in Australia, the colony was in great danger. Disease struck and in just two years fifty percent of the population died. The settlers were also in danger of dying of starvation. Phillip showed courage by being a strong leader during this difficult time. During his five years as governor, he convinced the colonists to farm the land themselves instead of waiting for shipments of food from England.

Despite all these difficulties, he always respected the native Aborigines and tried to treat them fairly. His protection of the Sydney Cove colony was his most courageous and long-lasting achievement.

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Rosemary Beach, Florida Kaitlyn Rassi Gr. 4 My family and I went to Rosemary Beach, Florida on spring break for vacation. We did many activities but I want to tell you about the teenager stampede. We booked a campfire for one night where we could roast marshmallows and play. My cousin, Grace and I had an idea that we should do a dance so we made up a dance and added music. We were down to the last dance when 300 teenagers came running toward us. First I thought it was an accident but then a policeman walked by and we asked him what happened. He said they were being very, very immature. After that we did the last dance.

Then the teenagers started to walk toward us. Trucks came towards the teenagers in the front and back.

My brother, sister, cousins Grace and John and I started to dig a hole to hold all of us. We did it so we would be ready for the teenager apocalypse. At least that is what we called it. We dug as fast as lightning but by the time the teenagers got closer the trucks made them run the other way.

They were gone for about five minutes but they came back. My cousin John found out they were going to a party. The teenagers crowded around the stairs right behind us. They didn’t know the code so they told us they were not a part of the beach. We tried to make them be quiet but they yelled loudly. After all that we went back up to the beach house, put on our pajamas and had a movie night. This was the end of a crazy night.

Running Out of Time – a Book Response in Journal Form Tanner Berry Gr. 5 Dear Jessie, I think your parents should not have made that decision. Living back then was hard. If you lived in the modern days it is easy being a kid. When you lived back then you had to do chores and wash clothes. If you lived in the modern day you could just watch TV all day. Now your parents are regretting your decision.

Ryka – a Bio Poem Ryka Woodruff Gr. 5 Creative, polite, silly Lover of animals, soccer, and volleyball Who wonders what inventions are in the future Who dream of swimming in a pool of chocolate Who fears snakes and spiders Who cares about her family and education Who feels happy about going to the beach

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Scar and Mufasa are brothers – a Persuasive Writing excerpt Gracey Kelly Gr. 6 The creators of Lion King Rob Minkoff and Don Hahn came out and said that Scar and Mufasa aren’t brothers. The Lion King came out in 1994. Why would they reveal this information now after 24 years? I think it’s strange that they reveal this now. I think that Scar and Mufasa are brothers, and they said this only because the live action movie was being made and a new DVD version of the movie was coming out.

In the film Scar says he is at the weaker end of the gene pool. If they aren’t brothers then why is there a gene pool? In addition, why does he have a right to the throne if Scar is not related to Mufasa? In the movie, Scar says it himself that he is weaker than Mufasa. This is important because in the wild, lions fight to become king, so if Scar clearly is not going to challenge Mufasa then why does he have a right to the throne?

Did you know that Scar’s real name is Taka? Other than the movie, there is a book series. One of the books is called Tale of 2 Brothers. In the book, they talk about Taka and Mufasa’s father (Ahadi) and their mother (Uru). King Ahadi’s two sons are Mufasa and Taka, Ahadi chose his oldest son Mufasa to become king, Taka got jealous so he sends Mufasa to the watering hole where there is a drought and the buffalo are not willing to share, so Boma (the buffalo) tries to hurt Mufasa when Rafiki saves him, then Ahadi comes and just shuts the whole thing down. Taka is ashamed and names himself Scar because of the scar Boma gave him.

I know information from the book source. After presenting the information I have made a conclusion.

Taka and Mufasa are brothers and saying that they aren’t is just a marketing scam.

The Scream Ashleigh Barrere Gr. 4 Over spring break, I went to Cancun, Mexico. We went zip lining and there was a strange looking truck.

I thought to myself, I hope we don’t ride in that thing! Of course, that was our ride. There were so many people cramped in the truck that I forgot all about how weird the truck was. I was so happy to get out. When we arrived, I saw the zip line, and I was ready to go. We all put on our outfits and received a paintball gun.

They explained how to work it and to shoot the targets. I could not wait! We climbed a massive staircase to get to the first line. Before they hooked me up to the line, I turned the button to get it started. Then it was my turn to go on and apparently, I didn’t click it hard enough. I realized that but I was already going. The next four lines were fine, but I decided not to shoot the targets. On the last line, I saw a monster truck that was terrifying. Everyone was shooting at the truck and it was covered in paint. I got off the last line and as I was walking to get my gear off I noticed a strange looking black tarp. I didn’t think much about it until I heard a strange noise. I screamed my head off! I thought it was an animal, but it was not one. It was a crazy worker wearing a mask. I tried to warn my mom, but it was too late. She didn’t scream like me. On the way back to the hotel, we were talking about my scream.

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Sculpture: Triceracopter Charlie Ritch Gr. 4 In 1977, one of the art professors at the University of Cincinnati, Patricia Renick, successfully created a sculpture called the Triceracopter. This talented artist made this beautiful sculpture with a layer of fiberglass and a coat of clay, but most importantly, she used a real helicopter from the Vietnam War. She created her sculpture four years after the Vietnam War. This wonderful piece of art is eight feet wide, eleven feet tall, and thirty feet long and is placed on the fourth floor of the Langsam Library of the University of Cincinnati. The top rotor of the historical helicopter is placed on the top of the extinct dinosaur. Adjacent to the rotor on the back is a relatively large window through which a human can walk.

I think this sculpture is very surreal because of the combining of an extinct animal with a machine of war. I believe that the artist is telling us to be careful about the path we choose. It is well known that the dinosaurs are extinct, and I feel that Renick used a dinosaur to house the helicopter for a reason. She is trying to tell us that the path that war takes us down is a dangerous one.

I really enjoy this piece of art. It makes the viewer think. I see many different stories and many different perspectives in it. This sculpture makes me think about the shared history and the way that actions affect us all. When I see this awesome piece of history I think of two very historical events which both have an effect on our world and how we live in it.

Setting Natalie Kenter Gr. 4 I was sitting on the grass. It was so sharp and green. Flowers were next to me, their vibrant colors shining in the sun. I looked down at the lake. It was so clear. I could see fish of all colors swimming around in the lake.

I could see the reflection of the castle. Its stone walls looked like they had been there for a million years. I look back across the lake, I saw a bridge with flower and moss growing on it. In the distance I saw pine trees as tall as skyscrapers. I saw mountains, with their snowy peaks sparkling in the sunlight. I looked up, I saw clouds as fluffy as cotton candy stretched across the sky. Soon I saw two butterflies playing in the air. Their orange color as bright as the sun. A sweet smell filled the air. It was the royal kitchen preparing a chocolate cake. I could almost taste the moist and fluffy cake. Then I heard a shout in the distance. It was my mom, time to go! I hope I can come back soon!

Sister Sophie – a Sisters of Notre Dame Fictional Biography excerpt Lyla Soper Gr. 6 Sister Sophie was born in 1820, September 1. Today is her birthday, she is 20 years old because it is 1840.

She has been recruited to be a teacher with the other sisters in a convent in Namur, Belgium. Sister Sophie’s job is in the morning is to do the cleaning and cooking. The night job for her was painting. Sister Sophie is very excited to go to America. There are many scenic places that Sister Sophie loves to relax and see. She loves to see the hills, churches, and the towns of Namur, Belgium.

Sister Sophie had a great time on her six-week journey on the sailing ship the Eliza Thorton. Sister Sophie said it was exciting and beautiful, and many storms. The ship almost tipped over, and the sharks were very scary. Sister Sophie saw turtles, sharks, seals, puffins, whales, and squid. She said that two people got very ill and could not teach. Sister Sophie is not homesick.

Sister Sophie just came to Cincinnati. Cincinnati is a busy city. It is full of pigs and horses. On the river there are many boats. The buildings in downtown Cincinnati were very tall. The boat that Sister Sophie took had one steam tower. The boat was made of steel and was not that safe. This boat was also two floors tall.

The boat ride was long, and there was always a row boat on the side in case something happened. The boat was very uncomfortable. Sister Sophie met a doctor. This doctor was from Covington, KY, his name was William Booth. The hospital he owns is called Old Booth Hospital.

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Sisters of Notre Dame – an excerpt from a fictonal tale across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1800s Grant Desch Gr. 6 Ah, the open seas. And my feelings have subsequently been crushed. A jolly roger looms on the horizon. As it moves closer, the ship shakes like a crazy man. I can’t tell if we fired a cannon or if we had been hit. The estranged pirates boarded the great sailing vessel the Eliza Thornton. I thought it could be the end, until the crew drew flintlock pistols. A standoff ensued. What felt like several hours passed by when I saw a saving grace, a Union Jack. When the pirates saw the British were moving in, they fled. As soon as the HMS Vanguard fired full broadside on the pirates, I knew it was time to go.

Snow Rabbit Emma O’Brien Gr. 4 Tweet, tweet. Hello friends, would you like to hear a story? It’s very long, so sit back and relax. Well, it was a really snowy afternoon, and a snow rabbit went down to the garden to get some food. He was very hungry, and the garden was full of yummy things to eat. AHH, yup, fresh berries, corn, strawberries, and carrots.

Mmm, I love carrots. A bird then the fox showed, up a real big one. The snow rabbit screams in fear, Ahh! He quickly gathers his food and runs to hide behind a bush. The fox and bird leave, and the snow rabbit scurries home. Then the fox and the bird track the rabbit to his home and capture him. They take him to their lair.

The fox and bird are very excited to dine on rabbit stew. They place the snow rabbit over the boiling pot. Fortunately, the snow rabbit’s friends knew that he had been captured, and they had followed the fox and bird.

Just in time, they push through the door to the fox’s lair. They attack the fox by throwing acorns at him and chase him from the cottage. They throw a net over the bird capturing him. They toss the bird out to join the fox. Snow rabbit is untied, and the friends grab his basket before running out the door.

Snow rabbit and his friends run all the way home. When they arrive, they prepare the vegetables and make a soup of their own. They sit down together and enjoy a delicious soup. Fox and bird spend the evening hungry.

Spring Kylie Eastman Gr. 4 Butterflies dance Tall grass tickles my feet Cold air brushes my hair Fluffy clouds float by Water glistens in the sun Fish splish and splash Birds sing their song Flowery perfume fills the air The promise of spring A Story of a Picnic from an Ant’s Point of View Sydney Brinkman Gr. 4 I woke up to the sound of humans’ footsteps walking my way. Suddenly, a huge blanket flew over me. I started to run toward the light. When I finally ran into my den I waited a few seconds, and then I came out. I could smell and see a wonderful feast before my very eyes and nose. I walked closer to the feast and saw my favorite: a vanilla cupcake with icing and sprinkles. I started to run toward the cupcake. I was about to take a huge bite when I remembered I couldn’t eat dessert without the real meal. I took a few bites of a salami sandwich and then a couple of bites of a juicy apple instead. Then when I was about to take a huge bite out of my cupcake, a little girl ruined my day and screamed,” An ant is about to take a bite out of princess cupcake!”

Then faster than you could say cupcake there was a slap beside me so I ran back to my den. While I was running, I thought I should always eat ran back to my den. While I was running, I thought I should always eat dessert before the real meal.

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Surreal Sculpture: The Triceracopter Nabil Sinno Gr. 4 In 1977 an artist named Patricia Renick finished the sculpture that is in the U.C. library on the 4th floor.

She used a helicopter used in the Vietnam War as the body of the triceratops. This is coated in layers of fiberglass and clay. Fiberglass is a type of material that bends. This sculpture is 30 feet long, 11 feet tall, and 8 feet wide. That is very big. She started in 1973 and finished in 1977, so it took her 3 years to complete. The rotors are still on the helicopter.

The animal that she chose is extinct so it was a historical animal. Also she might have been a dinosaur lover or just a triceratops liker in particular and may have been telling people to not for-get about the animal.

There are windows in the helicopter so I think you can see inside the helicopter; its legs have claws that are made of metal. Its coat on the face looks like the real triceratops so it’s authentic to the eye. So I think it should be an award winning sculpture. The person that created this sculp-ture used to be a professor at U.C. She made another big sculpture. It is called the Stegowagen-volkssaurs. I hope to see both when I grow up someday or even be an artist.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – an excerpt Callie Fox Gr. 4 It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. In the morning, I was very tired. I hadn’t been able to sleep the night before. I kept hitting the snooze button. I finally looked at the clock. I realized I had overslept!

When I got out of bed, my brother jumped out and scared me. I was scared like a mummy had tackled me to the floor.

By the time I was ready for breakfast, my brother had finished long before. I also realized that I had a sore throat, a stiff neck, a stuffy and runny nose, and my arms and legs were sore. My hand had started hurting from the basketball game the day before. Since I overslept, the only thing left for me to eat was a doughnut.

When I was brushing my teeth, my dad came upstairs and said that we had to leave the house or else we would be late for school. I brushed my teeth as quickly as a plane can fly. I quickly ran downstairs and got in the car.

Three-D Sculpture: The Triceracopter Connor Schaaf Gr. 4 Patricia Renick created the Triceracopter in 1977. It is 30 feet long, 11 feet tall and eight feet wide and made of clay, fiberglass and a helicopter. The helicopter is from the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was not that long ago so I like how she incorporates a recently used helicopter design because dinosaurs roamed a very long time ago.

I think Patricia Renick created the Triceracopter because she wants us to remember that even though dinosaurs are extinct we can still capture them using art, and that some of the beautiful animals we have here today might not be there for future generations because of poaching and deforestations. The other reason I think Patricia Renick created the Triceracopter is that she might have liked vehicles and dinosaurs so she used that liking for inspiration.

I like the Triceracopter because it really gives you a reason to admire art. The Triceracopter is an enormous three-D sculpture but it has so much detail you can tell that Patricia Renick put time, effort and love into her project. The Triceracopter is an amazing sculpture and I cannot help appreciating it.

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Three Ways Marlee Changed – a Lions of Little Rock Book Character Response excerpt Lily Gentes Gr. 5 Marlee changed in many different ways. Marlee hated talking to people at the beginning of the book but, at the end she got brave and talked to people. She also changed when at the beginning of the book she was scared of heights but, at the end of the book she even went off the 5 meter high diving board. Judy (Marlee’s sister) would always organize Marlee’s life because she wouldn’t talk to anyone except Judy but, when Judy had to move to Pine Bluff, Marlee branched out and found that she doesn’t need Judy to organize her life.

Lions of Little Rock shows that Marlee has lots of courage. Marlee was never talkative. At the beginning of the book Marlee wouldn’t talk to anyone because she was scared too but, when Liz came she showed Marlee how to TALK to the class without being scared. Liz showed Marlee lots of courage and how to stand up for yourself. The two girls grew to become best friends besides their differences.

Time Travel Coleton Chadwell Gr. 4 My family and I were invited to the first ever time machine trails to help test out the prototype. When we arrived, we went inside and met with the director. He thanked us for helping and told us about the machine.

After changing into our protective suits, we boarded the time travel machines.

The machine was programmed for our first stop, but it malfunctioned. We ended up at the extinction of the dinosaurs. We knew that we had to find shelter and wound up in a cave full of bats. At the back of the cave, we saw a glimmer off the damp rocks. There was a glowing orb that grew brighter as we approached it.

We all reached out to touch it, and as our hands made contact, the lights came on in the cave. We were in the test facility after all. The whole malfunctioning of the machine had been a test. We passed it, but we said we are never going in that thing again.

Trey – a Bio Poem Trey Lippert Gr. 5 Cool, smart, funny Lover of squash, sleepovers, and SpongeBob Who wonders what job I will have Who fears the dark Who feels happy and peaceful when everyone is nice to me and happy Who cares about all my friends and everyone in my family Who dreams of fast driving and getting a tiger cub Triceracopter Sam Hinton Gr. 4 Triceracopter, by Patricia Renick, is an interesting sculpture because this was made around a Vietnam War helicopter. Patricia Renick began working on this sculpture in 1973 right after the Vietnam War ended.

It was finished in 1977. It was formed into a triceratops. It has a rotor on the top and the back. It has two horns in the front. It looks like it has protection above the two large horns on the top of its head. The sculpture is thirty feet long, eleven feet tall, and eight feet wide. It looks like it has armor on its legs, head, and body. This sculpture is an example of surrealistic art.

I like this sculpture because it is a unique sculpture of a helicopter and a dinosaur. My favorite thing about Triceracopter is that it is not just a piece of art. It is a sculpture, a very big sculpture, so that helps everyone see how it looks from every point of view. The Triceracopter is found on the fourth floor of the University of Cincinnati Langsam Library. Many people see this sculpture as just a dinosaur, but it is not. I think it stands for hope for no more war.

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Under the Bridge Leo Lyons Gr. 4 As he is falling asleep, he hears a thump. The lamp in the corner blinks on and off. The eerie light that the flashing light gives the room sends shivers down his back. He slowly gets out of bed, grabbing the first thing he can as something moves towards him. With a chair clutched in his fists, he slowly moves forward. He swings the chair high over his head and brings it down with as much force as possible. The strike misses the thing rolling toward him. The mass under the rug trips him. As he falls, the floor opens taking him somewhere far away. No one knows where he went that night.

Vessel Devlan Daniel Gr. 4 One normal day, I stumbled on a toy car. It was tiny and red. I bent over to pick it up. As my hand touched the car, I felt a shock run through my body. A strange sensation came over me like the air was being sucked out of a balloon. I was getting smaller and smaller. I got so small that I could fit inside the car. I climbed in the car because I did not want to be eaten by an ant or some other creature. When I pulled the door shut, the car began speaking to me.

“Good morning, where to sir?” it said.

I was completely shocked. A talking car? Where to go? The options were limitless. I could not help but wonder if time travel was an option. “Let’s start with a trip to the Statue of Liberty,” I said.

“Certainly, sit back and hold tight.”

I leaned back and grabbed the steering wheel. With my eyes closed, I felt the sensation of falling, and a loud beeping filled my ears. Beep, beep, beep! I slowly opened one eye and then the other. The beeping was coming from my alarm clock. I was not at the Statue of Liberty. I was in my own bedroom.

Video Game Flaws – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Drew Hinton Gr. 6 Video games are heavily flawed. My first claim is how video games are overpriced. Another is the terrible rating system for games. The last problem is video game varieties, they are really small for most people.

That’s how video games need to be improved.

I think video games are overpriced. Games are overpriced because if you want a new copy of the game it costs $50 to $70 dollars. When you try to get a new game, that game will be at least 60 dollars. Video games should be at the price range of $20-$50 not $50-$70. That’s how video games are overpriced.

The rating system is also flawed. Some video games are labeled for teens and up when it is a game that everyone should be able to play. Other video games are really not for everyone but they hide the rating in the corner so people do not see them. When getting a game the companies put the rating in the corner so that you have to look for it to find the rating. Besides ratings, varieties should be improved.

Video game varieties are really small for most people. For some people getting a new game can be hard if they don’t recognize half of them. Some other games are even hard to pronounce. Most people do have lots of options but others may not have that many options to choose from. That’s how video games are flawed.

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Visgoths Conquered Rome – a Script excerpt Heidi Crowther Gr. 5 Heidi- Welcome back to the H&N Show! This morning Rome was conquered for the first time in 800 years!

Nia- A group of people burned records and looted the treasury. (pause) Heidi- I just got more information that the people who did this were called the Visigoths.

Nia- The Romans treated the Visigoths horribly.

Heidi- So the Visigoths attacked in response to this.

Nia- This just happened in Rome.

Heidi- This is going to be so important in Roman history because Rome was so huge and then it fell in less than 35 days.

Visiting the Presidents Kendall Northern Gr. 4 It was a dark and stormy night. I was looking around in an old shed when suddenly the door closed. I was trapped. I stumbled around in the darkness, and I saw a glimmer of light shining from something covered by a blanket. I inched closer. With each step, it was as if it beckoned me. By the time that I pulled the blanket off, I realized that it was a time machine. I had read about time travel years before, and I was unable to resist the urge to try it out. I jumped in and began to fiddle with the controls, and with a bright flash of light, I was gone. First, I went back in time to visit past presidents. I saw George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. I visited with President Roosevelt, both of them. Then I pressed a wrong button, and I was propelled into the future. I was in the White House. I saw my future self on the TV. I saw a man saying, “And the winner of the election is…”

As fast of lightening, people began rushing in and moving things around, and my future self walked into the room. I had traveled to the election of 2048. The year that I become President of the United States of America.

Walking on Water – from Matthew 14:22-33 Holland Lippert Gr. 5 While Jesus was teaching he told his disciples to get on a boat I’ll be on soon. When Jesus was done teaching he went up on a mountain to pray. That night he was up on the hill alone. Shortly before dawn he went to his disciples. When the disciples saw him he was walking on water to them. They were so scared they thought it was a ghost. Jesus said take courage. It is I. Lord it is you said Peter. Jesus said come to me. Peter came and fell into the water. Jesus saved Peter. Peter said that he was sorry and then Jesus forgave him.

Walt Disney – a Capstone Perseverence Book Report excerpt James Johnson Gr. 6 Walt Disney was a famous animator and was the founder of Disney World. Walt Disney is important because he implemented many important items. Some things he created was Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and many more famous animations. Walt Disney did these things and even made famous movies and places. A famous movie he made was Mary Poppins and a place called Disney World. Walt Disney was well known throughout his time.

In Walt’s adulthood he created Mickey Mouse and other amazing characters. Some of his creations and successes were Mary Poppins, Snow White, and his cartoon shorts. He made a lot of money and was rich.

Some setbacks he occurred was when he became poor because of World Wars, and the Depression. Many people couldn’t go to theaters to see Walt’s movies so he became broke. Another setback he had was when people didn’t accept his animations. But Walt overcame that obstacle and later succeeded.

In Walt’s life he had to have quite a bit of perseverance because most of the time people didn’t like his work but he had to get over that. One example was when a fellow animator stole Disney’s rabbit character.

Disney was sad and didn’t know what to do but that led to his creation Mickey Mouse. Another example was when Disney’s ideas were rejected and nobody liked him. This then led to a personal depression, which Walt fixed. When people didn’t like him Walt had to have perseverance to keep on trying to succeed.

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Why Stop? The Jim Abbott Story – a Capstone excerpt Luke Pappano Gr. 5 Jim Abbot is a former MLB pitcher. He inspired many people. Jim Abbot used sports to show that people with disabilities can do anything, as he only has one hand. His performance and hard work has inspired millions in the US. His life was a model of courageous acts and inspiration. After he retired from baseball he became a motivational speaker. Abbot gave all people hope that they could do anything because it was hard to pitch with one arm. He helped the Angels beat the Indians by throwing a no-hitter.

Abbot showed courage in many ways. He showed courage by overcoming his disabilities by playing baseball with one hand. Abbot is one of the only one handed pitchers in the MLB. It took courage to step on a baseball field in front of thousands and thousands of people watching.

We Should Have More Recess – a Persuasive Essay excerpt T.J. LaMacchia Gr. 6 Recess is a great time to have fun and exercise. Having more recess also helps your health. Teamwork is promoted too. A lot of athletes are strong because they exercise. There are more positives to having more recess than negatives.

Have you ever wondered why people exercise? They exercise because they want to have good health. If we had more recess, we would be exercising. Physical activity can reduce the chance of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Athletes exercise and that’s why they are fit. On average, Olympic athletes live 5 years longer than the general population.

Having more recess will promote teamwork. This teamwork could be used later in life when you’re working. A lot of very successful business people are good with a team. Successful athletes also are good with a team. They probably learned these skills when they were young. I bet most people in our class want to be successful. Having more recess is where you will start.

I know a lot of people who have back pain. The only reason for that is not enough exercise. Even if you start exercising when you are an adult, it will not be as effective. Exercising is more effective when you are young. Therefore, we should have more recess.

There are many reasons that we should have more recess. All the reasons I have told you is true. Would you like to be a successful person? Do you want back pain? I do not want to be miserable. I hope you feel the same way I do.

What do we share at a meal? – a Religion Journal Response Mirabella Bosse Gr. 5 When I am at a special event we share a lot of things. Most of the time we share a home cooked meal that my mom has made just for us. The most important thing we share at our table is love. We believe that love is the most important thing you can share. It has so much power. That is why when my sister comes home from college we give her so much love that we are so close to her. That is what my family shares.

Why I love being me?

Zaina Kamran Gr. 4 Do you know why I love being me? I have lots of reasons why I love being me but here are a few. First of all, I’m the youngest and I don’t have to do most of the chores. Secondly, I love my long dark brown hair because I can do lots of different hairstyles with it. Thirdly, I follow Islam, and we celebrate many different holidays.

A few of them are: Eid al-Adah, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr. Finally, I’m very active. I love to swim and I’m very CRAZY! I also love to ride my scooter around the neighborhood. Now this is why I love being ME!

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The Summit Country Day School

Why the NFL Should Change the Replay Rule – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Nick Bergeron Gr. 6 The NFL replay rule should be changed from its current form. The NFL has no set rule. Refs often change calls even when it’s questionable. I was watching a game and a call was made that was a season changer.

Many people have vocalized their displeasure with the rule. The NFL does not have a set plan for replays.

The refs use the Microsoft surface to consult with people in New York about the call. The refs and “experts” in New York talk to each other to make their decision. In 2016, the average review lasted 2 minutes 25 seconds.

The Pittsburgh Steelers season was dramatically changed because of a questionable call. It was the Steelers- Patriots game to determine the 1 seed in the AFC. The Steelers were down by a few points on the Patriots 6 yard line, 30 seconds left. Ben Roethlisberger gets the snap, pumps, then throws to a wide open Jesse James in the front of the end zone, touchdown! In the NFL, all scoring plays are reviewed, however this was obviously a touchdown, right, no apparently not. This review was taking a long time and no one knew why.

Finally, it was figured out they were reviewing whether or not the runner sustained possession through the ground. This call was a tossup, however the NFL states that if it’s a tossup the original call stands. Out comes the ref, and he announces, “The ruling on the field is overturned, for the receiver did not maintain control of the ball while taking it to the ground.” The Pittsburgh faithful roared and made their displeasure clear. Out comes the Pittsburgh offense Ben Roethlisberger, he takes the snap and throws to Eli Rogers, it’s tipped and intercepted in the end zone by Duron Harmon. The game was over, the Patriots win. If this call wasn’t made the Steelers would have been the 1 seed in the AFC and most likely would have been in the AFC championship, and maybe in the Super Bowl. This rule needs to be changed.

Wolves – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Benny Penote Gr. 6 As humans, we know that wolves have lived throughout our entire history. Also I believe that wolves should be brought into the zoo. But what happens? Humans hunt wolves for fur, food, and sport. They also use their habitat for their own. But also, humans have given wolves a terrible reputation, one they don’t even deserve. It is just so unfair for wolves. These three reasons will be put into detail now.

Wolves live in forests and mountains. But, both can be destroyed from mining and deforestation. Because wolves live in both, they have to migrate a lot. Also, adding on to the previous point, they have to adapt to a habitat all over again, so if we put them in the zoo, we will never have to worry about animal MURDER again.

Wolves, regardless of the reason, are being hunted like they don’t deserve to live. Take a look at the Red wolf. This innocent species is ENDANGERED! Hunting for fur, food and other survival resources is acceptable. However, any other reason is pointless. Finally wolves aren’t just hunted, but bullied as well.

In nursery rhymes, wolves are usually the villain. Have you ever heard of Little Red Riding Hood? A wolf is bad in that. How about the Three Little Pigs? A wolf is a villain in that too. My opinion is that the writers of those stories are simultaneously uneducated and unoriginal. If we put wolves in zoos, we can gain information proving the innocence inside them. Those are all of my reasons wolves should be brought into the zoo.

Women Should be Priests – a Persuasive Essay excerpt Vivi Bohmer Gr. 6 Women should be allowed to become priests of the Catholic Church. If the Catholic religion is all about love and acceptance, then why can’t we accept hardworking, smart women as priests? They deserve it. After 2,000 years of waiting, women definitely deserve it. Something has got to let up. “In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, slave or citizen, male or female. All one in Christ Jesus.”

Women are not inferior to men. Women are hardworking, smart, and kind, and they have just as much right to become priests as men do. Women are not property, and men shouldn’t tell them what they can or can’t do. Women will work very hard. They can and will become amazing priests!

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Wordworks

Worst Day Ever Sabian Swan Gr. 4 I had the worst day ever because I “accidentally” stapled my friend Bobby’s nose. Then I got suspended for a whole month. When I went to Boy Scouts and I had to hold the American flag in the city march, I got tired, and dropped the flag. Then we had to burn it. I hurt my hand, and I got a huge blister on my right hand which is my dominate hand. I was supposed to play dodgeball with my friends, but I could not hold the ball.

Later that day, I was helping with yard work and a woodpecker came and pecked the ladder in half. I fell and hit the dense mud. It was the worse day ever.

William – a Bio Poem William Hartmann Gr. 5 Lazy, silly, proud Lover of basketball, squash Wonders what I am going to eat for lunch Dreams of making it to the NBA Fears dying Cares about my family Who feels happy by playing basketball with my friends

Artwork

House Cat, Margaret Hobbins Night and Day, Ryka Woodruff

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The Summit Country Day School

Squirt, Annette LaLonde Tunnel Book, Haley Baker

Mountain Range, Owen Kohlhepp Electric Pulse, Jonathan Grooms

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Wordworks

T-bone Steak, TJ LaMacchia Peacock Love, Maggie Bissmeyer

Traveling the World, Mirabella Bosse

Tunnel Book, Braden Bricking

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The Summit Country Day School

The Nooks and Crannies of the World, Carleigh Gottenbush God Solves All Your Problems, Joey DiPaola

Shading Differences, Allen Wang

Harry Potter, Charlotte Thompson

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Wordworks

Smores, Jackson Campbell

Radial Design Bowl, Charles Healy

1st, 2nd, and 3rd, Matthew Langenderfer Tunnel Book, Callie Fox

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The Summit Country Day School

Beaver On a Log, Holland Lippert

Starry Night, Alaric Jones

Shapes of Art, Ethan Traiforos

Wicked, Mia Cavallo

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