Wordworks
Wordworks
Literary Magazine Volume 9 Spring 2025
Editor-in-Chief:
Brendan McEachern, Eighth Grade Language Arts
Graphic Design & Page Layout:
Megan Joachim
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 Samantha England, Sixth & Eighth Grade Art Katy Gallagher, Seventh Grade Language Arts Amy Soellner, Sixth Grade Language Arts Ashley Symonds, Fourth Grade Language Arts Paula B. Yarnell-Sundermann, Fifth & Seventh Grade Art
Welcome to our ninth issue of Wordworks. This magazine contains one piece of writing from students in grades four to eight. This issue contains 262 writing pieces. Each student showcases his or her writing ability in various prompts ranging from describing art, biographies, book reviews, and fiction, to original poems. To demonstrate steady writing progression by grade, our staff has attempted to keep the author’s voice as authentic as possible without too many editorial changes. Many of these pieces were condensed to “an excerpt” for the sole purpose of fitting into this magazine. I hope the short snippet will give you a sense of the author’s intention. The ultimate goal of Wordworks is to show student writing talent across five grades at The Summit. Congratulations to all of this year’s writers. Enjoy our ninth issue!
Brendan McEachern
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The Summit Country Day School
Authors Ainsley Abercrombie Adrian Abner Jacob Adams Macey Adams Parker Adams Charlie Aguilar Henry Ahouse Will Ahouse Tofunmi Ajayi Temi Ajayi Emmie Akers Sterling Allen Anna Baker McKenzie Bell Michaela Bell Colton Bettcher Lexy Beyerbach Chelsea Beyerbach Eileen Bolan Ava Boyer Emma Boyer Adelyn Bray Eliot Brown Maddison Brown Rachel Burkart Madeleine Burns James Busch Conner Butler Logan Butler Anna Cafardi Nick Cafardi Andrew Caldwell Natalie Campbell Hadley Carlson James Carlson Quinn Carlson Beckham Carrasquillo Nico Carrasquillo Cannon Casey Knox Casey JJ Castellini Callie Chadwell Gabby Chavez Declan Clements EJ Clements Ryan Conte Emery Cosgrove Ben Crawford Lilly Curt Sophie Daniher
18, 62 47 33 42 5 42, 56 46 30 41 7, 57 34 19 35 46, 64 43 33 12 29, 56 38 11 13 43 28 45 4, 64 51 11, 57 41 52, 59 52 44 10 29 8 23 34 15 15 8 22 18 10, 63 49 50 11 4 15 41 16 37
Wes Davis 10 Darcy de Lacy 47 Katherine Devendorf 40 Tommy Devendorf 28, 61 Van Devendorf 51 Jack Devitt 23 Blake Diaz 30 Derrick Dion 6 Tristan Dona 11 Santi Dwyer 46 Olivia Elfenbein 51 Hannah Erbeck 53 Jack Erbeck 16 Lily Ewald 23 Oliver Fecher 5 Liam Fildes 20 Siena Fildes 22 James Finkleman 22 Lily Finkleman 48 Annabelle Fleming 17 Elliot Fox 31 Evan Fox 10 Adelaide Friedman 48 Emmeline Friedman 21, 63 Joey Frodge 20, 58 Kalle Gatewood 24 Ava Geers 27 Jack Geers 23 Mia Gehring 24 Jendaya Gillispie 5 Evan Gockerman 33 Elise Goebel 50, 64 Patrick Goebel 39 Asela Goico 37 Eloise Goico 7 Dylan Gonyo 14 Aidan Grant 34 AJ Gray 28 Easton Griffin 44 Houston Griffin 44 Eliana Hafner 31, 61 Alaya Hamilton 12 Quinn Harding 29, 62 Mabel Hartmann 15, 55 Luke Haughaboo-Giannella 25 Addie Haury 32 Ruby Hayes 21 Hunter Heekin 31 Jake Heekin 36 Rush Heidt 23 2
Penelope Henkel James Hodge Matti Hofmann Charlotte Honhera Michel Huguet Rory Hussey Annabelle Huttenbauer Maguire Imperial Paxton Imperial Marguerite Jackson Nathan Jackson Nikhil Jain Christopher Jefferies Charlie Jenkins Luke Jenkins RJ Johnson Quentin Jones Emerson Kaeppner George Kane Stefen Karageorges Vivie Kate Keeney Cameron Kline Colin Kline Vivienne Kline Evelyn Knepfle Henry Knepfle Sydney Koo Kate Kroner Piper Kropp Anna Krulcik Samuel Krulcik Amber Kuehnel Sebi Kumar Gonzalez Isaac Lam Caroline Lavelle William Layden Aaron Lee Owen Lee Elijah Lehenbauer Leo Lei Sophia Lei Rachael Leik Josie Lyons Dylan MacDonald Lauryn MacDonald Peyton MacDonald Ava Maly Carter Marsh Claudio Matos Anaka Maxey
22 11 23, 57 46 9 49 43, 64 25 41 4 7 9 6 17 32 50 9, 56 12 33 36 18 9 44 40 40 25 14 12, 61 16 37 48 6 42 53 27 49 16 48 38 19, 58 41, 58 26 6 29 8 9 47 30 38 51, 60
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Emma McCormick 41 Jude Mecher 31 Cody Meyer` 53 Ella Miele 13 Olivia Miele 27 Austin Miller 37 Lila Miller 7 Anne Marie Misrach 19, 60 Dean Mohan 28, 59 Dominic Montaque 20 Izze Montaque 35 Robert Montgomery 20 Graham Moore 30 Maris Moore 26 Brie Mudzinganyama 32, 64 Ella Mueller 17 Lauren Mueller 35 Alex Mulvihill 12 Lincoln Mulvihill 49 Rory Newton 31, 55 Brenna Neyer 31 Estelle Neyer 47, 60, 64 Edward Neyra 40 Alex Norng 45 Micah Northern 37 Gracie Obiora 48 Imma Obiora 42 Ethan O’Dwyer 39 Blake Owens 49 Panika Pal 39 Alicia Palacio-Vega 53 Nico Palacio-Vega 36 Luca Pancheri 9 Sofia Pancheri 26 Addison Parker 26 Dallas Parker 8 David Patino 14 Evelyn Paulsen 35 Luke Paulsen 32 Alex Pearce 11 Ben Pearce 54, 59 Andrea Pérez Sánchez 13 Rebeca Pérez Sánchez 46 Hudson Pfeffer 19 Tory Plattner 13 Zoa Pratt 50 Sophie Pressey 26 Billie Price 24, 59 Crosley Price 44 Emilio Pruneda 12 Giuliana Rassi 28, 58, 60
Nick Rassi 34 Leo Renteria 43 Caroline Reynolds 4 Alice Rich 38 Millie Rich 49 Madie Richard 22 Zoe Riegle 40 Cole Rinehart 20 Emma Rinehart 35 Liam Roberts 24 Noah Roberts 5 Nolan Roberts 36 Nina Robinson 52 Reagan Rogers 25 Regis Rogers 34 Corrina Roth 8, 57 Russell Roth 32, 55 Fiona Russell 15, 62 Liam Russell 5 Carrigan Sams 7 Isaiah Santiago 16 Ryan Schaaf 45 Sebastian Scharf 49 Noah Selker 45 Madeline Shadoin 47 Wesley Shadoin 18 Jaya Shah 21 Alejandro Sharp 19 Cléa Sinno 46, 63 Ambi Smith 52 Kayden Smith 43 Reagan Smith 45, 64 Ivy Sousa 52 Emi Spreen 30 Winston Steele 15 Gwen Suder 33, 58, 63 Molly Sullivan 26 Ari Symonds 27 Cora Symonds 27 Paige Tedesco 13 Arianna Trimm 24, 61 Louis Uy 14 Aly Verdin 42 Lucy Viveros Valdepeña 47 William Vollmer 40, 61 Oliver Walker 14 Natalya Wangler 18 Jack Wendling 17 Janie Wendling 20 Alaina Williams 50 Charlie Williams 25 3
Evan Williams James Williams Drew Wilmont Amelia Wilson Liam Wiltshire Frankie Wirtz Hailey Wise Quinn Wood Belle Yang Jenny Yang
Cover Art
Macey Adams Temi Ajayi McKenzie Bell Ben Crawford Addie Haury Leo Lei Jude Mecher Ella Miele Alex Mulvihill Dallas Parker Alex Pearce Zoe Riegle Ivy Sousa Janie Wendling
13 21 39, 55 51, 64 5, 56 19 17 53 37 46
The Summit Country Day School
16th President Caroline Reynolds, Gr. 8 Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. His presidency was significant because he was the President during the Civil War. He was born on February 12th, 1809 in Larue County, Kentucky. He died on April 16th, 1865. During the Civil War, Abraham was on the side of the North. The North wanted freedom for the people in slavery. The opposing side, the South, did not. Lincoln being on the side of the North caused many people to dislike him, some people even wanted him dead. John Wilkes Booth was one of the many people who wanted President Abraham Lincoln dead. On April 9th, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. This ended the Civil War with the North side of freedom winning. Seven days later, President Abraham Lincoln would be assassinated. 90th Minute Ryan Conte, Gr. 6 Around the 90th minute, the other team had a break-away off of an offside pass that was not called and they scored, to make it 3-3. I was pretty disappointed and I’m pretty sure the rest of the stadium was too. Luckily, about 7 minutes later in stoppage time, FCC had a breakaway, where the keeper fouled the striker. This resulted in a red card. That meant that the penalty kick was against a player that was not a goal keeper. When FCC took the kick, time seemed to slow down and then I heard really loud cheering. FCC made the kick! Everyone cheered. Abandoned Animals Rachel Burkart, Gr. 7 The first reason why it is important to help abandoned animals find their forever homes is because then the owners are responsible for them and this will allow the person to grow in their personal accountability and responsibility. When an animal is adopted the owner would then be in charge of that animal from the moment they are adopted to the time of the pet’s death. Many pets are bought and then not properly trained, and this leads to dogs becoming more violent. These pets are not in a good forever home. Pet owners should spend more time learning about training centers within their budget to ensure their pet does not become violent. If more owners did this, less animals would have to be killed or abandoned. Another problem is over breeding of dogs. Many people are buying dogs from breeders who are not taking proper care of the animals rather than adopting animals without a home. The animals are living in inhumane living conditions (Powell 2). Abraham Lincoln Marguerite Jackson, Gr. 8 Even though Abraham Lincoln is known for being the president that disapproved of and abolished slavery, he had no intention of eliminating slavery completely at the beginning of his presidency. From an early age, Lincoln understood from his family that slavery was wrong. When Lincoln was elected the sixteenth president of the United States in 1860, America was divided. Some of the southern states had started seceding from the Union. His election was one of the main causes of the Civil War. In his first Inaugural Address, Lincoln assured the South that he had no intentions of abolishing slavery. Documents like the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Wilmot Proviso, and the Emancipation Proclamation were all early proposals of trying to keep peace in the Union to find solutions to the national problem of slavery. Lincoln believed the southern states that at the time currently embraced slavery should have the right to keep it.
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Adventure Oliver Fecher, Gr. 4 My second reason I like this book is because it’s an adventure book. I honestly love books with quests, but be warned, this paragraph contains spoilers. In this story, Percy, the main character, has to go to the oracle in the huge barn house. The oracle tells him he will have to confront a god that has turned, find the stolen item and return it, be betrayed by someone, and fail to save something or some one. This prophecy from the oracle starts the whole adventure because Percy accepts the quest. On the quest, Percy and his friends have to confront all kinds of creatures set on killing them. As you can see, this book is filled with adventure. Affects Liam Wiltshire, Gr. 5 Both internal and external conflicts present challenges for Characters; they affect them in a lot of different ways. The internal and external conflicts that are described here are similar and different in some ways. Like how an internal conflict can lead to an external conflict just like in Flush, Noah’s dad believes that Dusty Muleman is doing something wrong so Noah tries to pick up where his dad left off. An example of an external conflict leading to an internal conflict is shown in New From Here because when Covid 19 causes havoc in China so they have to leave but Knox’s dad stays behind to work for money. This leads Knox to be sad and try to get his dad to America. Authors use both of these types of conflicts in their stories to show emotion and help us understand the characters better. Agent 355 Parker Adams, Gr. 8 Agent 355 was an American spy in the American Revolution. She belonged to the Culper Ring and to this day nobody knows her true identity. There are many theories about who this person may be including Anna Strong, Peggy Shippen Arnold, Sally Townsend, Elizabeth Burgin, or a woman from a loyalist family in New York. The theory that I agree with the most is Sally Townsend, the wife of Robert Townsend. Sally’s husband Robert was also a spy in the Culper Ring. Albert Einstein Liam Russell, Gr. 6 Albert Einstein has made multiple theories about space, time and mass. He is known for many of his theories. His theory of relativity and his Mass - energy equivalence: e=mc squared. His theories have helped people get a better understanding and view of space, time, energy, mass, etc. He has shaped the world with theories and is a smart person. Alexandria Noah Roberts, Gr. 6 I got to the game feeling ready. I was 30 minutes early for the game. But this was not a normal game this was the finals for the Alexandria tournament. Our team, Olympic, had won some tough games to make it there. We were here ready to win. I met up with my teammates and we quickly formed a rondo. Which is a soccer drill where we pass the ball around. Once our coach got there, we formed lines for a warm-up. By the time that ended; the game was about to start. So, we went over who had which positions. We jogged onto the field, realizing the other team had bigger kids. Allergy Mishap Jendaya Gillispie, Gr. 7 She knows it has nuts because of the “nut” tella part of it. But nothing happens, she just watches out for nuts the next few days. She has little hives but not really anything happens. At the beach Tegan puts on her bathing suit and goes swimming with some rad waves. She finds that she loves strawberry daiquiris. At the beach she finds this really good dessert. It is like an airy cookie with some sweet creamy filling in it. When she starts eating more she starts breaking out in hives that almost look like big bug bites all over, her throat closes up and she can’t breath she realizes how serious it is getting. Then she goes to the baker of the cookies. Before she talks she is mesmerized by the look of the baker’s face. and asks “what is in these?” 5
The Summit Country Day School
Allowed to Tax Amber Kuehnel, Gr. 8 I think that they were allowed to tax them, because they had given them support in the war and the colonists would have lost the war really badly if they didn’t have the British’s army’s help. But also because we have seen this in many other scenarios, like France received repair payments from Germany after World War I, Russia claimed repairs from Germany after World War II… But when the colonists didn’t play along and refused to pay taxes, England started making laws also called the Greenville Acts to get money from the colonists in other ways, like the Sugar Act of 1764, Quartering Act of 1765, and Stamp Tax of 1765. These taxes were named after George Greenville who was the prime minister in England between 1763-1765. He was known for trying to solve the conflict between Colonists and England. The Sugar Act was introduced to collect taxes on imported sugar from the West Indies. England then established the Quartering Act so the colonists were forced to provide a shelter for the soldiers that came from England. American Civil War Josie Lyons, Gr. 8 The Civil War started because of the southern states fear of the new president, which was newly elected Abraham Lincoln.The slave states feared that Abraham Lincoln would completely take away slavery. That was not Abraham Lincoln’s plan. He believed that the constitution protected slavery in the south where it was already at. Licoln was opposed to expanding slavery into more states.Then the southern states left the Union. Lincoln took office in March of 1861. In The South Carolina harbor, there were three United States military forts, and the Confederate government asked for them to be given back to South Carolina. The Union troops heard that the Confederate troops were going to attack. so the Union troops went to Fort Sumter. The Union soldiers at Fort Sumter refused to surrender. After he became president, Lincoln resupplied Fort Sumter with food but not any weapons. This action meant war to the people of South Carolina because they thought the Union soldiers were in their county and on their property. This makes South Carolina really mad and they fire shots into the fort. They attacked on April 12, which was the first shots of the Civil War. American Revolution Derrick Dion, Gr. 8 There are many things that people don’t know in history, for instance, fewer people don’t know about the American Revolution or Agent 355. There are many theories about who Agent 355 is. Who Agent 355 is, is a mystery for many people. Who was Agent 355? What did he or she do? Why don’t people know about Agent 355? These unanswered questions are important to learn more about key people who led to crucial discoveries in history. There were lots of spies in the American Revolution and Agent 355 being one of them. But we still don’t know who Agent 355 is today. There are many theories on who agent 355 is. But the one theory that makes the most sense is that agent 355 is Anna Strong. We know that agent 355 most likely was a female because of “One clue as to the spy’s identity was the ring’s code book. It translated 355 not as a specific person but as lady.” Among the Hidden Christopher Jefferies, Gr. 5 The next type of conflict is an external conflict, and a good example is in the book Among The Hidden when Luke faces the population police. Since Luke is a third child he can’t let anyone see him because thats the law made by the population police making every moment of his life a risk putting pressure on him. This conflict is important because at the end of the book Luke gets a new identity so he can now be seen. But, when he does this he had to leave his family to do all of this. So this tells us that he was willing to give up his family just so he could see the world. Luke really had no choice because Jen’s dad was bugged. So if he stayed, the population police would find him. It could also put the rest of his family in danger. Luke’s new identity is Lee Grant. This tells us a lot about Luke.
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Amy Eloise Goico, Gr. 5 Amy got onto the bus and the bus took off driving all through town to get to school. Then the wind picked and rain started to pour. The bus driver called out “It’s a tornado, close the windows and get under your seats”. Amy felt a wave of terror being told a tornado was coming towards her bus. She then closed the window and got under her seat as fast as she could. Ancient Egypt Nathan Jackson, Gr. 5 I think that Ramses II was the best leader. One reason that Ramses II was the best leader is because he started leading the military at 10 years old so he would have experience. Another reason that Ramses II was the best leader is because he ruled for 66 years which means that he would have won a lot of battles. A final reason that Ramses II was the best leader is because 9 kings after him named themselves in his honor so he must have been a great leader for that to happen. In conclusion, Ramses II was the best leader. Ancient India Temi Ajayi, Gr. 5 I think that the most important discovery of Ancient India was the concept of 0 as a number and numeral. without zero, math would be almost impossible to do (nothing is impossible, but some things are awfully close). Secondly, without the number 0, we wouldn’t have binary numbers, which would mean no code, which would mean no computers or video games or anything that needs code to work, which means there would be no life as we know it and I would not be using a computer to do this test. Lastly, without the number zero, there would be no decimal system. In conclusion, though most people don’t really realize its position in our lives, our modern human world would not have made many of the advancements we have without zero. The numeral 0 is actually one of the most important things in our everyday lives. without it, we would still be using typewriters (though I have nothing against typewriters, they are really old fashioned). Anna Smith Strong Lila Miller, Gr. 8 Agent 355 was a woman spy, Anna Smith Strong, who helped win the revolutionary war, while working with The Culper Ring. Agent 355 gathered intelligence, transmitted information, and operated in British-controlled territory, and signaled the location of Caleb Brewster. We know for sure that Agent 355, Anna Strong, transmitted vital information. We still don’t know for sure the identity, or any details about Agent 355’s identity. Even though there is no proof to the Anna Smith Strong myth, it is the most believable because of Caleb Brewster, and the laundry line. This is when Anna hung a black petticoat up on her laundry line, indicating that Caleb Brewster was nearby. Annie Carrigan Sams, Gr. 6 On Friday, a week after auditioning, a day before the first Annie rehearsal. I woke up to a shock. My mom gave me an envelope labeled “Open for Annie cast role.” I knew it had to be something good because my Dad started recording my reaction. Carefully, I opened the letter, and saw a piece of paper. I opened it and read aloud “I, got, Annie,” with more enthusiasm ,“I got, Annie,” and for a third time I yelled, “I GOT ANNIE!!”
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The Summit Country Day School
Art of War Dallas Parker, Gr. 8 Have you ever wondered how so many small countries filled with normal citizens can overthrow a government with a well-trained army? A majority of these uprisings were successful due to the use of guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare is a battle strategy where you use hit and run tactics, sabotage, and ambushes on usually much larger and less mobile army forces. These strategies have been used in a multitude of revolts, uprisings, and wars such as the Vietnam War, the Peninsular War, and World War II. These guerrilla warfare tactics were also commonly used by the Native Americans during the French and Indian War against the British. They would often lure giant British army forces into woods then pick them off one by one using traps or shooting at them from between the trees. A lot of the British officers in the French and Indian War were colonists who observed this manner of fighting and knew it well. They eventually were able to predict these strategies and counter effectively. After the French and Indian War, tensions started to grow between the British and the colonists. This eventually led to the American Revolution where the colonists tried to gain their independence from Great Britain. Artemis Corrina Roth, Gr. 4 Another reason I think Artemis is the best goddess is because she loves nature and animals. She’s actually the goddess of newborn animals. This means she must really love animals. She also spends all of her time in the woods. Artemis and I have a lot in common because I also enjoy nature and animals. I can’t imagine a world where I wouldn’t be able to take my bearded dragon on a walk. This is another reason why I think Artemis is the best goddess. Assassin Hadley Carlson, Gr. 8 Assassin by Anna Meyers is a historical fiction novel set in the late 19th century about what happened after Abraham Lincoln’s assisination. Addison, a young boy working for the Booth family, including John Wikes Booth who killed Abraham Lincoln. Addison can’t decide whether to stay loyal to the Booth family or to do whats right. The main conflict is when Addison struggles with his sense of right and wrong while being connected to the assisination. The book shows the impact of personal choices during a rough time in history. Athena Lauryn MacDonald, Gr. 4 Another reason Athena is the best is because she teaches mortals lessons. She loves to put them in their place. Do you remember when she turned Arachne into a spider? She did this because Arachne challenged her in a weaving contest and said she was so much better at weaving than Athena. Do you also remember when Medusa said she was so much prettier than Athena in Athena’s temple, and when Medusa went on a date in her temple? Because of this, Athena turned Medusa into a Gorgon with snakes for hair. Medusa and Arachne certainly learned their lesson. This is why Athena is unquestionably the best goddess. Baseball Cannon Casey, Gr. 8 Ichiro, a Japan baseball player who had the most total hits around the world. He was the first non-pitcher who shifted from Japanese baseball to the MLB. Ichiro made a statement in baseball with his bravery, skills, and records. Suzuki switched from Japan to the U.S not knowing how to speak any English or communicate with his teammates. He was brave and found ways to still be one of the best hitters of all time.
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Beach Trip Peyton MacDonald, Gr. 6 Have you ever felt freezing cold ice cream on your bare skin? Well I have and it wasn’t very fun. I was with my aunt at the beach in San Diego, California. She lives in New York City, so the warm, sandy, and beautiful beach was exciting for her too. We were staying with my grandparents at their vacation home. We walked to the beach and when we got there we quickly set our stuff down, and jumped in. The ocean water was colder than expected, it was freezing! We went out and I soon realized that we went a little too far. Benefits of Sports Nikhil Jain, Gr. 8 Whenever most people think of the benefits of sports they think of physical activity however there is way more. Sports can be vidal to the success of both children and our society. We need to know how to help as parents, coaches, etc. Kids are also quitting and being cut more than ever, so how can we keep kids playing sports and is cutting kids good or bad? They need to keep playing sports as youth sports can teach you many important lessons. sports are vital to the youth but now kids are stopping playing more than ever. This needs to stop. Benjamin Franklin Quentin Jones, Gr. 8 The way I went about researching my topic was very simple. Before I even came up with my big question I did a base research about Franklin coming up with 10 questions about Benjamin Franklin. Some of these questions help me with my research on my big questions.The question: Benjamin Franklin’s inventions and how did they revolutionize the country? This question helps me come up with my big question which. How did Benjamin Franklin’s philosophical views on education reflect on today’s society? Best Greek God Michel Huguet, Gr. 4 In my opinion, Zeus is the best god because he is very strong. You may know that he is the ruler of all gods, but that wasn’t always the case. He had to earn the highest throne. He had to overthrow his own father to claim the title “Ruler of Olympus.” Zeus also has extraordinary power. Can you just ‘imagine being able to drop a thunderbolt and cause a massive explosion that could cost many people their lives? Well Zeus sure can! So if you think someone is targeting your house during a storm, you might want to start praying to lord Zeus. Bite Your Lip Luca Pancheri, Gr. 5 Conflicts are vital aspects that a story must have. Conflicts can make you bite your lip and hide under your covers in terror, or make you even wonder if the story will have a happy ending. Internal and external conflicts are problems that happen to a character or multiple characters throughout the book. Out of all the books that we have read this year, there have been many characters that have had internal and external conflicts. Blessing Bags Cameron Kline, Gr. 8 Building the Blessing bags only really took one religion class in which we had to assemble the shirts and put the things inside of them. These things that did go inside of them wee hygiene items to better people’s lives and a blanket for warmth that we also had to make by tying the ends together. These bags could make a difference depending on the people that get them and some could really want these while others might have different feelings about receiving help which I trust the agency sorts out. Handing the bag off was very simple as we just gave it to the agency and never saw it again so I wondered what these bags would do. Some people were outside the agency doing some interesting things and some were sitting on the street. 9
The Summit Country Day School
Blood Infection Evan Fox, Gr. 6 I woke up without noticing anything different until I got out of bed and a sharp pain in my leg. I told my mom about it so she brought me to the hospital where they gave me some shots and tests to figure out that the pain was from a blood infection. It nested at the top of my right thigh so I couldn’t walk with that leg. I was taken to my room in a wheelchair and it was a small room with a TV, table and a couple of chairs. I was put in a bed that wasn’t really comfortable but good either way so I decided to try to see what channels it had. The only channels that they had were ones for six year olds so I decided to wait instead. I woke up every morning at 5 AM to get some tests and a shot. I then usually talked with my mom and then took a nap until lunch. The menu was kind of like the cafeteria at school but I think I usually got the hot dog with a carton of chocolate milk. The rest of the day was either me looking for something that’s good on the tv, sleeping or tests and shots. My dad sometimes visited me and talked to me and saw how I was doing while my mom was working and testing something with cells in the lab. Bluefish Callie Chadwell, Gr. 7 My book is Bluefish by Pat Schmatz , and the story is set in 2011, and takes place in Pennsylvania. The protagonist of this story is Travis Roberts, an eighth grader that is very quiet but yet very observant, and has a reading difficulty, so he considers himself as useless and dumb as a bluefish. Another main character to this story is Velveeta, an outspoken and extroverted girl. One other protagonist is Bradley, who is a shorter and African American kid that struggles to fit in. The antagonist of this story is Travis’s grandfather, who is rude and arrogant. All the characters in this story face their own challenges, and struggle with their personal lives. Bombing of Pearl Harbor Andrew Caldwell, Gr. 7 The US and other countries criticized the Japanese aggression but didn’t use any economic or military punishments (Harry S. Truman). Japanese forces then targeted Indochina with the goal of taking control of oil rich areas in the East Indies and the relationship between the US and Japan got worse (Harry S. Truman). The US put an embargo on scrap metal, oil, and aviation fuel heading to Japan and halted Japanese assets in the US, after these threats (Harry S. Truman). The US also demanded that the Japanese leave conquered areas of China and Indochina (Harry S. Truman). Japan then began planning for an attack on Pearl Harbor by April 1941, sensing that conflict was inevitable (Harry S. Truman). Book Conflicts Wes Davis, Gr. 5 In some books conflicts happen in people’s minds not in real time they are called internal conflicts, In Among The Hidden Luke has some Internal conflicts that he has to deal with. Luke is having an internal conflict because when Luke leaves his house he is afraid that he will get caught by the population police or his mother or father will see him and he will be in big trouble. Luke is unsure if he should leave his house and feel scared when he does. “Luke’s stomach churned as he sat on his perch watching the neighborhood empty out. He knew without question that today was the day he’d have to go, if he ever intended to,” (53) shows that Luke has to be cautious and that Luke is scared about going out of the house. This is important because if Luke gets caught he will probably die.
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Boston Tea Party Ava Boyer, Gr. 8 The Boston Tea party was another major reason the British started taxing the colonists. According to the National Archive, “On the night of 16 December 1773, 340 chests of tea were destroyed in Boston Harbour,” an event that has gone down in history as the Boston Tea Party. This political and mercantile protest was one of the key events in the lead up to the American Revolutionary War and, ultimately, American independence.” The Boston Tea Party caused the British to lose 1.7 million dollars in today’s money. After the Boston Tea Party, the British left their empty ships that once had the tea on them in the harbor. This meant no ships could come into the Harbor. This angered the colonists even more. Bowling Alley Alex Pearce, Gr. 6 So we went to our bowling alley and started to bowl. “Your turn Alex” said Charlie, So I stepped up to bowl and Charlie bowled right behind me at the same time. But his bowl went really slow and by the time my ball hit the pins the barrier came down while Charlie’s ball was only half way. So when the screen came down Charlie’s ball hit the screen and stopped in the alley. Box Sleeping James Busch, Gr. 8 Shantytown was an overnight experience where you would sleep in a box outside and go around town. Before the experience I had some knowledge about Over the Rhine. I knew I would see some people without homes on the street. I thought the around town part would be pretty nice. I did not go to the overnight part of the shantytown, and I did not think it would be great. Brazil Christmas Tristan Dona, Gr. 6 Christmas in Brazil gathers families to open presents and have a nice Christmas dinner. For Brazilians, presents aren’t the most important thing in Christmas. For them it is Jesus Christ being born as they are very Catholic in Brazil. During Christmas, Brazil has cool traditions and food. Brazil has a great way of spreading Christmas cheer and having fun with family and friends. Breaking the Cycle EJ Clements, Gr. 7 Most kids avoid at least one day of school because they don’t feel safe there (Hodges et al. add page). This can be detrimental to the learning process along with being bad for mental health. Some people may say it is too much of a personal matter to intrude on how safe people feel. This is false because if those kids had gone to school they could have been one of three thousand five hundred kids that die during school shootings every year. During the twentieth century the world has changed a lot, including its people, children have had to endure much and we need to take a look at the changes in them as well, they need to be able to feel safe at home, safe at school, safe in their neighborhoods and safe around their peers. Breast Cancer Awareness James Hodge, Gr. 7 Breast Cancer is serious because many people are losing their lives, helping out can go a long way, and you not only you, but many organizations are helping out. The struggles found while trying to find the cure are serious. This disease is not only hurting the diagnosed man or woman, but also hurting others. Finding the cure starts with you. It is a big step in the right direction. If we don’t help out, this disease will still be a huge problem for the future generations to come. Think about all the people that will be affected in many different ways if you don’t act now. Breast cancer is serious, and you can help make a difference.
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Building Community Alaya Hamilton, Gr. 5 Building Community is always focusing on my work, and keeping a sustainable attitude. I also think building community is when I pay attention to the work I am doing and don’t get distracted by the people around me. I build community by being collaborative, inclusive, and being respectful. Bullies Emilio Pruneda, Gr. 5 Books can’t be made without a conflict between the characters. They Both go through internal and external conflict with friends or with bullies. In the book Among The Hidden Luke is forced to stay hidden from the population police, Luke worried that he might die because he is an illegal third child. Luke is in conflict with the population police who think that all third children should be illegal. In conclusion the story can’t move without conflict. Bus Trip Lexy Beyerbach, Gr. 8 Getting on the Metro Bus, even being with half of the whole class, there was barely any extra room for other people. Compared to just half of our grade, the bus seemed small and cramped. There were a couple people on the bus when we got on, and more got on as we went so some of us gave up our seats. It was narrow, the walkway to get in and out and it was a tight fit. It was a long ride down to the city. In the street car, from my point of view, we were more crowded because we had the whole grade. Some people even didn’t get on it because the streetcar was near full. Call Kate Kroner, Gr. 7 Do your parents ever step out of the room to take a call? Do they come back? Charli is a 14 year old girl who lives in Los Angeles. She has long brown hair that she usually ties up in a bun or braids. She is tan with freckles on her cheeks. Her best friend is a 14 and a half year old boy named Leo. He has tan skin with brown hair. He is very tall and loves to play baseball and hockey. They take a trip together to Oaxaca, Mexico with Charli’s mom. While there Charli’s mom stepped out of the room to take an urgent call. Minutes turned to hours and she never came back. Canadian Christmas Alex Mulvihill, Gr. 6 Food and drinks play a big part in a Canadian Christmas. There are treats like sugar cookies, Buche de Noel which is a chocolate yule log, Nanaimo bars which are sandwiches with a vanilla center and a chocolate outside. There are also real foods like Tourtiere, a double crust meat pie, butter tarts, and perogies. There are also drinks like cider, hot buttered rum, and unspiced eggnog. In conclusion food and drink play a big role in a Canadian Christmas and Canada has a lot of traditions. Caring about the Future Emerson Kaeppner, Gr. 7 I care about my future as a woman. I care about my friends’ futures as women. I care about the world’s future. I refuse to let an innocent little girl, full of big dreams, be crushed or silenced by the thoughtless actions of someone only looking out for themselves. Her light deserves to shine, it doesn’t deserve to be dimmed by ignorance and selfishness. I don’t want her to grow up and run five miles for a man to sit back and laugh and say “Slow down!” He will never know what it is like to work harder than everyone else and only earn half of what a man does.
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Cece Bell Emma Boyer, Gr. 5 Cece Bell from El Deafo has external conflict throughout the book. Cece was just diagnosed with Meningitis and she has to wear a big hearing aid at her school and no one looks like her. Then one day she had to get on a different bus and go to a different school, at that school she goes into a classroom where everyone looks like her. A quote from the book is, “ And look! Everyone looks like me!”(28) she is happy at her new school because everyone looks like her because people from her old school would bully her because of her hearing aids. In conclusion, Cece Bell has external conflict throughout the book. Character Challenges Tory Plattner, Gr. 5 In both ways internal and external conflicts start challenges for characters, they affect them in different ways. The El Deafo novel and the Out of My Mind novel are similar in ways because they both have a disability in which knowing they are similar. Another similarity is that both Melody and Cece both have a friend. Also their differences include Cece being able to walk and move around while Melody is stuck in a wheelchair having to use automatic buttons to move around. Another example of their differences is that Cece is very quiet but can talk while Melody has to use her talking iPad that helps her with speaking to learn and communicate. The authors used these conflicts in the novels because they had a problem with the character’s internal and external struggles. Chicken Musketeers Evan Williams, Gr. 7 Taco was by far the shortest. He used to be named Ethan until he madly fell in love with a witch named Taco. Imma was a boy, the least attractive of the group. He was medium height with black hair, a messed-up hairline, a cross chain necklace, and a devious smile. Imma once hated a girl named OTacoO, a horrible witch who made fun of everyone and everything. OTacoO was mean, egotistical, and believed the whole world liked her. All three of the Chicken Musketeers disliked her. Childhood Poverty Andrea Pérez Sánchez, Gr. 7 Childhood poverty is an important issue because it can lead to issues such as not having food, homelessness and mental and physical issues. Helping kids in poverty is vital to help them make a better future for themselves. Most kids in poverty don’t have homes or food to eat. This is a drastic need that we can help by donating clothes and food to help. Helping them can change their future and the world. In conclusion, helping kids in poverty can change their future and the world around them. Chile Christmas Ella Miele, Gr. 6 Christmas in Chile is a time of celebration referred to as Pascua. Chileans celebrate the Christmas season with unique dishes, cultural dances, fireworks, and traditional ceremonies. During the nine days leading to Christmas called Novena de Aguinaldos, it is a time to reflect on their loved ones who have passed. Christmas is also not just a time to reflect, but a time of worship to God and all of the ancestors who taught them all the cultural dances, traditions, and made the cultural food and drinks for the community. Christmas Break Paige Tedesco, Gr. 8 I didn’t travel anywhere for vacation I just stayed home. I got to sleep in to 11:00 almost every morning My family and I played a lot of board games. Monopoly,Sorry,Uno,Go fish, and even played pool with our pool table. Once the snow came in me and my siblings went outside to enjoy the inches of snow, until we had to work on shoveling our driveway. The challenges that I faced over winter break was it was my first Christmas in Cincinnati, Ohio. My family made it work and we called our family back in California to open the presents they got us over the phone. My biggest highlight of the break would have to be spending quality time with my family. 13
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Civil War Dylan Gonyo, Gr. 8 During the time in the Civil War, women were very overlooked and seen as too delicate or uninformed to participate in espionage, but women were a crucial way of gathering intelligence for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. While many women were not formally enlisted in military operations, their social roles often allowed them to gather important and valuable information that was vital to the Confederate war effort. Women in the south had access to many social groups that had people who were Union officers, diplomats, and other military personnel.They would mostly overhear military plans and other critical intelligence. Women would throw tea parties or balls and so they could engage in casual conversation. This allowed them to extract information from men who may not have been suspicious of their motives. Colombia Christmas David Patino, Gr. 6 In Colombia, Christmas is the most important Holiday and is celebrated almost the entire month, starting with the “Noche de las velitas” followed by the “novenas”. Colombia has a lot of traditions, food, & decorations. Some foods around this time of the year would be “bunuelo” and “natilla”. Christmas in Colombia is very religious so they have a lot of traditions relating to the birth of Jesus. There are a lot of decorations that people use to arrange, the most important is the Nativity Scene and next the Christmas trees. Concerto Competition Sydney Koo, Gr. 6 The next week, during my lesson at Takako’s house, my piano teacher, I found out that I had gotten 1st place in the Immanuel School of Music’s Concerto Competition, and I got to play with an orchestra in Memorial Hall, downtown. When my mom and I got home, my siblings and dad were there waiting with cookies and cream cake. After the results, we had so many things to figure out like what to wear, and how to do my hair for the performance. The next week, we found out that my grandparents and family from both my mom and my dad’s sides were going to come into town for my performance. Upon learning about their arrival, we hurried to clean the house, and find the right dress and shoes so my grandma could alter my dress for the performance. Confederacy Louis Uy, Gr. 8 During the American Civil War, both the Union and the Confederacy relied heavily on spies to gain intelligence and confuse their opponents. Spies played crucial roles in gathering information about troop movements, battlefield plans, and supply routes.Most people were elected into the war based on their skill although many were just straight up asked if ]they they could spie for whatever side they were on if it was either individual spies from other nations may have been involved, even though their activities would have been unconfirmed; most spying during the Civil War was ran by citizens from either the Union or Confederacy And they took advantage of the divided loyalties within the country itself. In Conclusion many great spies were elected into the war. Conflict Oliver Walker, Gr. 5 Conflict, conflict, conflict, the attention grabber, the inventor of interestment and the juicy stuff of books.There are 2 types of conflict, First internal a conflict that happens inside a character’s head, Second external, a conflict that happens on the outside of a character’s head. 2 novels 1 conflict in each, I’ve read both novels this year and First novel Among The Hidden Second The Lions of Little Rock. ATH has the internal and TLOLR external. This essay will describe both of those conflicts.
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Control the Seasons Nico Carrasquillo, Gr. 4 One reason I think Demeter is the best god is because she can control the seasons. When she is sad it gets colder and turns to winter. When she is happy it is summer. I love when the seasons change because there are fun things to do in each season. She also taught people how to harvest plants. She is exciting because she controls the seasons. Crazy Sledding Fiona Russell, Gr. 4 I made my decision, I did exactly the same thing my brother did - put the rope in the sled, gave a little kick, and…jump! I was zooming down the hill, also trying to go on the bump. “I’m doing it!” I thought to myself, “I’m going to fly!” But it turns out the bump didn’t actually make me fly, it felt like someone punched me in the chest. I groaned loudly, then I realized I was still going. I tried to stop the sled by putting my hands in the snow, but that only sprayed snow in my face. There was only one thing left to do, abandon ship. Just as I was getting ready to jump off, the sled began slowing down and stopped. “That was awesome!” I cried out as I brushed the snow off my pants. I couldn’t wait to do it again! Cruise Storm Emery Cosgrove, Gr. 6 My sister, worried, came out and said, “EMERY GET IN”. Yup that’s it for me, time to come inside but I have to play it off cool. I can not show my friend that my sister was right let alone show my sister she was right. So I slowly walked in saying something along the lines of “what it’s fine it’s not like lighting is going to hit me” My sister walked inside but I was not being aware of my surroundings, so when I walked threw the door I must have stood there for too long because it didn’t sense me when I walked in. There we went; I was now in between the automatic doors. Squeezing me like a grape. After being secretly scared of the storm, being annoyed at my sister and having claustrophobia I broke out crying.Yep tears strolling down my face as my friend awkwardly watches me sitting there crying. I was humiliated. Culper Ring Mabel Hartmann, Gr. 8 Agent 355 was a spy in the Culper Ring during the Revolutionary War. Agent 355 was a woman, and it is said that 355 was Culper code for “lady”. Some believe Agent 355 was Anna Strong, who was involved in the Culper Ring. She signaled other spies using a clothes line with a black coat and a handkerchief, and risked her life for information that would help the Americans win the war. Another theory was that Sally Townsend was Agent 355. Culture in Poland Winston Steele, Gr. 6 Christmas in Poland plays an important role in Polish culture. A traditional tree will have glass balls,nuts,apples,painted egg shells and sweets. Long before people started bringing Christmas trees in their houses they would hang a conifer spruce,pine fir from the ceiling over the dinner table.Then together they exchange many gifts and wishes for good health and prosperity Another thing Poland loves around Christmas time is the food. During Christmas Eve they have a 12 course meal in honor of the Apostles or the months of the year. D.C. Reflection Beckham Carrasquillo, Gr. 8 The D.C. trip was amazing! We got to go to new places and experience D.C. for the first time. The highlight was pretty much everything. a challenge area was the other rooms in the hotel many loud screams and thuds during the late hours of the night. D.C. has so much security. One thing I would recommend bringing is Fabreeze only way to survive the smells of D.C. 15
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Da Hood Shenanigans Isaiah Santiago, Gr. 7 Figure three says, “I’m gonna send you to Jesus, starting with Ro-” Before figure three could finish his sentence, Robby does a jumping jack. The ground shakes vigorously and the figures fall to the ground on top of one another. Robby takes the opportunity to run over and sit on them, defeating the shadow-like figures. Dad Aaron Lee, Gr. 4 You won’t believe what I found under Rob’s bed today - rotten meat! I don’t know who Beauchamp thinks he is! When Rob gets home he is going to get a big talking to! If only Caroline were here, we wouldn’t be living at the Kentucky Star! We wouldn’t have had to move away. I don’t think Beauchamp knows that I’m perfectly man enough to put food on the table for me and my son. He’s barely paying me anything! When I see Beauchamp I’m going to give him a piece of my mind! Darcy and the Icky Jello Piper Kropp, Gr. 6 Once there was a girl named Darcy she was tall and had blond curly hair. Darcy was going out to this really nice restaurant one night with some friends. After they ate they got dessert and Darcy wanted to try their specialty jello. When they served it to her it looked interesting. It was so icky she said, so she didn’t eat it and left. When Darcy got in her car she turned on the radio and the news was going crazy about jello, she almost thought she was being delusional. She reached in the back of her car and when she came back she saw the jello sitting right next to her in the passenger seat. She screamed “AHHHH”, so she got rid of it right away!! She thought to herself how strange? Why? Darc finally got home and got ready for bed, she was ready to watch a movie and then sitting right next to her was the jello but it was bigger!!! She was so scared, she thought the jello didn’t like when she didn’t eat and when she threw it away. Darcy didn’t want to make the icky jello mad so she left and went to her friend’s house. Deaths in the Civil War Jack Erbeck, Gr. 8 An estimate of 620,000 people died during the American Civil War. The amount of American soldiers that died in the second World War only barely amounts to half of this number. This amount of American casualties makes the American Civil War the bloodiest war in American history. During this war weapons evolved greatly. They went from five minute reloads to 300 rounds per minute in only a few years. Though military tactics did not evolve with these weapons. Many argue that the new weapons and antiquated tactics combined to contribute to this massive death toll. Many also argue against this and say that the tactics didn’t matter as the massive number of soldiers being sent into battle was the major contributor. Both of these arguments make valid points which are still debated by historians today. December 25th Lilly Curt, Gr. 6 Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus that takes place on December 25. On Christmas morning many gifts are placed under the Christmas tree to be opened. Gingerbread houses are made, cookies are baked, eggnog is chugged, and thankfulness from gifts is shared. After playing with new toys all day, Christmas dinner is devoured. Christmas dinner consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, eggnog, and more. Decorations for Christmas include Christmas lights, nutcrackers, ornaments, angels, and the colors green and red.
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Dehumanization Charlie Jenkins, Gr. 8 In Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir Night, Elie witnesses the dehumanization of the Jewish people by the Nazis as he experiences the loss of his humanity under the Nazi grip. First the Jewish people were forced to live separately in the Ghettos. 100 people at a time were shoved inside train cars. The Jews had to burn their own people in the furnaces. Over time the Nazis’ efforts of dehumanization had an effect on the Jews. Demeter Ella Mueller, Gr. 4 My first reason I think Demeter is the best goddess is because she’s loving. As a matter of fact, when her daughter was in the underworld, Demeter went out of her mind with worry. She loved her daughter so much she couldn’t be happy without her. She felt so lonely that she went to talk to Zeus himself, so she could have her wonderful daughter back. Her concern for Persephone’s safety and happiness proves how much she loves her. Another reason I think Demeter is the best is because she’s honorable. When she lost Persephone, she stopped taking care of the earth. All of the plants died, the world experienced winter for the first time ever. However, she realized that she was hurting the mortals, so she owned her mistake and taught them how to harvest wheat. That way, when Persephone leaves and the world becomes cold again, humans have something to eat. Devastating Time Annabelle Fleming, Gr. 6 Kristallnacht was a devastating time. If the non-Jewish people stood up for the jews and somehow made Hitler realize how idiotic and how bad this all is, he would have probably just ignored them. Hitler was stubborn, selfish and greedy; he also only thought for himself. With that being said he might not have understood why he still shouldn’t continue the Holocaust. Pretty much all of the non-Jewish people ignored the violence. They probably ignored the violence because they just didn’t get involved or get judged by others, and for what they thought. In conclusion if non-Jewish people got involved Hitler would’ve probably pushed them away and ignored them. Different Traditions Hailey Wise, Gr. 6 Christmas in Greece has lots of different traditions from Ta Kalada to the renewal of waters. One important Christmas tradition in Greece is Ta Kalada or singing carols, in Ta Kalada kids go around, house to house singing Christmas carols. Card playing is also a well known tradition, every New Year’s Eve Greeks have a card playing marathon because New Year’s Eve is considered a lucky time, there are even coffee shop card clubs. Saint Vassilis is a well known figure throughout the world known to Americans as Saint Nic. Although he is known by a different name and arrives at homes a week later he looks exactly like Saint Nicolas. Lastly is the renewal of waters when all the water is emptied out and refilled with “Saint Vassilis’s water.” Difficulties Jack Wendling, Gr. 5 In the novel Among the Hidden, the main character Luke Garner faces a difficult internal conflict. Luke’s internal conflict is that he always has worry and fear about doing things like leaving the attic for example. Luke is very brave but his anxiety makes him think that something bad is going to happen if he leaves the house. Luke is very wary all of the time. His worry is constantly providing him with the worst possible outcomes. He eventually makes the decision to venture out and it rewards him greatly. Luke thinks to himself: “He could go in there. Would he date? Of course he wouldn’t but still, still.”(52) This conflict is important to Luke’s development because when he ventures out he finds that there was no chaos, no state of disarray, everything was fine. It taught him that if you try something new, you might like the result.
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Discovery of Lucy Vivie Kate Keeney, Gr. 7 Paleoanthropologists are unaware of how Lucy died, but there are theories. One of the very few clues paleoanthropologists have is the conspicuous lack of postmortem carnivore and scavenger marks (“Lucy’s Baby”). “In contrast, the only damage we see on Lucy’s bones is a single carnivore tooth puncture mark on the top of her left pubic bone” (“How Did Lucy, Our Early Human Ancestor Die 3 Million Years Ago?”). This is what is called a perimortem injury, one occurring at or around the time of death (“Lucy’s Baby”). “If it occurred after she died but while the bone was still fresh, then it may not be related to her death (Johanson and Shreeve 50-250).” There are several indicators that give a fair idea of her age when she had died (Johanson and Shreeve 50-250). “Her third molars (“wisdom teeth”) are erupted and slightly worn, indicating that she was a fully grown and matured adult” (Hersher). All the ends of her bones had fused and her cranial sutures had closed, indicating that she had completed skeletal development. Dynamic Duo J.J. Castellini, Gr. 8 In my artist statement the two people I chose were Jamarr Chase and Joe Burrow. They are the two best players on the Cincinnati Bengals. In college they played together at LSU where they formed a great bond that translated to the NFL. I chose them because they are the heart of the Bengals and I have both on my fantasy team. I also chose Burrow because I have met him twice. A symbol I chose for Jamarr Chase was the 7/11 logo because he’s always open. For Burrow I chose an ice cube because he was called Joe Brr. In the middle I have two main nicknames: Always Open and Joe Shiesty. Early Details Wesley Shadoin, Gr. 4 Roald Dahl includes many details in the novel The Witches that can help you spot a witch. The first detail can be found in paragraph fifty-seven. The text says, “ … The eyes of a real WITCH are different from yours and mine.” This shows her pupils will change color and have flashes of ice and fire. A regular woman’s eyes will never do that. Another clue can be found in paragraph sixty-two. The text says, “Witches never have toes.” She will try to fit her big feet in her small shoes and that will cause her to limp. A final clue to help you spot a witch is in paragraph seventy-six. The text says, “Their spit is blue.” This shows you should look closely at their teeth. If they have a little blue tinge, you might have found a WITCH. All of these clues will help you spot a witch. Earth Ainsley Abercrombie, Gr. 4 Sunny, stormy, or snowy The earth stands strong. Scorching heat, freezing temperatures, The earth stands strong. Rising rivers, desert droughts, The earth stands strong. People littering, People mistreating, The earth stands strong. Earwax Natalya Wangler, Gr. 6 Bored. Bored. Bored. It was all I could think of while my hands were messing around with green putty. My fourth grade teacher was blabbing about how to do verbiage in a math problem. And then came an idea, a great idea! Little did I know, shoving the putty in my ear was anything but great.
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Egyptian Pharaoh Frankie Wirtz, Gr. 5 King Tutankhamun was the best Egyptian leader because we learned so much about Egypt’s culture. To begin with, most tombs have been raided because Egypt was conquered by a lot of empires. We know what artifacts the Egyptians put with their pharoahs. We also know what an Egyptian mummy looks like. This is why I think King Tutankhamun is the most important Egyptian leader. El Deafo Sterling Allen, Gr. 5 The first book that shows internal and external conflicts is El Deafo. The first internal conflict in El Deafo is when in the book it says “But Dorn also tries to teach us how to lip-read. She says that lip-reading is watching people’s mouths move when they talk, so we can understand them better, But this gets tricky, because many words sound similar and people’s lips look the same when they are saying them.” This can be found on pg. 29. This shows that it is hard for Cece to understand words. The next example that shows external conflict in El Deafo is when in the book Cece says “And now? Now we look a lot different, and in a way that does matter. To me, at least.” This can be found on pg. 24. This shows that Cece and Emma look at each other differently. All of these examples above have shown internal and external conflicts from El Deafo. Emancipation Proclamation Alejandro Sharp, Gr. 8 Throughout the making of this research paper, I have learned and been enlightened on many, many different interesting topics. Throughout my research process, I learned a lot from the many sources I researched. As I researched, the findings I made were truly enlightening, as they called attention to some of the numerous exceptions, rules, additions and effects of the Emancipation Proclamation. Issued in 1863, the E.P. was an act that stated that all slaves in Confederate rebellious states would be freed from their owners. This act was released a little over halfway through the war, and the next two years of it were spent fighting to enforce it. Now, many Confederates were unhappy with the new E.P., not only because it freed their slaves, but for other reasons as well. Given that the C.S. had seceded from the country, they argued that any laws made in the Un.S. should not be applicable to them. End Hudson Pfeffer, Gr. 7 Decades later my body was found in the ocean by doctors and they were able to regrow my tissue from small surviving cells. The moment I woke up after my one hundred year sleep, I knew I mustn’t mourn my dead friends, but get revenge on the family lines and mafias who hurt me, for no good deed goes unpunished and no sin goes without pain. Evolution of Spies Anne Marie Misrach, Gr. 8 How would you feel if you discovered that a neighbor, a friend or even a family member was a spy who has been watching your every move? Who can you trust and how well do you really know the people close to you? This is what it was like during times like the Revolutionary War (Rev. War), and the wars after that. The determination of spies lead them to take on fake roles and form a whole new identity where every bit of it could be fake. As spies have evolved over the years, so have their techniques and strategies. Favorite Book Leo Lei, Gr. 4 One reason I like Lightning Thief is because it is mysterious. The book is mysterious because the oracle’s prophecy was unclear. Some of the lines didn’t make sense and were very concerning. It actually said Percy was going to fail to save what matters most in the end. Chiron told Percy that the oracle’s words can have double meanings. This book was also mysterious because they didn’t know who stole Zeus’s master bolt and Percy was being blamed. I liked this book being filled with mystery because it was fun learning alongside the character. 19
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Feeling Tired at Shantytown Dominic Montaque, Gr. 8 I was really tired, I wanted to sleep. My house had a window, two doors, and a neighbor Jack. My buddies were Parker, Jack G, Louie, and Henry. Dinner was amazing. I had s’mores, oranges, and bananas, 2 liter bottle of Sprite, Lays chips, and mini-Oreos. The fire pit was hot; it burned my eyes. Willa Jones was a very nice author who was talking about her book of poems. Fight Hunger Liam Fildes, Gr. 7 The third reason people should volunteer is to help institutions fight hunger. One place people can go if they are experiencing hunger is to food pantries. Food pantries can help people by giving them the food they need. Food pantries give out their food for free so that if people can’t buy food they can still get it. Food pantries can support many people and their families so they are able to get food. Food pantries give people nutritious food they need. Some places that provide this service locally are, the Sam Hubbard foundation, Walnut Hills food pantries and a child’s hope international. These places help families fight hunger and provide them with meals. Finishing Stories Janie Wendling, Gr. 5 No stories finish without having an internal or external conflict and having a struggle or a twist come with it. In the paragraphs down below I will be talking about the importance of Internal and External conflicts and how they both cause a struggle. Through the many novels this year I have chosen to write about two books that we have read this year for my internal and external conflict. These two books will show the struggle of internal and external conflicts. First NBA Game Joey Frodge, Gr. 6 It started off after school on a Friday in February 2023. I had gotten a Christmas present to go to an NBA game. We waited and played games on my phone and ate some cookies that my Dad got earlier that day. Once we arrived in Indiana, we decided to stop at this burger place across from the arena. When we finally entered the arena I was blown away by the immense size of the stadium. When I got home I immediately took a shower and went to bed. Flag of Bhutan Robert Montgomery, Gr. 7 In around 2000 BC, Bhutan became a nation separate from Tibet which started deep in the mountains. Over thousands of years and fighting Bhutan gained a very rich culture which you can see in the design of its flag. It has a simple two-color background. In addition, a white dragon in the center of the flag. I think the flag of Bhutan is an interesting piece of geographical history because it has an expansive history, it has vastly different meanings in its colors and it has a contrast in meaning, between the main attention-grabbing dragon in the center and the pure white color in the middle. Flush Cole Rinehart, Gr. 5 In the book Flush, Noah has external conflicts with fighting with Jasper, Dusty May’s son because his father is dumping poop into the sea where the kids are swimming. Dusty owns a casino boat and Noah’s father sank the boat and was put in jail. Noah collides with Dusty May’s son, Jasper Jr. Now Jasper is punishing and fighting Noah because of his dad. Jasper punches and spits on Noah but Noah sinks Jasper and Bull’s boat. It is important because Noah and his sister and Abbey try to get and find evidence to prove that Dusty May is dumping.
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Flush and Hidden James Williams, Gr. 5 I read two very interesting novels, Among the Hidden and Flush. There are some really interesting internal and external conflicts that happened. In Flush an external conflict breaks out and causes Noah and Jasper Jr to have a big fight and in Among the Hidden, the character, Luke faces a big internal conflict being illegal and being stuck in the house. In conclusion, both characters face some hard and difficult conflicts. Read on to see more of the two stories I told you about. Forest Fantasy Emmeline Friedman, Gr. 4 In “Forest Fantasy”, I see the trees in the foreground ablaze with color. They are magenta, lime green, turquoise, dark blue, and orange.The trees are lighting up the dark night sky. They are almost like fireworks in the pitch black night. Further back, I see normal trees with fire-like leaves on their intertwined branches. Even though the trees in the background look normal, it seems to get scarier the further back I go. In the foreground it is like the more vibrant trees are stepping away from the group and they are rewarded for bravery by becoming ablaze with color. The shining trees together are like tangled colors in a rainbow. The leaves look glass-like, almost like if you touch them the leaves will shatter. The stitching on the trees makes them look like they have a bumpy texture, like bark. The uniqueness of each tree is like the uniqueness of the world, each tree is different just like each person is different. The trees in the foreground are nestled together almost like a family of squirrels nestled together on a cold winter night. Forest Fantasy - Art Critique Jaya Shah, Gr. 4 The first thing I notice when looking at this piece is that the colors in the foreground are bright and vibrant, contrasting against the dark background like stars sparkling in the night sky. If you look at the tree tops you will find bright orange sparks almost like the forest is ablaze with color. The leaves on the trees are glass-like and appear delicate and fragile and there seems to be veins in the tree trunk, like they’re alive. Now if you glance closer you’ll see that the trees in the background are plain and ordinary, but the strange thing is that those trees seem less inviting. You would think someone would rather be with what they are familiar with, not something new and strange, but instead, I find myself drawn to the new and unique trees. It’s almost like the trees in the foreground know they’re different inside and aren’t scared to show it and let their light shine. Another thing I noticed is that the miniature plants that are scattered all around the forest are glowing too. It’s like they have dreams of one day growing up to be huge trees. One last thought I would like to point out is that the background is completely black, even where the lighted trees are. I think it’s showing how uniqueness can’t fight off the darkness all at once, but they can keep shining their light and joining together until they’re able to. It almost gives a feeling of hope that one day the whole forest will join hands and light up the world with their beauty. Franco and Stitch Ruby Hayes, Gr. 6 The pets I chose are my two dogs, Franco and Stitch. I chose my dogs because I love them very much and I want to show them in an artwork form. A fun fact that applies to both of them is they both have eyebrows, most dogs don’t! A fun fact about Stitch is he likes to hunt. He will stay outside some nights until midnight! A fun fact about Franco is he is a snuggle bug. He always wants to get in my bed or just snuggle with me! In conclusion, my dogs are really special to me and that’s why I chose them for my project.
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Friends Knox Casey, Gr. 5 Melody from Out Of My Mind has many internal conflicts. Melody’s internal conflict is that people use her as friends with Melody until people started making fun of her. Another internal conflict is Melody thinks people will make fun of her so she is shy. She doesn’t want to talk on her computer because she thinks people make fun of her. Another internal conflict is she thinks her life would be so much easier if she could talk just regularly because she thinks they wouldn’t make fun of her. She says “I’m surrounded by thousands, maybe millions of words but I can’t say them out loud” (1). In conclusion Melody has many internal conflicts. She has a lack of talking. Furies Penny Henkel, Gr. 4 One reason why the Furies are the best goddesses is because they are relentless. They won’t stop torturing wrongdoers, even if Zeus tells them to! They will chase down evil people for a million years if they have to. Their relentlessness makes them very interesting to read about. Furthermore, they are ruthless. They have no mercy for anyone who walks the earth; they won’t let anyone-not even the godsavoid their wrath easily. Their ruthlessness is why Hades uses them. They rip the snakes out of their hair and throw them at wrong doers.Their sole purpose is to make sure people get what they deserve. Gardener Siena Fildes, Gr. 4 As I walk The dirt crumples under my feet. There’s a smell of flowers in the air. It feels like I am getting hugged by the smell. I stop with my shovel in hand, it was like I was digging for gold. Putting gems in the hole. I had a rain cloud in my hand and when it tipped, the cloud would cry tears of happiness. I stopped tipping before the river took over. I look up at a sky filled with clouds. They look like a blooming flower with white petals. The earth would not listen as I tell it to turn the gems into gold sticks. As I yell it starts to turn into gold. As the gold grew, I felt I could climb it and never stop. Genghis Khan James Finkleman, Gr. 7 Genghis Khan is regarded as one of the most consequential figures in world history, whose leadership not only transformed and consolidated powerful dynasties but also led to the creation of the largest contiguous empire the world has ever known. Genghis Khan is one person who shaped his area for decades to come, and still has a profound impact of today’stodays society. 16 million people are descended from his line, tracing the y chromosome. This means that 1 in 200 mean are descended from Genghis Khan. Gentle Reader Madie Richard, Gr. 7 I had a mom who read to me, in cozy chairs or on her knee, with Corduroy and his missing thread. She tucked me warm and snug in bed. I had a mom who read me Goodnight Moon. Soft whispers hummed a bedtime tune. In Goodnight Moon where bunnies lay, she kissed my dreams and fears away.
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George Washington Jack Geers, Gr. 8 Everybody knows George Washington was an army general that led our country to independence, and we all know he was the 1st president of the United States of America. When the average American thinks of presidential assassinations they immediately think of Lincoln or JFK. But did you know that George Washington was the target of many assassination attempts? This attempted assassination of George Washington really could have affected the war. Even though Washington’s army lost the battle of Long Island, the American army got really lucky. If George Washington was assassinated, America would not exist today. The reason why America would not exist is because of Washington’s motivation and war strategy. George Washington’s war strategy was one of the best in the world’s history. He used guerrilla warfare during the Revolutionary War. He motivated his troops through a very tough time and won a war versus one of the greatest armies in the 1700s. If the Americans didn’t have this mastermind, America would not have existed. George Washington is a true leader and symbolizes what it means to fight for freedom and be a true American. Ghost Boys James Carlson, Gr. 6 The title of this book is called Ghost Boys and the author is Jewell Parker Rhodes who is African American. The main characters in the book are Jerome, Sarah, and Jerome’s parents. Jerome is a kid who is shy and friendly, and his parents are very strict with him. Sarah is 12 years old and very shy or grumpy. In conclusion, Ghost Boys is a great book that anyone should read. God of the Sea Rush Heidt, Gr. 4 Have you ever wondered which Greek god is the best? Poseidon, the God of the Sea, may be destructive, but he is also a land maker. In my opinion, Poseidon is the best god because he is angry and powerful. Keep reading to see why he is the best. One reason I think Poseidon is the best God is because he is angry. His anger could happen at any time. He shows his anger by causing tsunamis and earthquakes. This anger is understandable and exciting to read about. Going to California Jack Devitt, Gr. 8 After Christmas my family and I went to California to go to a wedding. We had a early flight so we would get there early morning California time. When we landed we went to go get tacos with my family. The weather was nice and the hotel had an enormous gym with a basketball court and a tennis court. The day of the wedding was wonderful and after we had a Pierson family games at my aunt’s house. After this we went to Sea World and then went to the airport. This was my trip to California it was a lot of fun and I’m happy I saw my family. Golfing with my Uncle Matti Hofmann, Gr. 6 When it was time for my golf match I was nervous. Before the match started my uncle had told me not to worry about what I scored on the past hole. On the third hole, I hit it into the woods. This was a terrible outcome, but I didn’t let that affect me and I moved onto the next hole. Normally, I would have been brought down after that last hole, but I didn’t let that one score affect my entire game. Grandpa Bob Lily Ewald, Gr. 6 My Grandpa Bob sat in the front so me and my sister Eleanor sat in the back with American flags. When the parade started it was fantastic! We waved to people and said “Happy 4th of July” but one detail I didn’t think would happen was getting squirted with water by so many people. My mom and grandma Cakes told me that they wouldn’t splash the car because it was so old but people did splash and spray water. 23
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Grateful Arianna Trimm, Gr. 7 Rudy Pankow is another great example of a grateful person. Rudy expresses gratitude to his fans for their support on all social media platforms. He used to be a small-town boy who lived in Alaska; he dreamed of being an actor when he was younger and he was grateful for his big break. One day Rudy was in an interview with Justin Campbell and he said “There were many times where it took me by surprise, where there were a lot of people clapping and taking pictures, and it’s like, “You watch the show!” It feels like pressure, to be honest. I feel like I’ll have to entertain these people one day, if not right now. But I’m also thankful; I’m thankful that the show resonated with these people.” Rudy showed gratitude to God and his fans for allowing him to become a recent star actor. Greece Christmas Liam Roberts, Gr. 6 Christmas in Greece has a span of many interesting traditions. For example, in Greece, children ring their neighbor’s doors and sing Christmas carols (kalanta). If they sing well enough, they usually earn a decent amount of money. For presents, kids get them on Christmas day (the twenty-fifth of December), but also get some on the first of January to keep the holiday alive. Another interesting tradition is when people smash pomegranate seeds on their doorsteps to bring them good luck. For those who are religious it might interest you that on Saint Basil’s Day, priests bless water to keep evil spirits away. Priests also throw out a cross at sea, then, the swim-suit clad people race to reach the cross and bring it back. Greek Goddess Billie Price, Gr. 4 One reason I think Athena is the best god is because she’s smart. Athena is so smart that she won the city of Athens against Poseidon. They both really wanted to be the patron god of Athens, so they decided to get a gift for the people who lived there. Poseidon gave a gross, stinky, salt water lake. Athena gave a beautiful olive tree. Clearly Athena’s gift was way smarter and way better then Poseidon’s gift because people could eat the olives. All you can do with a saltwater spring is look at it. Also, Athena always has a plan. She’s constantly thinking about ways to win battles. This obviously shows that Athena is smarter than all of the gods. Gulal Mia Gehring, Gr. 7 Secondly, to celebrate, you traditionally dance to folk songs, eat treats, and throw colorful powder formally called Gulal. Many celebrate Holi with pool parties and singing and dancing to Rang Barse- a famous song from a Bollywood movie. Holi is often compared to Thanksgiving because everyone gets the day off and it’s a celebration of thanks and repairing relationships. This shows how people come together to eat, dance, and celebrate their life on Holi. On the night before Holi after twilight, people light bonfires. They sing, dance, and place a statue of Holika on the fire. Sometimes, they even throw in items like grains or chickpeas to represent leaving the negativity behind in the new season. Some traditional foods on Holi are Papri (dough crisps served with chickpeas, boiled potatoes, yogurt sauce, etc), Saankhein (fried crisps with lentils as a main ingredient), and Gujyia (sweet, deep fried pastry-dessert). During Holi, many families make Gujiya; the most popular dessert during Holi (EBSCO, Soundar). Thandai is milk with spices in it and is also a Holi staple (BankBazaar and BankBazaar). The best places to celebrate Holi are: Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana. Gymnastics Meet Kalle Gatewood, Gr. 6 It was my first sanctioned meet in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I was with my mom, dad, brother, and my dog. Finally we got to the meet, and the first event was floor. I got so disoriented in my full turn and didn’t get the score I was hoping for. Everything was going pretty well, though I did fall on beam. I was pretty happy with myself overall after the meet. 24
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Hard to Manage Reagan Rogers, Gr. 5 Internal and external conflicts are challenges for the characters, it is hard for them to manage in their own ways. In Out of my Mind, Melody has everything in her head which can make her furious on the outside that she can’t share her knowledge with others around her. Another example is in the book New from here this book is telling how life is coming from china into Covid. It was hard to find jobs which made knoxs’ mom angry and desperate for money. Authors use both of these conflicts in their stories because it builds suspense for the readers, makes it more interesting, and it makes it more like reality. An external conflict can also lead to an internal conflict. For example if you bully someone for their appearance that can lead to an internal conflict like doubting yourself. Harriet Maguire Imperial, Gr. 8 Harriet Beetcher Stow was born on June 14, 1811 in Litchfield, Connecticut. She had a famous older sister named Catherine who was 11 years older than her and Henry Ward Beecher who was famous for his preaching. When Harriet was just 5, her mom had died and her sister Catherine became the main influence of her life. At the age of 8 she began to go to the school of Catherine Beecher Hartford, a women’s academy which had equal skills to learn than at the male academy. Harriet Betcher eventually became a teacher from 1829 to 1832. Harriet’s family was very religious and devoted a lot of time to reading and studying the Bible. In 1832 she and her sister moved to Cincinnati with her father who eventually became the president of the Theological Sematary. Harriet was very studious especially in geography, and writing. She did many things such as, journaling, sketching, and just free drawing. When she was a kid she and her family would eventually have a big impact on what she would become and ultimately shepherd who she was as an adult. She had a very big impact on the Civil War and is credited to even start this war to put how bad slavery into perspective. Harriets older sister was also a very important part of Her childhood, setting an example for Harriet. Overall Harriet and her childhood had an enormous effect on the way she lived as an adult and the impact she had on America. Harry Potter Luke Haughaboo-Giannella, Gr. 6 Harry Potter is a short brown haired young boy with glasses and he becomes a wizard at the age of 11. He is very kind and loves reading. He has extraordinary wizard skills and becomes a seeker on the quidditch team and he is very good at it. He then has to fight professor Quirell and he wins with his amazing wizard skills and has The philosophers stone in his pocket and uses its powers until it gets destroyed. He has been hailed with fame for defeating Professor Quirell and he wins his house the house cup and everybody loves Harry Potter for his strength and kindness. He then goes on trying his hardest to be the strongest wizard in the world and defeat voldemort so he can never hurt anybody again. Hatchet Henry Knepfle, Gr. 6 The book Hatchet is about a 10-11 year old boy named Brian Robenson who has to survive in the Canadian wilderness for the entire summer. After the bush plane pilot who was flying Brian to his father in the Canadian oil fields for the summer has a heart attack, they crash in a lake very off course from the flight route. Brian then survives for fifty four days and fifty three nights, until he is rescued by fur hunters at the end of summer. He survived due to his intelligence and resourcefulness. Healthcare Charles Williams, Gr. 7 The USA has one of the worst healthcare systems out there and it needs to be changed. My maternal grandmother went seriously ill in the spring of 2022. Due to Covid, the hospital was short on nurses. Then she nearly stopped breathing. My aunt saw it happen, called in doctors, and the doctors got her breathing and she was moved to the ICU where she got the care she needed. Severe hospitalizations are never the end of the world. Even if a loved one is not receiving proper care, they can still start getting cared for properly. 25
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Hearing Loss Maris Moore, Gr. 5 Cece from El Deafo has an internal conflict throughout the book. Cece goes through hearing loss so she has a hard time hearing other people speaking. Cece has to go to school one day and she gets very anxious and goes into her class and all the kids have hearing aids on like her and Cece says, “And look! Everyone here is just like me!”(28) Cece gained more confidence until she had to move away. When Cece moved she assured herself that everyone would think she looks ridiculous with her hearing aids. Internal conflict is important in this book because it tells us what is going on in Cece’s mind and how she is feeling. Holocaust Defined Dehumanization Sofia Pancheri, Gr. 8 The Nazis would hate the Jews just becuase they are Jewish. They failed to acknowledge them as human. Elie had to endure the loss of his family, long laborious hours, and a death march because of this. The Nazis commited the murder of 6 million Jews. They dehumanized millions of them. The online definition of dehumanization is: the deprivation of positive human qualities. My definition of dehumanization is stealing the purpose of someone’s life as a human being and treating you as if you mean nothing to this world. Homestead Rachael Leik, Gr. 4 Another thing I notice is that the birdhouses are all different shapes and sizes. Some are tall, some are short, some are wide, and some are thin. Also, some of the roofs are slanted and some are curved. I think these represent all the different kinds of people that make up a community. I think this art is an entire community of birdhouses and it mirrors diverse communities of people. Our differences make us beautiful. Surrounding the sculpture is a lot of vines, plants, flowers, and lush green leaves. All of this life sprouting up around the sculpture helps create a feeling of happiness and excitement. It’s exciting to be a part of a colorful community. I can almost imagine calling out to the birdhouses and birds flying onto my fingers. House Molly Sullivan, Gr. 7 The same feeling of dread and fear I felt when I was at the front step of the house washed over me. Those words felt like a warning. I wanted to brush it off as an old diary entry from the weird previous owner, but that night, the noises started happening again. This time, they were louder and closer. A distinct shuffling echoed through the hallway outside my room. Then, my bedroom door creaked open ever so slightly. Excerpt from “The House Remembers. The House Waits” How to Spot a Witch Addison Parker, Gr. 4 Have you ever laid in bed on Halloween night and thought of all the cool Halloween costumes you saw? Maybe you saw a witch or ghost costume. What if I told you witches aren’t just a silly Halloween costume, they are REAL!!! Not only are they real, but they hate children! Witches want to snatch you and eat you up! But don’t worry, I am a witch expert. I know all about witches because I read the book The Witches by Roald Dahl. Keep reading to learn how to spot a witch. I Can Make This Promise Sophie Pressey, Gr. 6 The book I Can Make This Promise is a fantastic example of cultural diversity, because Edith, the main protagonist, is trying to find out who she is culturally. Her friends and family help her along the way. The author’s cultural background of being Native American helped her create this story to help give it that wanting to know what tribe she and her mother are from. She was also able to give it the love it deserved as she had personal experience within the culture. Christine Day wanted this story to be told, because she wants people to know about the Native American culture and have people relate to that feeling of belonging. 26
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I.Q. Test Cora Symonds, Gr. 5 When Melody takes an I.Q. test they think she’s stupid but she is just thinking in a different way. She wasn’t able to tell them that she has millions of words swirling around in her head. In conclusion, Melody wants to tell people what she thinks but sometimes just can’t. Identity Gone Ari Symonds, Gr. 8 The crematorium appears shortly after the beginning of the book, and remains present throughout it, and is essential to the process of dehumanization. When they are in the train heading to the concentration camp, a lady cries out there is a fire, yet is told to shut up. However, they arrive at the camp and see there was a fire, and people are being forced into it. This is the big part of dehumanization, and strips people of their identities as soon as they arrive. Even after the huge selection when arriving at the camp, it still remains throughout the book. with the smoke in the sky always being visible psychologically affecting while being contentious to the prisoners during their time at the camp. The smoke also demolishes whatever hope prisoners have through the book, as they get weaker and weaker, being aware each day they become increasingly more likely to be sent to the crematorium. A quote from the book shows the dehumanization, “A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this, with my own eyes…those children in the flames.” All three of these points certainly show the dehumanization with the crematorium in the book. Importance of Life Skills Caroline Lavelle, Gr. 7 It is important to provide life skills to all ages because learning those skills increases the rate of success in college and jobs. Since learning social skills increases the rate of success later in life, people, no matter their disability or situation, can succeed in school, jobs, and providing for their families. Some may say that they don’t want to give money to this cause because there is a traditional way to learn and life skills are a waste of their time. Providing life skills to all ages is important because there is not much awareness, it affects their life and mental health, and there are many benefits of helping. Indian Removal Olivia Miele, Gr. 8 We’ve all heard of the Trail of Tears and Indian Removal. We all know they were two deadly and intimidating events that led to the deaths of thousands of Native Americans, their African American slaves, and even white people who tried to suppress the angry natives. Historians have analysed these events for decades, but I am more curious about the gray space. Was Andrew Jackson’s plan to remove all South-Eastern Indians the only effective way to allow white settlement in all parts of America? What other policies could have been introduced and taken into action instead of forcefully removing innocent natives? Any other possibilities would have spared the lives of thousands. I want to explore other ways Jackson could’ve gone about white settlement, and why he didn’t implement these policies instead. I plan to research this by looking at maps of the tribe’s homelands, negotiations and past compromises between the United States government and these tribes. I will consider all possible ways that Jackson could have differently dealt with the natives. I hope to find a realistic solution to allowing white settlement, while avoiding Indian Removal, and I hope this would help broaden our perspective of President Jackson, how the government dealt with foreign people, and the Indian Removal Act alongside the Trail of Tears. Internal and External Conflicts Ava Geers, Gr. 5 Internal conflicts and external conflicts are very complex in every story, a conflict makes a story more interesting and exciting. An internal conflict is something that happens to a person inside of them and an external conflict is a conflict that everyone can see and it is something happening outside a character. In the books Flush and Among the Hidden, there are internal conflicts and external conflicts. All of the books and novels we have read this year all the characters faced internal conflicts that were inside their hearts, and external conflicts outside their bodies. 27
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Isaiah Dunn AJ Gray, Gr. 6 Isaiah Dunn is my Hero is written by Kelly J. Baptist. There are a few main characters in this book. The main character is Isaiah Dunn; he is a nice and thoughtful, eleven year old who always helps others. Another main character is Isaiah’s mom. She is a single mom who got into drinking when her husband died, but she is a good person and she tries her best. The last main character is sneaky. Sneaky is an eleven year old that is always trying to make money, he is also Isaiah’s best friend. These are the main characters of Isaiah Dunn is my Hero. Italian Christmas traditions Tommy Devendorf, Gr. 6 Christmas Time in Italy is a wonderful festive time. Italy has so many cool traditions. It is a fun time to set up decorations and get ready for the arrival of Babbo Natale. Christmas in Italy is also a fun time to be with friends and eat a lot of food! Finally, Christmas time in Italy is super fun and there are a ton of things to do. I will teach you about different traditions, holidays and what they eat. Jackie Robinson Eliot Brown, Gr. 7 Jackie Robinson was the first African-American baseball player in Major League Baseball. He is known for saying, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on others’ lives.” Jackie spent lots of time reflecting on what people thought of him and how he could make them appreciate him more. After the Japanese bomb on Pearl Harbor, he joined the army to protect his country. After thinking about it, Jackie Robinson was a very brave person who reflected a lot on his life; praying for people to appreciate him, and assessing on how he could help himself and his country. Jainism Giuliana Rassi, Gr. 7 Jains use and follow a code of laws to help them keep good karma; this is called the five vow rules (Mark). These vows are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha (Mark). The first vow, Ahimsa, means non-violence, then the second vow, Satya, means speaking the truth (Mark). Asteya, the third vow, means not stealing, and the fourth vow Aparigraha means non-attachment (Mark). Finally the fifth vow is Brahmacharya, or self restraint (Mark). Jains believe that living things such as humans, plants, animals, and some non-living things have souls. In order to protect these things jains follow Ahimsa the act of nonviolence (Mark). Japanese Christmas Dean Mohan, Gr. 6 Religiously, Christmas in Japan is not of significance because only 1% of the Japanese population is Christian, therefore it is not a national holiday, rather it is a time of year for festivities. Some festivities include, gift exchanging, Christmas dinner, and singing Christmas songs, popular items for Christmas dinner include KFC, strawberry shortcake, and chamnery, a non-alcoholic carbonated grape juice. You are probably wondering why KFC is a dinner item? It’s because in 1974 there was a successful campaign for KFC called ‘Kentucky for Christmas’ which made KFC a popular Christmas dinner item. Christmas is mostly celebrated as a couple’s celebration like Valentine’s Day rather than families coming together. Christmas day in Japan, oddly enough, is not considered very important as this is the day when Christmas decorations are already taken down to prepare for the Japanese new year.
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John the Baptist Dylan MacDonald, Gr. 7 One Biblical person who is reflective is John the Baptist. He is reflective on his role as someone who prepares people for Jesus which makes him reflective because he has to pause and think about the bigger picture which is Jesus saving the world. He reflects on his role to baptize people and prepare them for heaven which makes him reflective because he has to pause and think about baptizing people so they can go to heaven and not so they like him. He said, “ I am baptizing you with water, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I” which is reflected because he has to pause and think about his role as someone who prepares people for Jesus. In conclusion John the Baptist is reflective because he thinks about how much better the world would be if he helped. Joyful Chelsea Beyerbach, Gr. 6 Winter holidays in Spain are a significant and joyful part of the year. Starting off the winter holidays is Nochebuena (Christmas Eve.) This celebration includes a large dinner with special home-made dishes and delicious appetizers. This day is meant to be spent with family and those who you haven’t seen in a while. Delicious sweets such as pestinos (sweet Spanish fritters) and mantecados (classic Spanish crumble cakes) are special to enjoy with family on Nochebuena. Nochebuena is a special celebration the day before the coming of Jesus. Junior History Project Natalie Campbell, Gr. 8 Based on my previous research and my interests, my big question is during the Civil War how did the Confederate Army’s espionage efforts affect not only the fighting during the war but also other events afterwards? My research for this project will include looking more in depth into spies, especially ones part of the Confederate Secret Service. I will also make sure to focus on researching the Confederate side of the Civil War. Based on my ten questions previously submitted, many influential events occurred at Shiloh. I will look into the battle that occurred there, and why it became a national park. On top of that, I will be reading on John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination which was a spy conspiracy under the leadership of John Wilkes Booth. Going along with that, I will research how his assassination affected the Reconstruction. I shall research the H.L. Hunley submarine, which was part of a sabotage effort made by the Confederates. Outside of my 10 answers, I will investigate more about the Secret Service and the spy organizations. I will explore major figures who were involved with sabotages and typical espionage tactics. The spy tactics will be tied into how the United States spy organizations work today. The Confederates used hot air balloons to keep track of their army’s and to send messages and spy on the opposing side. I hope to learn more about how secret services and espionage from the 1800’s have affected today. Keeping a Friend Quinn Harding, Gr. 5 In the novel The Lions of Little Rock, the main character, Marlee, faces a difficult internal conflict. Her internal conflict is how she can keep a friend she can’t have. It all starts when Marlee finds out that Liz is African American. Therefore she must adapt to life without Liz, “Marlee, I’m afraid to tell you that Elizabeth will not be returning to West Side Junior High” (62). This quote is important because it shows how sad it can be to lose a friend. This conflict is important because Marlee is struggling to adjust to not being able to see her best friend.
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Kim Il Sung Graham Moore, Gr. 7 Kim Il Sung was born April 15, 1912 (Brit). He was born Kim Song-ju (Kiddle). He was born in Man’gyŏndae, close to the capital, Pyongyang, Korea (Brit). He died on July 8, 1994, in the Hyangsan Residence in Pyongyang (Brit). He was the son of parents who fled Manchuria during his childhood to escape the Japanese rule over Korea (Brit). He attended elementary school in Manchuria and when he was still a student, he joined a communist youth organization (Brit). He was arrested and put in jail for his activities in 1929-1930 (Brit). Kim is known well for marrying twice (Wilson). His first wife is Kim Jeong-suk, and his second wife is Kim Seong-ae (Wilson). He had two sons, Kim Jong Il, who ruled North Korea after his dad. His second son, Kim Yeong-ju, who doesn’t have much information about his background (Wilson). It is said that Sung had children with other women who he was not married to before (Kiddle). There is a very famous statue of him in Pyongyang, North Korea (Brit). Knox and Bowen Will Ahouse, Gr. 5 An external conflict is an argument between two or more characters in a novel. In the book New From Here by Kelly Yang, Knox and Bowen have an external conflict. In the book, Knox and Bowen have a conflict where they are fighting. In the book it states, “Admit it you don’t care about me… it’s like you don’t want me as a brother.” This conflict is important because the two brothers should be nice and care for each other while their mom is gone also, they shouldn’t have an unstable brotherhood. This is an example of an external conflict in the book New From Here. Kristallnacht Emi Spreen, Gr. 6 Kristallnacht plays a big part in the Holocaust’s start. If Kristallnacht never happened the Holocaust could have never happened. Concentration camps might never have been made if Kristallnacht had not occurred. I think if someone quickly mailed a letter to the United States before Kristallnacht had time to react, the US could have helped fight off the German army. Another factor is if Kristallnacht was stopped early, Judaism might be more popular today. Last Seconds Blake Diaz, Gr. 6 I asked the ref how much time was left and he said one minute. The other team was rushing down the field but then they made a bad pass. Evan passed to Liam then Liam passed to James then finally James passed the ball up the field to me. I started sprinting as fast as I could with an adrenaline rush and I scored in the last seconds of the game. I will never forget that moment with my team. Laura and Cece Carter Marsh, Gr. 5 Most characters have an internal and external conflict, which affects every character in a different way. The internal and external conflicts I described are similar because the external conflict involves hatred and that could be a similarity if Cece was being hated by someone and I don’t think that Cece and Laura are very good friends because Laura doesn’t want Cece to have any other friends except her, and Laura disrupts Ginny and Cece when they are together. They are both different because one of them is a physical fight and the other is an internal fight. The authors put both conflicts in a story because it makes it more interesting. It makes it more interesting because it usually helps us understand the characters better and learn more about them.
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Leading Cause of Death Brenna Neyer, Gr. 7 It is a disturbing fact that, “suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-34” (Vejar 2). In 2011, 49,000 people committed suicide. Some may say that suicide is a difficult concept for kids to understand or that the victim had a choice to commit. However, that’s untrue because even kids as young as five have committed and the victim is being pushed to breaking point by others. More emphasis should be placed on suicide prevention because it affects many ages and generations, rates have significantly gone up, and there are many causes to poor mental health. Life Rory Newton, Gr. 4 Life started with nothing Just our God with a plan. God took seven days to build Humanity a land Somewhere to live a life, Somewhere to take a stand He created you and me Just with a wave of his hand. We’re all standing right now On God’s land. God now holds us all In the palm of his hand. Life of a Lost Girl Eliana Hafner, Gr. 7 I walked down the stairs like a queen, one hand holding my light bluish-teal backpack and the other cradling my adorable dog. She was also dressed up because we share a birthday—how fun is that! As I came downstairs, the delicious smell of chocolate chip pancakes, my mom’s signature birthday breakfast, filled the air. They are the best ever. I sat my backpack down by my blue cheer bag and started to eat. At the table, my mom, her glittering blond hair rippling down her back, greeted me. Light Bearer Elliot Fox, Gr. 6 Jesus was an important figure and the son of God. Jesus was a light bearer and the son of God. Jesus was a long awaited messiah that was the result of a covenant from King David and God. Jesus was sent to fix some of the mistakes of humanity and make others believe in God the right way. This covenant is called the new covenant. It was the covenant that fixed the other covenants that were broken by humanity. Lightning Thief Jude Mecher, Gr. 4 Imagine you are on the streets of a big city. You don’t know if your mom is alive, and you’ve never even met your dad. Monsters are jumping out at you left and right from every corner, and everyone you meet turns out to be a deadly carnivorous demon who tries to kill you. Zeus and Hades are trying to kill you because you were falsely accused of stealing their weapons. You cannot trust anyone. In the book The Lightning Thief, the main character Perseus Jackson goes through just that with his friends Annabeth and Grover. I love this book because of the incredibly difficult quest, the drama, and the crazy plot twists. Keep reading, and when you finish, you will want to read this book immediately. Lions of Little Rock Hunter Heekin, Gr. 5 In the novel The Lions of Little Rock, Marlee faces a lot of external conflicts and challenges that she has to deal with. The external conflict is when Red threw a block of dynamite through Lizzies window when Marlee was there, because when they went to the rock quarry they found dynamite “ That’s when we realized it wasn’t a rock I had tripped over. It was a box. An old box. Labeled dynamite” (208). This external conflict is important to the story because Red is very racist and he has also threatened to do other bad things to them. Also when Red threw the dynamite through the window Everyone was already in the kitchen, but it exploded, and then Liz’s mom did not allow Marlee to hang out with Liz anymore because she thinks she is dangerous.
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Love Changes Brie Mudzinganyama, Gr. 7 A few months went by and she never left my head. I never understood how such a girl that was so different from me could be in my head for so long. I never wanted to talk to her because what could a guy like me possibly bring up to a girl like her? She was religious, pretty, and lonely. She was everything I wasn’t. Everything I needed. Everything I loved. I had never felt this way before. Girls were always so dramatic and prissy, but she was different. Ludwig Van Beethoven Luke Jenkins, Gr. 6 Ludwig Van Beethoven was a light bearer who changed the world by opening the way for later musicians to come. Beethoven lived in the late seventeen hundreds and early eighteen hundreds. He was a German composer and one of the most revered musicians in western music. He was partially deaf so in some of his later symphonies, he couldn’t even hear what he was playing. Beethoven made many works but one of the most famous ones was symphony nine. In addition to who he was, Ludwig Van Beethoven accomplished many things in his life like how he changed the world of music. Luke from Among the Hidden Luke Paulsen, Gr. 5 An external conflict is a conflict that you can see or realize that it’s happening. In the novel Among the Hidden the main character is Luke and the external conflict is that he can’t be seen or go outside. This is a struggle because he wants to see the world and not hide in the attic. His feelings are that he used to be able to go outside until they tore down the woods. The decision he is trying to make is that he thought that he saw another third child in the sports family house and he is trying to decide if he will go over to their house. Also, Jen wants him to attend the rally at the president’s house so he is also thinking about that. Details from the book are “what if I sneak into the sports family house and meet the other third child” (52). He was very anxious before he went to the sports family house. This external conflict affected the character’s development because he cant get sun or even go outside so he can’t really live and have fun and that makes him depressed. Luna Russell Roth, Gr. 6 My cat’s name is Luna, and she is the best cat in the world. Luna loves to sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. She also likes to eat, as she is very fat. We got Luna from a cafe with cats you can adopt. When we got her, she seemed very calm, but then she became very crazy. We have a dog named Billie Jean who she is still getting used to. Other than that, she is very nice and loving. Marbury v. Madison case Addie Haury, Gr. 8 The Marbury v. The Madison case was the first time that the Supreme Court used the new idea of judicial review. Judicial review is when all the power from federal courts to void acts of Congress in disagreement with the constitution. Judicial review was made in 1803 and was written by Chief Justice John Marshall this decision played a huge role in making the Supreme Court a separate branch from the government and equal to Congress. The big facts around William Marbury were very complex. During the election in 1800 the new organized Democratic Republic party of Thomas Jefferson won against the federalist party with John Adams. In the last couple days of John Adams’s presidency, he appointed many Justices of Peace for Washington D.C. These selections were approved by the Senate then signed by the president but the commissions were not delivered. When the new president James Madison walked into the office on march 5 1801 he ordered his James Madison the new secretary of the State not to deliver the commissions. In fixing the case the chief justice marshall answered the question. Number one did William Marbury have the writ for which then was petitioned.
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Marie Curie and Her Daughters Gwen Suder, Gr. 6 In the beginning of Marie Curie and Her Daughters, Marie Curie and her daughters are trying to keep their lives private due to the public’s growing interest in Mme. Curie’s research. Mme. Curie has to send both Irene, her eldest daughter and Eve, her youngest daughter to Poland to escape from the drama of the press. Some of this chaos is caused by the Solvay Conference where Marie finds out that she will be receiving her second Nobel Prize. Marlee Jacob Adams, Gr. 5 While both internal and external conflicts are important, they are also similar and different in unique ways. Marlee’s internal conflict leads to an external conflict, and Noah’s external conflict is caused by an internal conflict. Both of the conflicts are based on working with another person to make things right. In Lions of Little Rock, Marlee creates STOP and works with Liz, Betty Jean, and Miss Winthrop to stop segregation. In Flush, Noah works with Lice Peeking, Abby, Dad, and Shelly to stop Dusty Muleman from dumping the casino boat’s waste into the pier. Authors use both internal and external conflicts to make stories more interesting and to expand your vision on what the character in a story is going through. They also use them to teach you about stuff that can happen in real life and how to deal with it and be a leader. In Lions of Little Rock that stuff actually happened in real life. Little Rock refused to stop segregation, but eventually they did. The story about Marlee is fake, of course, but the segregation was real. In Flush, boats dump waste into the water all the time. They dump trash and sewage into the water. Both of these conflicts have actually happened in real life before. Martin Luther King Jr Saved Lives George Kane, Gr. 6 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did many great things in his life and saved many lives. One great thing he did is that he fought for black’s rights. What that did is that blacks and whites would go to the same school, and they were allowed to go to the same stores and go to the same movie theaters. He founded the SELC which helps keep the environment safe in the south. He was the youngest Nobel prize winner. He sadly died at the age of 39. His impact on people’s life are still affected today. Mary Magdalen House Colton Bettcher, Gr. 8 Our next stop was the Mary Magdalen House, a local non-profit organization in downtown Cincinnati. We carried with us our blessing bags that we made out of old t-shirts that we filled up with a blanket and some hygiene items. The Mary Magdalene House is an agency that helps the homeless in the area by giving them food and supplies to keep them going. I believe that our blessing bags were all going to help brighten someone’s day with useful items to keep them warm and clean. I felt accomplished when I handed off the bags as I had helped someone else and made their day better, it was a good feeling. When we left I saw some people waiting outside of the doors most and wondered if one of them would be the ones to receive my blessing bag. Mass Harassment Evan Gockerman, Gr. 6 Kristallnacht, the night where the Nazi’s arranged mass harassment of the jews, also known as The Night of Broken Glass, was a negative turning point for the Jewish community during WWII. Kristallnacht marked the beginning of the Holocaust for many jews, provoking anger and retaliation. If more people would have stood up against Kristallnacht, The Holocaust may have been averted. Likewise, if more people behaved like Oskar Schindler, and hired jews to work, more lives would be saved. In conclusion, if more people would have stood up against Kristallnacht, The Holocaust may have been less impactful.
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Melody Quinn Carlson, Gr. 5 In the book Out of My Mind, Melody has a variety of internal conflicts. An internal conflict is a problem about the characters thoughts, feelings, or choices. In Out of My Mind, the main character Melody faces the internal conflict of her not being able to tell people how she feels. Melody is not able to speak and talk and is having to keep all of her feelings bottled up inside of her. She can’t even tell people what she wants to eat. Melody struggles a lot not being able to talk to people. During the book on page 2 the author wrote, “ By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings. But only in my head. I have never spoken one single word.” This conflict is important to the story because this conflict is why Melody struggles so much but still can find ways to cope with it. She also is always looking at the positive side no matter how much she struggles. In addition she is a very intelligent girl and most people just assume she is not very smart. Without our conflict the book would not be able to show as much of how brave she is. Mesmerizing Emmie Akers, Gr. 4 When I look at this painting, I find it mesmerizing. The trees in the foreground of the quilt are particularly eye-catching. You see, the trees in the front are bright and beautiful and very colorful. There are bright blues, pinks, oranges, and greens. They seem to shine out in a forever dark night. Truly, I think those trees really feel like a fantasy. But in the background of the quilt, the trees are normal looking. This makes me think these trees are representing people. They don’t want to stand out, they just want to stay in the back with the crowd. Even though the colorful trees do stand out by themselves, they also almost seem nestled together like baby birds cozied together in a nest. I find them very comforting. Metro Bus Aidan Grant, Gr. 8 The Metro bus was a much more normal experience. I have ridden the metro bus multiple times before. People came and went. Some people I observed were scared of the big group of adolescents in the bus, I wouldn’t blame them. But what I observed the most was the people in the bus seemed to be quiet, humble human beings. The street car felt like any regular subway in a big city. Mrs. Huff, Jake, and I were having conversations with an old lady sitting across from us. She asked us questions about what we were doing and going. She asked my name and she said that she knows a lot of Aidan’s with red hair. She told us about her, i forget her name but she said she was Native American . Mexico Regis Rogers, Gr. 6 In the USA we think that the way we celebrate Christmas is the normal way to celebrate ,but in other places like Mexico it is normal to them even know it is way different from ours. From the food to the decorations to even the time they celebrate Christmas. The reason why it is different is because they have family or even national traditions that they do for Christmas. One of the national traditions is that they make the same type of foods as they do on The Day of the Dead like pozole, tamales and many more delicious foods. MINRS 2 Nick Rassi, Gr. 7 Minrs 2 takes place on a planet called Perses it takes place in the not so distant future. Christopher is our main man, our character we are in his head and he is the protagonist, Elena is a side character, there is Fatima who is another leader in the book, and then there is Kirk Thatcher the antagonist. Christopher is brave but also he gets nervous sometimes he is average height and has brown hair. Elena is very obnoxious and she is a leader. Her hair got melted off in the first battle last book. Fatima is also a leader there isn’t really anything on her appearance but she is a “slave” for the miners and her and her friends are called Grinders. Kirk Thatcher is a mean middle aged man who is only there to kill the Minrs. 34
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Mirambo: The Greatest Warlord Izze Montaque, Gr. 7 Mirambo’s largest feat was his fighting style, unlike the others of his time. In his battles, the ruga-ruga people and firearms from Swahili-Arab traders were used proficiently (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). The Nyamwezi people and populations he conquered were used for their soldiers (ABC-CLIO Identity Server). The Ruga-Ruga people are avaricious warriors from the Ngoni in the south (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). Unwed and juvenile men were recruited and weren’t allowed to wed until their service to the military was completed (ABC-CLIO Identity Server). In short, Mirambo’s battle regime consisted of the Ruga-Ruga people and Nyamwezi soldiers. Monkey King Anna Baker, Gr. 7 Monkey King is one of the most powerful legends in Chinese folklore (Explore: Chinese Myths and Legends). He is called many things, but the most common names are “Sun Wukong” (“Sun Wukong – Mythopedia”) and “Golden Monkey” (Explore: Chinese Myths and Legends). Monkey King is known as the trickster god, and he has a power that no one can match (“Sun Wukong – Mythopedia”). Monkey King is a great legend throughout Chinese folklore, and his successes and flaws show his bold character in the tales. Moonstruck Evelyn Paulsen, Gr. 7 “What do I do now?” Luke asked aloud. His voice was cracked, and he licked his lips to prevent them from bleeding. The relief was temporary. He slipped into the central square, sidestepping the glass shards. Not that it mattered, he was going to die either way. His right hand was clutching a knife, and no matter how hard he willed himself, he wouldn’t drop it. So there he stood. His eyes were wet with tears and his white knuckled grip on the knife was unceasing. He raised the knife, hands quivering, and inhaled, trying to soothe his nerves. He raised the blade higher and… Mueller Christmas Lauren Mueller, Gr. 6 A Mueller Christmas is never boring and full of holiday cheer. There are many traditions and celebrations at many different houses. Although my grandma’s house may be a little crowded during the holidays. I never feel crowded spending time with the people I love. I enjoy spending time with my entire family and always look forward to it every year! My Mother’s Tales Emma Rinehart, Gr. 7 I have a mother who read me a book Of a fish with a most upset look Who spread dreary-wearies all over the place And always had a frown spread across his face I have a mother who gave me gold In the form of these stories told You could have treasures or be blessed But never can you have my mother’s texts
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Mysterious Nico Palacio-Vega, Gr. 8 If I could use one word to describe Agent 355 it would be mysterious. Agent 355 was most likely a woman according to Colonial Williamsburg. It was mildly suspected that she and Townshend fell in love for a while but it did not work out. She was part of George Wasingtons Culper Ring and had a massive impact on the Americans winning the war, says the Smithsonian Magazine. She was most likely recruited into the ring by Agent Woodhull. She was probably a woman with a high social status living in New York. She was also suspected to be friends with a lot of high ranking Loyalists. She is credited to have been the agent to discover the defection of Benedict Arnold to the British. She was also responsible for the capture of Major John Andre. Historians say that after divulging this information she was captured while she was allegedly pregnant and held on a British ship according to Women’s History Blog. Mysterious Spy of the Revolutionary War Stefen Karageorges, Gr. 8 We know Agent 355 was important in the American Revolution, but we still do not know the true identity of her. Though we will most likely never know who she really is people do have some theories on who she may be. Some people think Agent 355 was Anna Strong, some people think it was Sarah Townsend, some people think she didn’t even exist. Of all the theories of who she is, I believe in the theory suggested by Claire Bellerjeau that Agent 355 is a slave named Elizabeth or often called Liss for short. Bellerjeau doesn’t think Agent 355 is Anna Strong, the most popular theory, because she lived in Setauket where she wouldn’t be very useful since all the vital information was from Manhattan. Liss was enslaved by Townsend’s family and supposedly escaped with help from the British, which we know, makes them slaves again. As a slave for the British, Liss could have gathered information easily without being noticed. One other piece of evidence Bellerjeau said regarding Liss’s “escape” was that the Townsend’s didn’t send out an ad about their “runaway slave” inferring that maybe it was something they planned. Native Americans Jake Heekin, Gr. 8 The Native Americans have made many contributions to inventions with their time with us in the US. Some inventions consist of inventing rubber, lacrosse, rubber, snowshoes and snow goggles. One of the most important inventions was the invention of the knife. A blade grinded down to have a precise sharp edge to make cutting things in half 100 times easier. They first made the Knife by grinding and shaping either obsidian or some stronger stones that can be turned into a sharp blade. They then used rope to tie it to strong wood and then you have a blade. This invention has boosted the way we live life positively and negatively. The positive way is now people can make more inventions out of this, people made machetes, razor blades, mastic steel blades, and much more. They are also a very important tool to cut food. The knife is very important to cook or to eat by cutting the food into smaller bites. It is now a very crucial part of the food industry side by side with the spoon and fork. The bad thing about knives is the crime and murder. The knife can be used as a weapon during some situations. There have been many reported homicides and murders using blades and knives. Sadly, people die from knives everyday. The only good thing about knives cutting humans is when it is for a surgical procedure. Knives have also saved many lives with the process we know today as surgery. New from Here Nolan Roberts, Gr. 5 In this paragraph I will talk about an external conflict Knox from the book New From Here goes through, which is the coronavirus. The conflict is not just with him, It is a tragic thing that happened all over the world. This can be found through the book past chapter 1. This changes them by making them not be able to see their friends or other family members easily and also makes them cautious about everything.
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Next NBA Austin Miller, Gr. 8 For my photoshop project, I decided to recreate “The Creation of Adam”, painted by Michelangelo which is located on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the vatican. For Photoshop, I replaced Adam with Bronny and God with LeBron. I also replaced the heads in the background to different NBA players across the league. The reasoning behind this project is to show how LeBron is transferring his talent to Bronny and giving him the opportunity to be the next face of the NBA, and the next great. I put a spark in between the fingers touching to show the transfer of power. The painting is also to show that Bronny will be the next king and follow in his fathers footsteps. Night Sophie Daniher, Gr. 8 In Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir, Night, Elie, a young Jewish boy in a Nazi death camp, experiences the death of his innocence as he encounters the inhumanity of man. While in Buna, one of the death camps, he saw many hangings and bombings. Throughout his time at all of the camps, he saw many people die of starvation or die while fighting for food. Elie also saw many family members kill or abandon their family members, turning on each other to stay alive. After witnessing many deaths, Elie grew up too quickly and lost his innocence, realizing he would need to do so to survive. Night of Broken Glass Micah Northern, Gr. 6 The world might have reacted differently to the Holocaust if more people had stood up against Kristallnacht. If more people stood up for Kristallnacht, the Nazis might not have felt as powerful or free to do all of the gruesome things that they did. I believe that people participated in or ignored Kristallnacht, because they were scared or threatened. For example the Nazis might have threatened their families or done something as a threat to them. I believe that this might be true, because the Nazis have shown that they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Nighthawks Asela Goico, Gr. 8 I chose to use “Nighthawks” because I really like the picture and how it looks normal but I still get a mysterious vibe that I get from the painting. I chose to put in Bruno Mars and a lot of the people that he has collaborated with in the painting. I chose to do this because I really like and enjoy Bruno Mars and the collabs he has made with all of the people I put into the painting. I also decided to keep the dinner the same for the most part because I really like the feel that the diner gives. I also added some good food to make the setting a little more interesting. Norway Christmas Belle Yang, Gr. 6 Do you ever wonder how Norwegians celebrate Christmas? Well, while we share the same joyful holiday atmosphere, their traditions, foods, and decorations are not very much alike. They celebrate Christmas on a different day. Their favorite traditional foods at Christmas are so different that you may not have heard of. They also use simple and organic ornaments to decorate their houses. Not the Grain Barley Anna Krulcik, Gr. 6 In the year 2019 the new virus of COVID 19 had become real. We decided our family should consider adopting a pet to fill our boredom other than an Ipad. We looked and looked online, doing multiple researches of superb dog breeds. My mom and dad looked for dog breeders carrying dogs that were non shedding. Both my parents were allergic so it was difficult to find a non shedding dog breeder.
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Number the Stars Alice Rich, Gr. 4 Lois Lowry has shown that life has changed in Denmark since the beginning of the Nazi occupation. I found three strong examples of this from the text. My first piece of evidence can be found in paragraph one. The text says “... “having coffee.” There had been no real coffee in Copenhagen since the Nazi occupation.” This shows that when the Nazis trooped in all the coffee was taken away for war efforts. My next piece of evidence can be found in paragraph seven. The text says “There hasn’t been any butter or sugar for cupcakes, for a long time. A year at least.”This shows that the Nazis are taking all of the sugar and butter for food for the soldiers and more war effort, Also they have blocked the port off so they have not gotten any shipments. My third piece of evidence can be found in paragraph ten. The text says “There was no fuel now for the homes and apartments in Copenhagen, and the winter nights were terribly cold.” This shows that the Nazis took all the fuel for themselves because they needed the fuel for their vehicles. Lois Lowry really has shown that life has changed in Denmark since the beginning of the Nazi occupation. Obsidian Ground Eileen Bolan, Gr. 8 “And then, I can’t think of what to put for my conclusion.” Perida looks up at her teacher, hoping for some prompts on what to write in her presentation on the twisted empire in Obsidian Ground’s past. “You can just pull it all together with a quick conclusion. This is a presentation, not a paper. I’m sure the rest of your presentation will impress me either way. You’re up first. Sorry.” Ms. Amery gave a tight smile and moved swiftly to the front of the classroom. Perida thought she looked like a ghost, gliding through the room. She always does, with her long flowy gown that floats along with her, making her movement look magical. She isn’t old, but she has the most beautiful silver hair that was in a braid down her back, woven by the gentle hands of Perida’s English teacher. Perida stood up and walked to the board where she clicked on her PowerPoint. Odell Beckham Jr. Claudio Matos, Gr. 8 Odell Beckham Junior is a football player that I always like watching. He was a great wide receiver and he is very inspirational because of his accomplishments on the field. I picked him because he is very fun to watch and one of my favorite players. 10 years ago, he had miraculous one hand catch against the Cowboys. This catch is considered the best catch of all time. He has one super bowl ring, Offensive Rookie of the year in 2015, a 2 time all pro, or the best at his position for a year, and has one 3 pro bowls, which is about the same thing. He also coincidentally went to LSU, which is my favorite college football team. Oracle Elijah Lehenbauer, Gr. 4 One reason I like The Lightning Thief is because of all of the mysteries. One mystery in The Lightning Thief is when the oracle tells him what will happen on his quest but in a confusing way Percy doesn’t understand. The oracle told him he would fail to save what matters most. He didn’t understand why he should go on a quest if he was doomed to fail. Another way The Lightning Thief is mysterious is when he has to find out who stole the lightning bolt. He was blamed for doing it but he didn’t. So Percy has to find out who stole it. Now you can see how the mysteries are a big part of the book.
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Overnight Awareness Panika Pal, Gr. 8 Shantytown is an educational program where students are encouraged to sleep outside overnight at their school to bring awareness to the issue of homelessness. Most shantytowns bring in people who have suffered from homelessness as a speaker. We Brought in Willa Jones who is a poet. They also have several different educational activities so students can understand homelessness as it is in Cincinnati. Before we did shanty town I thought that it would be fun which it was , but it was very hot during the day so it kind of drained me. I thought that the people slept in somewhat comfortable positions. We were as comfortable as we could’ve gotten and I was still uncomfortable. So that changed my perspective. Painted Graffiti Drew Wilmot, Gr. 4 When I first saw “Screen Time” I thought Keyes painted graffiti on an actual billboard and then took a picture of it. I was sure I was looking at a photograph. It was only when I looked closer and saw the brushstrokes in the blue sky that I realized it was actually a painting. That’s how realistic this painting appears. When studying this piece of art, my eyes are immediately drawn to the big, bright, yellow Pikachu plastered in the middle of a billboard that seems to be reaching up into the big, bright, blue background. Another thing I noticed is that there are a lot of other kid movies and TV shows plastered on the billboard. There are so many, it’s hard to focus on just one. I think Keyes is trying to show that kids used to be outside playing and roaming, but now they’re all inside rotting their brains on devices. Children are supposed to be the future, and nobody wants a future where technology is more important than socializing. People with Cancer Ethan O’Dwyer, Gr. 7 Cancer is a non-spreadable disease that needs more funding because we know so little about it. People need to know more about cancer because people are dying. More money should be brought to cancer research because Brain, Lung and Colon Cancer are taking too many lives, some say cancer doesn’t matter, and we should not worry about it; however, we should care about it more because we don’t want to keep losing the people we love. Cancer is the most deadly and is a very common disease and it could happen to you or your loved ones. So we need a cure soon. Place in Society Patrick Goebel, Gr. 5 In the book Among the Hidden, the main character, Luke struggles with his place in society. In the society where Luke lives there is a limit of two children. Luke is a third child and he feels okay with his life until he starts to wonder about other children when he is ten. In chapter four, his parents make him eat on the steps so there is a less chance people can see him. “He took the plate of eggs and bacon, but it didn’t look good to him now.” (pg 21) He must stay in the attic while his dad is at work. His mom keeps him company but then she has to go to work at the factory because they can’ pay taxes and now he must sit in the attic all day. Luke realizes there is another third child in the new neighborhood. His conflict is to talk to her and find out the truth of society without getting caught. The internal conflict struggle is he decides to stay for the rally and it saves his life.
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Plowing the Driveway William Vollmer, Gr. 4 On a cold winter night I opened my garage door slowly, and there was a big blanket of white snow. I told my brother, “Let’s plow the driveway so we can make some money.” As I worked, I saw my dad peeking out the window, and he gave me a thumbs up. I kept going. Each shovelful felt like it weighed one hundred pounds. I noticed shoveling was harder than expected, so I had to stop and rest. I saw my dog running through the snow like it was the best day ever. Seeing the dog’s energy made me want to go crazy like him. Instead, I picked back up the shovel and kept plowing like crazy. I saw my brother slip on the ice, but I don’t think he minded. It was like he was leaping for joy. My hands were killing me. It felt like I had frostbite, so I went inside to warm up by the fire and I asked for some hot cocoa. Unfortunately, my comfort was only to be for a few minutes because my mom said, “Get back out there.” I sighed and grabbed my shovel. It was time for round two. Poland Christmas Vivienne Kline, Gr. 6 Following along with Polish food are widely known Polish drinks as well. The Grzaniec is a popular drink made with honey and dry red wine! In addition to the Grzaniec, the Krupnik Staropolski is a traditional Wigilia drink with honey, spices and dry vodka. Similar to the Grzaniec. Along with the Krupnik Staropolski is the Kumpot, made with Honey, dried fruits, cinnamon sticks and fresh fruits. Poplular Conflict Katherine Devendorf, Gr. 5 Ah yes, the popular conflict inside of books. Hey, don’t look at me like you don’t know what conflict is! Well, we all know conflict in books, RIGHT? Well a brief explanation of conflict in books is the problem that makes the book interesting. Internal conflict is what a problem is with the character’s feelings and thoughts, and an external problem between the main character and something else. This essay will be about the external and internal problems in LLR (Lions of Little Rock). If you’re looking for something else, good luck, it’s not here. The internal and external conflict are very important to the character’s development, if Marlee didn’t do something, she would’ve still been giving J.T. his homework, and she would’ve gotten over Liz. Poseidon Zoe Riegle, Gr. 4 Another reason Poseidon is clearly the best is because he is moody. For example, he can be violent or calm, so you really never know what type of mood he will be in. He is changeable, just like the ocean.There is no doubt that he is the most surprising god. When he’s in a bad mood, bad things can happen like Tsunamis and earthquakes. These earthly disasters are where he got the nickname “Earth Shaker.” These natural disasters are obviously very powerful and can destroy entire cities! If you plan on taking a cruise, you better pray that Poseidon isn’t upset. Poverty Evelyn Knepfle, Gr. 7 Imagine being a kid and going to bed hungry, not being able to afford basic needs, or having to work to help your family. Billions of people live like that and don’t have many basic needs like food, water, and shelter. It can be hard to donate time or money, but these kids need it and that helps. People should support children in poverty because it negatively impacts kids in a variety of ways, it is detrimental for their future and it’s getting worse. Purchase Edward Neyra, Gr. 8 Although there have been many land purchases over time, big and small, there was one purchase that stood out, a purchase that created a great nation, a purchase that affected a whole country’s infrastructure and economy, and a purchase that divided a country. This incredibly influential purchase is the Louisiana Purchase. There is still one big question that is unanswered today, how did a land deal divide a nation. 40
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QB-1 Connor Butler, Gr. 6 In QB-1 by Mike Lupica, the protagonist is Jake Cullens, and he is a quarterback for the Granger High Cowboys. The story takes place in Granger,Texas. Jake is a part of a family who is very talented at football, especially at the quarterback position. His dad is Troy Cullens who is an all time great at Granger and played in college, Wyatt is the older brother of Jake, and he is also an all time great at Granger and plays at the University of Texas. Jake has a lot of pressure when he plays because he wants to be like his dad and his brother. Quartz Sophia Lei, Gr. 7 When I reached the crack, I grabbed a rock and started slamming it down, trying to dislodge whatever was down there. When I finally got whatever it was, out, I realized it was a medium sized quartz. The moment I touched it, the light immediately went dark. That was when I realized I was running out of air. I swam back as fast as I could, but not fast enough, because I ended up passing out. When I woke up again, my grandfather was looking down at me with worry in his eyes. Reading Mother Emma McCormick, Gr. 7 I had a mother who read to me, Of rivers that rushed and the song of the sea, Of whispering winds through the tallest trees, She painted the world on the breeze of a dream. I had a mother who read of trees, Of Little Tree in the winter freeze. Though that cold world felt strange and wide, She showed me how to grow with pride. You may have heard of knights so bold, Of dragons, castles, myths of old But truest tales are those I see In a mother who read to me. Refugees Tofunmi Ajayi, Gr. 7 To put it simply, refugees are harmless people who just want a better life. They are just trying to leave strife in their home countries and give their children hope. My agency would also do a lot of good for refugees if they got a thousand dollars to increase the number of people they can support. Before I leave this podium, I want to leave two ideas in your mind. Remember America’s name, a country of immigrants. And remember, refugees are just people. Thank you for your time. Ribbit Rebellion Paxton Imperial, Gr. 7 A bullet sound whizzed by, crying and screaming cut through the air and running was the only option for anyone. The frogs knew they were under attack by the toads. The frogs and toads were enemies since the big event. It all started one day when a frog named Frogger was chilling and laying by the swamps. Out of nowhere a toad jumped from the bushes and started stealing all of Froggers things, such as sunscreen, towels, and much more. This random stealing started happening to everyone, and soon they became mortal enemies with the toads. The frogs lived and hung out by the ponds and swamps and the toads lived in the farmers garden. The toads always stole resources like water and materials from the farmers and the frogs. The toads earned the nickname “terrible toads”. Nobody liked them because they were mean and rough. They all had nasty warts, and deserved their bad reputation among the other animals. There had been tension between the frogs and toads for a long time, but it all came to a crescendo when the war broke out. The frogs never wanted to have a war and always tried to make peace treaties, but the toads never accepted. Rising Sun Ben Crawford, Gr. 4 Green arising up from the earth, In a Japanese village Spring has rebirth, White-ish pink petals flow around the sky, From a cherry blossom, Blooming bright, In the dawn, That covers the Moonlight, And the rising sun Shining, In the dawn light Farmers working, Early in the morning, A Japanese Torii gate stands in the dawn light, And the village finally coming to life, And now that spring is here, The village is finally coming to life. 41
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Roald Dahl Charlie Aguilar, Gr. 4 In the novel The Witches, Roald Dahl gives the reader many helpful tips on how to spot a witch. The first characteristic can be found in paragraph number six. The text says, “ … a Real Witch is certain always to be wearing gloves…” This means that she needs to wear gloves to cover cat-like claws so she doesn’t get caught. The next hint is located in paragraph number thirty. The text says, “Witches have slightly larger nose holes than ordinary people. The rim of each nose hole is pink and curvy…” This means that they will probably be able to smell really well, and with children around smelling like fresh dog droppings, she will probably be pinching her nose. The final piece of evidence can be found in paragraph number fifty-seven. The text says “...The eyes of a Real Witch are different from yours and mine.” This means that they will look like fire and ice dancing in her eyes. Runaway Princess Aly Verdin, Gr. 7 And then, one evening, as she was packing up, she overheard something that made her blood run cold. A group of foreign mercenaries had been spotted at the docks, asking about a brunette girl traveling alone.They had found her trail. Evelyn’s heart pounded. If they were here, they weren’t just looking for her anymore—they were coming to finish the job. Sabrina Carpenter Macey Adams, Gr. 6 Soon enough, we made it to the arena and I got a Dr. Pepper. We sat in our seats waiting for the show to start. Our seats were the first row in the club section, so I could see better. Then the opening act came on with Amaree. She had a quite flexible dancer with her in the background. After that came the moment I’d been waiting for. The Short ‘N Sweet TV show came on with Sabrina in a bathrobe with her hair in a bun. She ran around the stage and took her hair down, it fell into place like dominoes. Then she opened her bathrobe and took it off revealing her sparkly outfit. She opened with the words, “Oh, I left quite an impression. Five feet to be exact” Sakamoto Imma Obiora, Gr. 7 Sakamoto was born on January 3, 1836 in Kochi, Japan (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). He was a descendant of a low ranking samurai family yet was able to establish a reputation for swordsmanship early on (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). Sakamoto was faced with poor health growing up and being without his parents made it so that his sister was responsible for taking care of him (Tincher). Sakamoto excelled at swordsmanship at a young age and at 14, his sister got him to study swordsmanship in their hometown of Tosa (Tincher). His friend, Takechi Zuizan, formed the Tosa Imperial Loyalist Party in 1862 and Sakamoto was the first to join, the clan was an anti-Tokugawa militant group that demanded reforms (Tincher)(Experience). Saturday Hoops Dreamers Sebi Kumar Gonzalez, Gr. 8 Children can achieve any goal you have in life. It all depends on your mindset. The main idea is to help kids learn more about faith and education and avoid guns and drugs. We can also help kids build community and help kids be the best versions of themselves. So many people create limitations on themselves so they don’t put in the work but people have to learn how to remove the limitations. Taking responsibility for your own outcomes is one of the most important things people can do to succeed in life, but many people find excuses and then don’t learn from their mistakes. But what can separate an athlete is how much work they put in and how much they prepare. Most people have to work for all their talent but some athletes use their unique gifts and use them during their unique paths, every athlete has a different path and if each one uses their unique abilities they will succeed in life and achieve their goals. So many kids don’t understand the importance of these topics so if I can convince kids that nothing can stop them from being the best version of themselves and follow their dreams. 42
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Screen Time Leonardo Renteria, Gr. 4 When studying this painting closely, I’m immediately drawn to the billboard jutting up into the brilliant blue sky. It’s covered by different famous cartoon characters. The graffiti is very clustered on the billboard, nothing has enough space to be noticed because of another word or character catching your attention. It makes me think about all the damage humans have done to the earth. Imagine the artist is representing earth as the billboard and all the characters and graffiti are humans, power plants, and buildings that are all making it less attractive and even damaging it. Then when I look closely, I see a lot of trash on the ground. I think this is what the earth could look like after the human race has ended and the earth is trying to recover, all dull and damaged. The bottom looks dull, sad, and mistreated. Then the top looks a bit brighter with the vibrant light blue in the sky, and all of the strong colors everywhere else. By including some vivid colors at top, the artist may be trying to tell us that there is still hope to make the earth better. I think this piece of art is bittersweet. The harmful damage humans have done, bitter. All the joyful colors, sweet. Seconds Matter Annabelle Huttenbauer, Gr. 7 Stroke caused 6.2 million deaths in 2019, and in 2022 caused 165,294 more (Berry, Willson, Fallon 7). Strokes are very deadly and happen often. Some people may say that strokes already have enough research put into them. This isn’t true; the only way to cut down the amount of death is to obtain more research, so everyone can learn more on strokes and how to help prevent them from occurring. More money should go into stroke research because many factors cause them, strokes impact a significant amount of people, and the stroke recovery process can be challenging. Seedlings Adelyn Bray, Gr. 4 I travel all the way through rivers, animals, trees, and wind To get to the soil so soft and warm. I know this is my home, Calm and peaceful am I as I wait to sprout. Shadow the Protector Michaela Bell, Gr. 6 Later on about four months after we got Shadow, she started sleeping outside and staying with the horses. It was amazing to watch her do border patrol, she ran up and down the fence, back and forth. Shadow is still super friendly and she loves people. She will be two years old in the summer but she still wants belly rubs and she knows how to shake her paw. Now Shadow has a friend named Misty who is another Great Pyrenees and she teaches Misty how to protect the farm. No more coyotes come on our property anymore thanks to Shadow and Misty. All of the animals get along with her and Shadow protects them. Shantytown Kayden Smith, Gr. 8 Shantytown is an educational program where students are homeless for the night to spread awareness of the issue of homelessness. I knew a day ahead that I was going to be like a homeless person for the day. I thought it was very interesting and not very safe for 57 Summit students living in Hyde Park going to Over The Rhine, so it kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was actually pretty safe, and I had a fun time learning about this growing issue of homelessness.
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Shaping a Human Nick Cafardi, Gr. 5 Challenges can shape a human for the good or bad. Conflicts and challenges can help turn a Mediocre story into a masterpiece. Intelligent authors will use different types of conflict to their advantage by putting interesting but enthralling Sagas which will have the reader Immersed in the story. Internal conflict involves lots of thinking and very clever minds. Authors will sometimes sneak little Anecdotes or references in the story that can relieve a bit of anxiety for the reader. Internal conflict can also Fluctuate a lot during the book so the readers don’t have any idea of the end result. External conflict can be drastically different with characters arguing and fighting, but in person, instead of having the character use a lot of Cognitive power. The external conflict in the stories we have read this year can also be life changing and life threatening. These challenges can show how hard the characters are willing to fight and sacrifice for their families. Throughout the novels we have read this year, characters have faced deep mental and social challenges which can shape the type of human they really are. Shattered Heel Colin Kline, Gr. 6 Now I am climbing near the railing which is about a six-eight foot drop. Then I fall off onto a rug, and my heel is like tingling and I could not feel my right foot.Then I think: I need to tell my mom? Does this matter that much? Then, I limp upstairs to my mom and she doesn’t think that it is bad. Shell Houston Griffin, Gr. 6 We got off the dock and were immediately greeted by residents of the island trying to sell us beach seats. We found a guy and he brought us to the seats and we paid. But on the beach there were even more people trying to sell beads, give massages,hats, clothing, shoes,and fishing rods. To escape them, I went in the water and looked for fish. Instead of finding a few fish I found a colorful coral spot which had a bunch of different species of fish. I remember a fish that had every color of the rainbow on it and it looked flat. I also remember seeing small angle fish and crabs. I also saw a sea turtle that was 10 feet away from me. But in the midst of me looking at the fish I found a beautiful conch shell that was placed exactly on top and in the middle of a rock. It looked like it had been waiting there for me. Shield Crosley Price, Gr. 6 The shield that I created for the book Narnia we read in class is representative of me. It is representative of me because for the design I chose the “Roof of a Horse” which means to be caring to people like your family or friends. An element I chose is a holly which demonstrates truth and I am very truthful because I like to tell the truth and not lie. Another one I chose is the cinquefoil which shows hope and joy and I try to stay hopeful and find joy. The last element I chose is a dog because it demonstrates courage and loyalty. I try to be loyal to people and I have courage to do things even if I’m scared. I also put the dog on my shield because I love dogs a lot. Shrek Easton Griffin, Gr. 8 For my art appropriation project I chose to impersonate the painting “Saturn eating his child” by Francisco Goya. I made it a Shrek theme and did Shrek eating the kid who tells him to do the roar who holds a lollipop in his hand. I changed this painting because I wanted to add some humor to it. Luka doncic and Trey mcbride are also in it because they are my favorite sports players. I chose to add some more accessories to make the painting stand out more and make it better. I also added the Mcdonald’s slogan because it imitates Shrek loving to eat the child.
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Sistine Noah Selker, Gr. 4 Rob walked me in the woods today and I saw a big beautiful black and orange green eyed tiger! I saw that the tiger was pacing back and forth in a rusty cage with a wooden roof and three padlocks. The tiger looked sad. The tiger is locked up, just as I am, but he is in a cage and I am in ugly Florida with my mom, wanting my dad. I know how the tiger feels to be locked up. It does not feel good. I can’t do anything to unlock myself from this torture, but I can unlock this tiger from this pitiful cage, in this pitiful world full of selfish people like Beauchamp. So, I have to do something, and I have to do it fast even if I get in trouble. Snorkeling Experience Maddison Brown, Gr. 6 My family and I went on a vacation to St. Croix. We had a vacation house that was on the beach and had a very good view of the ocean. Me and my favorite cousins, Kensington and Holland, all went on a boat with the rest of my family. We came to a nice beach with many shells so we stopped near it. Kensington and I wanted to snorkel to prove to our sisters we weren’t scared. Soccer Alex Norng, Gr. 6 In my first month of playing soccer I was a terrible player on the C team. At school I got a little better playing with Rokas and my best friend Olek at recess but after my first couple weeks I fell down and I fractured my arm. Even though it was a massive setback I still persevered and continued working hard. Near my second month of playing, I got out of my cast and started playing again. It was a little weird at first but I eventually became better. My friends helped me train and by the third month I became one of the most improving players, and I started playing for the A team. Spain’s Holidays Ryan Schaaf, Gr. 6 Spain’s Christmas time traditions range from a lottery to eating 12 grapes for each chime of the clock. On Christmas Eve people eat big meals and celebrate for the next day to come. As it becomes Christmas it becomes a quiet and calm place one of the calmest all year, all though at night they continue to party and celebrate. El Gordo the big Christmas lottery on the 22nd is the biggest and second longest running lottery ever and has been happening since 1812. On the 6th ending the Christmas celebration instead of Santa giving out presents on the 25th the 3 Wise Men are said to give presents on the 6th. All in all this shows that Spain has lots of traditions and celebrations all around Christmas time, not just on that one day. Spotting a Witch Reagan Smith, Gr. 4 In the novel The Witches, Grandmamma gives the boy many helpful tips on how to spot a witch. The first characteristic to look for can be found in paragraph six. The text says, “...a REAL WITCH is certain always to be wearing gloves…” This means she needs to cover her hands to hide her cat-like claws. She’ll keep them on at all times, even inside a house, because she doesn’t want to get caught. The second piece of evidence can be found in paragraph fourteen. The text says, “...a REAL WITCH is always bald.” Since she has no hair, she’ll wear a fancy wig to look like a normal woman. However, it will be very itchy on her scalp, so she’ll always be itching her head. Another piece of evidence can be found in paragraph thirty. The text says, “Witches have slightly larger nose-holes than ordinary people. The rim of each nose hole is pink and curvy…” Therefore, smelling children is her specialty. All kids smell like dog droppings to witches. This will cause them to hold their nose around children. The final piece information can be found in paragraph sixty-four. The text says, “The feet have no toes on them at all.” Because they don’t have any toes, they try to squeeze their feet into little tiny narrow shoes. That will cause them to limp when they walk. All of these clues can help you recognize a witch.
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Sprout Charlotte Honhera, Gr. 4 A light green stem approaches, Do not take it for granted, For it is mighty. For I don’t take this lightly, It glows so brightly, How gracefully you shine. For you are not just fine, You are mine, For I love you. So don’t turn blue, For the world is a zoo, But you make the world less of a mess. Spy Henry Ahouse, Gr. 8 Who was agent 355? No one quite knows who she was, but there are many theories behind her. Agent 355 played a vital role in the Revolutionary War for the Americans as a spy in the Culper Ring. Only one letter ever mentioning agent 355 was found (smithsonianmag.com). The letter reads, “ I intend to visit 727 before long and think by the assistance of a 355 of my acquaintance, shall be able to outwit them all.” (smithsonianmag.com). In the Culper Ring the code 355 means lady and 727 is New York. Starvation Cléa Sinno, Gr. 7 People that struggle from starvation can impact their health physically and mentally. Having poor physical and mental health can result in depression and hair loss. Some may say that animals struggle with hunger as well, and they can’t go without food and water as long as humans can. However, people are important too. People need food to grow, survive and to take care of their health. Everyone should have access to adequate food because people in poverty can become depressed, it causes emotional strain on communities, and the physical impact of poverty on the body is significant. Still Fighting for Equality Santi Dwyer, Gr. 7 More than 17.9 people in America are struggling because of their race. People started to recognize slavery in the early 1700s and made the first sign of slavery change. Some may say that it is already solved,but in truth there is still racism going on and it is terrible. No matter their race everyone should be treated fairly because people have been fighting for equality for a long time, there are many advocates of justice, and inequality that negatively impacts individuals. Stories that Shaped Me Rebeca Pérez Sánchez, Gr. 7 I had a mom who read me the things, Of wonder and joy that childhood brings, Each night in bed, I’d dream away, Of magic and wonder from what she’d say. You may have wonderful memories, Of laughter, joy, and climbing trees, My days were filled with love and glee, Because I had a mom who read to me. Story Conflicts Jenny Yang, Gr. 5 There is always conflict in stories. For example, mom from Among the Hidden has an internal conflict. She has an internal conflict because the taxes had increased, at the same time Luke’s dad had to sell his hogs because the government said the barons think the smell is horrible, so mom needs to go to work and leave Luke by himself. Population Law is still there though. Cece from El Deafo has an external conflict because she can’t hear anymore after she got meningitis. Struggle McKenzie Bell, Gr. 5 Stories don’t exist without conflicts. In stories there has to be a conflict of some kind or there will not be anything fun or exciting in the book and will not engage the reader. A conflict is a problem or struggle that can be internal or external. An internal conflict is a conflict that the character is going through in their mind, causing inner doubt and misery. External conflict is when a character has a physical fight with someone or something such as a fight with a bully, dragon, or sibling. Conflicts can be fun and silly, or sad and gloomy. 46
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Struggling Melody Madeline Shadoin, Gr. 5 In the book Out of My Mind, the character Melody faces difficult internal conflicts. Melody struggles with speaking to other people. Melody thinks that nobody wants to listen to her and an one wants to speak to her. Her parents get her a Medi Talker which makes her speak. She feels happy when she tries it out for the first time! The data to prove this was in the book “Welcome to the Medi Talker! Mrs. V jumps up from the couch. I shriek with joy” (133) This is important because now Melody has the ability to speak on a device and Melody is so happy she can speak to anyone and not have to kick on her chair to get someone’s attention . In conclusion, Melody feels happy when she gets the Medi Talker so she can speak to anyone and is able to speak in class and is capable of speaking. Suitcase Darcy de Lacy, Gr. 6 I made 11 stickers for my suitcase, I will talk about 5 of them.The first one is a pointe shoe because I love ballet. For my next stickers I put a Taylor Swift sticker and a Gracie Abrams sticker because they are two of my favorite artists. I put a dog sticker because dogs are my favorite animal. I put a New York sticker on it because it is my favorite city. Lastly, I put a matcha sticker on it because it’s my favorite drink. Summer Love Estelle Neyer, Gr. 7 Summer. The one time I felt like I could do anything. The blue waves of the ocean, the salty beach air, the way my hair gets lighter, but my skin gets darker, blasting music on late night drives with my friends, the soft warm sand, the clear pool water, golfing every day, and that one person. This was summer for me. I was driving up to Hilton Head with my best friend Elizabeth, both of our family’s had summer houses there on the same street. Elizabeth and I both lived around 30 minutes outside of Charleston. We grew up together and Summer was the time that we were inseparable. Though I spent many days a week golfing for long days, I still made time to see her through our summers. Sun’s Journey Adrian Abner, Gr. 4 The sun has a long journey, each ray touches a different half of the earth at different times. It sees all changes, new places built, new towns have been built. It has lots of memories dating back to the first days humans lived. So as you can see, the sun has memories ff what the earth looked like for millions of years. Supreme Court Lucy Viveros Valdepeña, Gr. 8 Think about how the world would be today if women weren’t able to vote or if black people didn’t have any rights. This is how life was for many people living in the United States prior to the push for equality during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Supreme court cases on the civil rights movement and women’s movements drastically increased in the late 1800s and the 1900s after the civil war. In fact, over 50% of supreme court cases addressed this issue. As many of us may know, the time period of the 1800s and the 1900s was a time where there were a lot of civil rights acts and women’s rights movements. I believe it is important to know why there were so many cases about this topic and what they were about. Surfing in July Ava Maly, Gr. 6 I stood on the beach and looked out into the ocean. I felt the tiny grains of sand in between my toes. I could smell the saltiness in the area, and my impatience was starting to rise. “Can we start already?” I asked as I watched the ocean’s waves tumble into shore. “Soon,” my mom replied. Then again, I could feel my impatience as we stood on the beach listening to the instructor. A sense of excitement was drifting through the air, but also a sense of butterflies in my stomach. I stood on the edge of the ocean, all ready to go. 47
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Switzerland Christmas Celebration Gracie Obiora, Gr. 6 In conclusion, Switzerland is one of the most beautiful places during Christmas. The snowy mountains make the country more magical. The traditions make it a really wonderful and special experience. The food, especially the fondues, are a must have for any tourists. Whether you’re in a big city or a small village, Christmas in Switzerland brings warmth and joy to everyone. Symphony of the Garden Adelaide Friedman, Gr. 4 A flower’s petals sway in the air, making the gentle music play. The aroma makes the cymbals crash and my body starts to sway. Then comes along a busy bee, and it lands on the glistening flower. It makes a soft buzz, buzz, and I start to feel the power. Along comes the rain and the bee flies away. The drops of the rain go pitter-patter. The bud opens up to the bright sky and it grows taller - I shall soon need a ladder. Now I see the sun, as the rain’s turn is done, The rays are like trumpets blasting. The sun’s heat is filled with relief, for it seems forever lasting. As the day comes to an end, I fill with sadness and glee, for I know my garden is everlasting. And my garden’s my own symphony. Taxation without Represenatation Samuel Krulcik, Gr. 8 While this topic has been heavily disputed and the answer may not be black and white, I believe that the British had perfect reasoning to tax the colonies. First of all, this land was rightfully earned and fought for by the British. They went millions of dollars in debt to help the colonies and give them everything they could ever want, and the colonists complain about having to pay a fraction of the tax they pay in Britain. The colonists live in British territory so there is literally zero reason they should be treated differently. You might think that the only reason the British are taxing the colonies is to profit for their personal gain. This point is completely irrelevant because of how much money the British spent to protect them. In my opinion it is completely unacceptable that the colonists threw a temper-tantrum when they were asked to pay back a fraction of what the British spent on them. Ted Talk Owen Lee, Gr. 7 My agency is Filipino American association of southwest Ohio (FASO). Although the main mission of my agency is not solely focused on discrimination, it is still very relevant to my topic because many Filipino Americans deal with this issue and need support. The Filipino American Association supports the Filipino culture here locally. They hold festivals and dances which provide opportunities for groups to come together. In addition, they support the Philippines when natural disasters occur. Teen Mental Health Lily Finkleman, Gr. 7 1 in 7 children have a mental condition (CDC 1). That is a lot. Mental health impacts everyone daily, especially for teenagers. But out of the 15% of people who have a mental condition, only 53% received treatment or counseling (CDC 2). Some may say that mental health does not affect kids. However, that is completely false. According to the CDC, “15% of kids ages 12-17 have anxiety, and 8.9% have depression” (1). Talking about mental health in middle and upper school is very important because talking about it is proven to help, suicide is a big issue and has many misconceptions, and anxiety can play a big part during school.
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Telling Stories William Layden, Gr. 5 Internal and external conflicts can create challenges for characters, but authors use conflicts in different ways to help tell their stories. One way that the conflicts in Flush and New From Here are the same is that the conflicts are created because the characters both want to help their families. The conflicts are different because in Flush Noah helps catch Dusty because the beach he loves is being destroyed by the pollution that Dusty is creating. In New From Here Knox fixes his relationship with his brother so that they can raise money for his Dad and dog to come to America. Authors use internal and external conflict in their books to help shape their stories. The Beach Gabby Chavez, Gr. 7 Stella is a 13 year old girl who lives in Texas and is turning 14 in two days. On the day of her birthday her older brother Bryton wakes her up. She goes downstairs to see pancakes on the table. As she is eating her breakfast her mom comes in with a gift bag. She opens the bag and sees 2 pieces of paper, she flips them over and sees that it is printed out plane tickets. Third Child Struggle Sebastian Scharf, Gr. 5 In the book Among the Hidden a boy named Luke Gardner is going through a external struggle third child and in the world the book is set in you are not allowed to have a third child. Luke wants to get out of the house because he has to stay in the house all day and if he is seen he will be arrested and will end up in a fatal place .Luke’s brothers always pick on him how he can’t go out of his house and he is jealous about how his brothers can go out and Luke can’t.Luke is worried about if he will never get out of the house. This is important because Luke does not want to stay locked up in his house. Three Wise Men Millie Rich, Gr. 6 The second main Christmas holiday Italy celebrates at Christmas time is on December 16th. This holiday marks when the 3 wise men set off to go see baby Jesus. This period of 9 days is called La Novena. Children will occasionally go from house to house singing carols or reciting poems dressed as the Magi. In return, they receive sweets and goodies. Lots of Christmas shows are put on all throughout Italy during this time leading up to Christmas. Thunder Rory Hussey, Gr. 5 It was a dark and stormy night a faight clap of thunder could be heard in the distance and Joe was wid awake in his bed He couldn’t sleep than he heard something coming down the hall he thought it was a cat but is was soothing much much worse. He got out of bed and went to inspect it. he found a flash light and opened the door and he screamed in terror. Traditions in the United States Lincoln Mulvihill, Gr. 6 The United States has lots of Christmas traditions with food, and family. They eat lots of food and decorate trees, doors, and wreaves. They have a lot of preparation like putting lights on their house and trees for Christmas on December 25. The United States has parties with couples,family and friends. Some people also celibate Hanukkah which happens on December 7 and ends on the 15th, and Saint Nicholas Day happens on December 8. Tragedy Blake Owens, Gr. 5 I still remember the night the attack happened. I was in my room studying while it was raining, and then all of a sudden I heard a boom. At first I thought it was the lightning that had just struck but then I heard the screaming. I ran downstairs to check it out and then I realized there was in intruder so I ran back to my room and hid under my bed hoping they wouldn’t find me. Until they did. 49
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Trip Declan Clements, Gr. 6 I wake up to someone shaking me, it’s 4:30 AM and we are preparing to leave for a 12 hour drive to florida. I get up and get ready to leave, after that I grab my bags and put them in the car. When I go downstairs I find my mom packing a cooler, she tells me that my dad has gone to get ice. When my dad gets back we all stuff ourselves in the car and begin our expedition. After 12 exhausting hours of driving we get there. We unpack the car and when I glance at my watch for the time it’s 6:30 PM. I do the quick math and that means the drive actually took 14 or 15 hours. Me and my family stumble up the stairs, go in, and lay down. When I wake up it’s 3:00 PM. We go to the pool and swim till 6:00 PM. Trusting Mother RJ Johnson, Gr. 7 I had a mother who read to me the adventures of an elephant and piggy who ventured along the road of Hope. I hold her trust till she perish, oh what mother I have so caring and kind. Tuberculosis Elise Goebel, Gr. 7 Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is spread mostly through South East Asia. It has been around for thousands of years, and because of that, scientists and medical engineers have been researching it for many years and come up with lots of research about it. Tuberculosis is a complex respiratory disease that is caused by bacteria, it is very contagious and takes medical care to treat. Two Conflicts Zoa Pratt, Gr. 5 The two conflicts in Out of My Mind and Lions of Little Rock are very different, even though they both drive the story. In Out of My Mind, Melody is feeling left out and that leads to showing her classmates that she is smart and doesn’t like it when people talk behind her back. and does not like it when people stare at her because she needs someone with her because of her wheelchair and she can’t eat or go to the bathroom by herself. In Lions of Little Rock, Marlee wants to stand up for Black people’s rights, but other people don’t like it. She does it anyway, and JT’s brother, Red, really does not like her for this and keeps trying to hurt her and her friends. In conclusion, These are very different, but are both hard to overcome. Ulysses S. Grant Alaina Williams, Gr. 8 Ulysses S. Grant has had twelve major scandals in his presidential cabinet or administration. This is fairly a large number and also very surprising considering not a single one of them was started or had something directly to do with him himself. Grant is sometimes known as arguably one of the worst presidents by historians, but recently they have looked over his presidency and changed their minds on it. He’s helped out the government and had many accomplishments like the Reconstruction, Preservation of the Union, and assisting the Civil Rights Movement. But all of those accomplishments were overshadowed all since his cabinet had started multiple scandals and abused the power given to them by Grant. Ulysses S. Grant’s scandals paid a huge toll on his reputation. They were causing people to lose trust in the government and also Grant himself. Examples of some scandals are the Credit Mobilier Scandal, the Black Friday Scandal, and the Indian Ring Scandals, run by his Secretary of War, Vice Presidents, and more. His Presidency itself is a good example of how most times we can blame the president for problems that they can simply not control. This has happened multiple times in history as the President is seen as the face of the government but people tend to overlook how much they actually control over.
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United States Christmas Celebration Van Devendorf, Gr. 8 The United States of America was a completely different country in the 1860’s compared to the 2020’s. For example, we were a largely agrarian nation in the south, and industrialized the north. Before the Civil War and during the 1860 Election, the main concerns and questions for the union were: “What is the future of the country?” and “What is the future of the economy?” And now, 165 years later, these questions are still the most relevant and important in America. Vesak Maddie Burns, Gr. 7 Vesak is a time to come together as a community in happiness (Tburgess). It can also be a time to reflect on Buddha’s teachings and what it means to be Buddhist (“Vesak 2023: What Is It and How Do Buddhists Celebrate Buddha Day or Wesak?”). This practice is very similar to what Christians do during Lent and shows the relations between Christianity and Buddhism. Vesak is also similar to Christian traditions in the celebration and remembrance of a great teacher just like Christmas and Easter with Jesus Christ. This shows how different religions can be related in the sense that they have people that they look to as almost role models to how they should live. Very Wonderful Milkshake Amelia Wilson, Gr. 5 I would describe myself as a creamy milkshake. Flavors and I are similar because flavors alternate and just like them I change my feelings between how I feel or my surroundings. Most days I am as sweet as the milkshake or whip cream. However, most days I am as cold as the drink itself. Like the cherry, my smile adds a visual pleasing element to what I look like. Like the Shake I can give you energy with my encouragement. Vital Role of Animals Olivia Elfenbein, Gr. 7 Animals are critical to helping people. One reason for this is because there was a study with how animals impact people. A piece of evidence that was found is: “The students who participated in the program with the dogs reported feeling less stressed (Week Junior 1). This emphasizes how important animals are for humans. In addition, children with Autism respond well when they are around animals. This illustrates how animals can benefit everyone, even those with intellectual disabilities. All of this evidence supports the fact that animals are critical to helping people. Waiting Anaka Maxey, Gr. 4 Oh, I feel so cramped inside, Feeling cramped in my mind, Waiting and waiting for the perfect time, Oh I feel so cramped inside. Oh, I’ve been waiting so very long, For me to sprout and my worries gone, I’m finally sprouting like a song, Oh I’ve been waiting so very long. Oh, I’m growing very strong, One centimeter, another, then more along, In the garden I belong, Oh I’m growing very strong. Oh, my petals are starting to bloom, They’re the colors of rainbow loom, So colorful and elegant, so very soon, Oh my petals are starting to bloom.
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Walking Tour Logan Butler, Gr. 8 The walking tour was very tiring. I couldn’t feel my legs after that. My overall opinion of the day was really good and I would do it again. I learned lots of stuff about homeless people and what they go through. One high was when we all played together on the playground. But one reason was that walking was so tiring but luckily we got home and relaxed so it was better from there. I was feeling tired going into the night but I knew it would be fun so I was patient. The walk to dinner was really tiring. My legs already hurt from the morning but they hurt even worse when we walked back from dinner. The firepit was really warm and relaxing. We made smores on it but in the morning the wind picked up and blew sparks everywhere. Smoke got into my eyes! Willa was really nice and I liked her poems. The sleeping was not the best. My whole side hurt bad in the morning. Yes I have lots of empathy now for people experiencing homelessness. Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London Ivy Sousa, Gr. 6 The actual tour of Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London began when my mom, dad, and I first entered the Great Hall. It was beautiful inside with floating candles hanging from the sky and a beautiful stained glass window behind the teacher table. There were costumes on each side for each house. Then there were the teacher costumes in the front, plus the sorting hat. We moved into the next room where we found all the costumes and wigs for the characters. After that, we went to see the Slytherin common room where we found Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle hanging out. Then in the Gryffindor common room, we found Harry, Ron, and Hermione planning some heroic deed. We didn’t forget the potions classroom where Snape was lurking, and Dumbledore’s office where he and Fawkes were enjoying time together. We Will Write Nina Robinson, Gr. 5 As Allie waited for the bus, she was thinking about why the clouds were so dark and the wind was strong. Then the bus pulled up and she went inside. The clouds got darker and darker and the wind got stronger and stronger. All of a sudden the bus stopped. The ground was shaking and the wind was howling and it felt as if they were floating in the air. In a big swirly tornado. West Side Junior High Anna Cafardi, Gr. 5 Marlee in The Lions of Little Rock faces a difficult internal struggle throughout the book. At the beginning of the novel when Marlee starts seventh grade at West Side Junior High she meets a new kid named Liz. Marlee is a solo child, she rarely talks to anyone but a new student sparks a friendship and partnership with her. The day of their presentation the teacher tells Marlee that Liz is very sick, but Marlee overcomes her fear of speaking and she does the entire presentation by herself. Marlee discovers her new friend was not supposed to have a friendship with her, and she is upset with the loss of the relationship. Marlee starts planning to contact Liz even though she’s not allowed to, they eventually meet at the Zoo. “And Daddy had told me to stay away from Liz. On the other, I really wanted that math book. I’d earned it. There could be no harm in meeting her, getting the math book and leaving. At least that’s what I told myself. But the truth was I just wanted to see Liz.” (91) In this sentence it shows that Marlee is having an internal struggle with meeting Liz or not. Marlee’s decision is important because it foreshadows important events that will happen in the story. Winter Celebration Ambi Smith, Gr. 6 Here are some interesting facts about Scotland’s winter holidays. Scottish people celebrate Christmas on December 25th. They have traditsons, decorations, special foods and more. Most Scots bake unleavened yule bread for everyone in their families. Some of their Christmas traditions include singing christmas carols, gathering with family, baking, cooking, decorating, and gift giving. 52
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Winter Train Isaac Lam, Gr. 8 When I had entered the old train I knew nothing about it. I had my nice shirt and pants on and before this I had selected my dinner for that night. After a while of waiting in line in the freezing weather I had entered the train at tables 22 and 23 A. The instructor told us where we were going and left to drive. Over the announcements he told us little increments about the surrounding area and some stories. He gave us bread and butter and soon our meals arrived. I had a piece of juicy chicken, some mashed potatoes, and ordered a drink which was delicious. I finished the train ride late at night in delight and the wonderful experience was extraordinary. Witches Cody Meyer, Gr. 4 In The Witches, Grandmamma tells the boy tips on how to spot a witch. One example can be found in paragraph fourteen. The text says, “...a REAL WITCH is always bald.” Since she is bald, she has to wear a wig, and because of the wig she gets wig rash. The wig rash makes them scratch their heads like crazy. Another way to spot a witch can be found in paragraph thirty. The text says, “Witches have slightly bigger nose-holes than people. The rim of each nose-hole is pink and curvy.” Witches have super smelling that helps them smell out kids. To a witch, a clean child smells like fresh dog droppings. The last example can be found in paragraph sixty-two. The text says, “Witches never have toes.” They have big square feet that they squeeze into tiny shoes. So if you see an old lady limping, it might be a witch. I hope that you stay safe out there now that you have three ways to spot a witch. World Problems Alicia Palacio-Vega, Gr. 5 Besides internal conflict there is also external conflict. That is when a character is struggling or having problems with the world around them. For example in the book Out Of My Mind the main character melody is having problems with the people around her because she can’t speak to them and also because she can’t walk. In this story Melody has all kinds of problems like she can’t dress herself, or feed herself, She also can’t really control her body or speak. Like you can imagine that causes her to have less friends especially if she is in middle school and in a Wiz Kids club. For example, in one part of the story when Melody and her friends are going to Washington D.C for the finals of the Wiz Kids competition they leave Melody behind. This happened because they did not tell Melody that they were going to eat breakfast and the flight got canceled but they got on another one. This is important in the story because it helps Melody be able to stand up to others and prove to them that she had feelings and that what they did meant something to her. Writing Process Quinn Wood, Gr. 5 Conflicts create tension and suspense in books, they are a very important step in the writing process. Stories don’t move without a conflict. Conflicts are what make the story what they are, conflicts are what drive the story. Internal and external conflicts are very important in books because they have a huge impact on their mood and how they affect others. But what even are internal and external conflicts? An internal conflict is a struggle that happens inside a character’s mind or heart. It’s about their thoughts, feelings, and choices. And lastly an external conflict is a struggle that happens between a character and something or someone outside of them. In conclusion, a lot of books have internal and external conflicts. Year I Flew Away Hannah Erbeck, Gr. 6 Ten year old Gabrielle lives in a small village in Haiti and she loves it there. It is where she has always lived. Gabrielle has never moved before but one day her mom told her that she had to move to America all alone without her parents. She would stay with her aunt and uncle. Saying goodbye to her friends and family was the hardest part for her. 53
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Zeus Ben Pearce, Gr. 4 One reason I think Zeus is the best god is because he is powerful. In fact, he has the most powerful weapon ever, the master bolt. It makes nuclear bombs look like firecrackers. How amazing how it would be to have all that power at your fingertips? Furthermore, since he is the god of the sky, birds, planes and everything in the sky is in his power. Also he is the king of all gods, so no one dares to challenge him. Plus, his most powerful weapons, lightning bolts, were built by the cyclopes. This is why I think he is the most powerful god of all.
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Artwork
Russel Roth, Gr. 6 Mabel Hartmann, Gr. 8
Drew Wilmot, Gr. 4
Rory Newton, Gr. 4 55
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Quentin Jones, Gr. 8
Liam Wiltshire, Gr. 5
Lexy Beyerback, Gr. 8
Charlie Aguilar, Gr. 4
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Temi Ajayi, Gr. 5 Corrina Roth, Gr. 4
James Busch, Gr. 8
Matti Hofmann, Gr. 6
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Leo Lei, Gr. 4 Giuliana Rassi & Sophia Lei, Gr. 7
Joey Frodge, Gr. 6
Gwen Suder, Gr. 6
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Ben Pearce, Gr. 4
Billie Price, Gr. 4
Logan Butler, Gr. 8
Dean Mohan, Gr. 6
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Anne Marie Misrach, Gr. 8 Giulia Rassi, Gr. 7
Anaka Maxey, Gr. 4
Estelle Neyer, Gr. 7
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Eliana Hafner, Kate Kroner, Arianna Trimm, Gr. 7
Willy Vollmer, Gr. 4
Tommy Devendorf, Gr. 6
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Fiona Russell, Gr. 4
Quinn Harding, Gr. 5
Ainsley Abercrombie, Gr. 4
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Emmeline Friedman, Gr. 4
Gwen Suder, Gr. 6
Callie Chadwell & Cléa Sinno, Gr. 7
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Reagan Smith, Gr. 4
Amelia Wilson, Gr. 5
Anna Baker, Rachel Burkart, Elise Goebel, Annabelle Huttenbauer, Brie Mudzinganyama, Estelle Neyer, Gr. 7
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