Wagshul Wonders 2021

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PERSERVERANCE 2021

“Art at Wornick is non-judgmental. It is interwoven through all disciplines. The students teach me as much as I teach them everyday.”

- Ginger Slonaker, Art Teacher First Grade Teddy Bear Toast 2021

Wagshul Wonders was established in 2021.

Announced by Adam Eilath, the publication honors Ms. Wagshul's legacy at Wornick.

WAGSHUL WONDERS PUBLICATION A Letter from Karen Wagshul

I am so honored to share with the Wornick School Community the first edition of this published magazine entitled Wagshul Wonders. Ask me how humbled I feel by this, and I will tell you, that it fills me to the brim with joy.

How did this come about? I thought you would never ask. The journey was a long and wonderful one beginning the day I made the decision to become an educator. A teaching position that I accepted placed me in first grade, the year where literacy often unfolds for young students and the world of reading and writing magically evolve. Alongside this, in my own personal and professional journey, I weaved in and out of another passion of mine, the creative arts.

Recently Wornick graced me with a wonderful tribute for my 26 years of service as a first-grade classroom teacher. On the suggestion of our Head of School, Adam Eilath, a yearly tribute was born incorporating the two disciplines that I am most passionate about, literacy and art.

The theme for edition #1 was aptly named Perseverance 2021. The meaning behind this word means so much, especially as we all have had to face challenges this year globally, in our communities and in our own personal lives, yet remain steadfast in spite of the obstacles set forth in our paths.

As we take the time to enjoy these incredible art and literacy pieces in this first publication that were chosen from many applicants, I leave you with these thoughts to ponder, "Set goals for yourself, remain steadfast and committed, find the courage to pick yourself up and try again, never say I can'talways say I'll try, and finally, think not about how hard something is, but rather about how good you'll feel if you accomplish what you set out to do."

A big shout out and thanks to Adam Eilath, Kristin Nawoczenski, and Ginger Slonaker, who with their vision, support and talents, participated in this shared endeavor to create the annual Wagshul Wonders publication that you are now reading.

With appreciation and much gratitude, Karen Wagshul P.S. The students are quoted as they wrote it. We encourage the learning process to foster their creativity and they learn through the writing process.

MICHAELA M. 6TH GRADE

"My art piece to me is a

When I look at it, it feels like I am

representation of if you have a big

falling into it. This piece represents

passion for something and it is

who I am as a person. I have three

really hard, you can still do it. My

big things that make up who

EVERNESS

art piece took a really long time to

Michaela is, but if you look closer

Canvas, watercolor, sharpie

make and I felt like giving up and

into it there is more to me than you

some point, but I persevered and

think. "

came out the other side with a beautiful piece art.

AMIT S. 1ST GRADE

The Millennium Falcon: 7,541 Pieces of Patience Lego set

“My name is Amit Shapira and I am

Sometimes after lots of pages, I

in first grade with Ms. W. I want to

see that I did a mistake so I brake it

tell you that I like building lego and

and do it again until it is right and

I build the largest lego model in the

that is what you also need to do if

world: MILLENIUM FALCON! So I

you want to succeed to build a real

guess you are wondering how did I

model in lego. And if you have a

do it in my age… so the secret is

problem, ask me and my brother

that you need to have patience and

Roi who build this with me… “

not give up if something is builded wrong. You also need to read the instructions page by page.

AMELIA S. 2ND GRADE

Everyone can show PERSEVERANCE Watercolor, pencil, pen

"To me it means I can show perseverance."

JOSH B. 3RD GRADE

America Poem

America, we've come one day to another, from breaking free from England to becoming a united nation.

We've made many mistakes along the way, but some way we push through to become a better nation.

We must learn from our mistakes from invading Native American territory, from making slaves, freeing them, and giving rights with Dr. Martin Luther King.

To be a nation we were known as and become it.

We must prevail, and not give up when others stop us in our way.

America!

Whispers echoed through the dark woods as I blink sleepily trying to figure out where I am. I have no memories of anything but this moment. As if I was born into nothingness. I crawled out of the small tree hollow I was sheltering in, I was expecting a flash of light when I came out but only pure darkness.

Panicking, I turned back to the tree hollow with the dim warm light but it was gone. A rope, appears, fireflies buzzing around it. Their light did nothing. But I went on and tried climbing it, I saw light, red and fierce, I scampered up but the rope fades behind me.

No! And then I plummet straight into darkness. The whispers were louder now, “Hello” a calm voice echoed, “It isn’t fair, life isn’t fair, but it isn’t fair that you didn’t get a millisecond to breathe.” My head tilted, “What do you mean? This is all there is, isn’t it?”

My voice was barely audible, but he seemed to understand. “Well, no, three dimensions, above, below and here. I looked down, “So, this is earth?” I mumbled.

He seemed to chuckle, “No, NOA P. this is the fourth dimension, 6TH GRADE only one has ever been here, YOU.” Suddenly the ground split wide open, and a charred black hand grabbed, me and suddenly I fell, “NO!!!!”

Perseverance Literature Now I seemed to be heard since a rumble, then a whisper.

“GO! YOU HAVE SURVIVED THE VOID, PERSEVERANCE GAVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE!”

LAURELIN S. 6TH GRADE

Perseverance Throughout History Watercolor, pencil, inking pens, gold fountain pen, sketch pad

"While I was drawing this, I aimed

Anthony. In the present day, I also

to show the different ways that

drew a girl with a mask, and signs in

people have persevered

a Stop Asian Hate protest. In the

throughout history. In one of the

middle of all of these fragments of

panel fragments, which are

perseverance, there is a triangle

outlined in gold to represent the

with a young girl with a braid

hope of persevering, I drew Martin

inside. She is stepping towards the

Luther King Jr. giving his I have a

unknown like we do everyday. "

dream speech. I also drew Malala, Harriet Tubman, and Susan B.

EDDEN M. 4TH GRADE

Hope Hill Acrylic paint, markers

"When you are trying to do something difficult and you feel like giving up... Don't. Gather your strength and face the challenge.

You can do it."

ALEC K. 4TH GRADE

"Before you read this piece, read the

sometimes learns and many a failure comes

following poem. It's called Don't Quit by

about when he might have won had he

John Greenleaf Whittier

stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow— you may succeed with

Persevere Marker on paper and literature

When things go wrong as they sometimes

another blow. Success is failure turned

will, when the road you're trudging seems

inside out— the silver tint of the clouds of

all uphill, when the funds are low and the

doubt. And you never can tell just how close

debts are high And you want to smile, but

you are, it may be near when it seems so

you have to sigh, When care is pressing you

far. So stick to the fight when you're

down a bit, rest if you must, but don't you

hardest hit—

quit. Life is strange with its twists and turns

It's when things seem worse

as every one of us

that you must not quit.

During this past year, lots of people have had to stay home or wear

but because of covid-19, he feels like some people who wanted to

masks during the covid 19 pandemic and that's why I chose to write

learn first aid and CPR could not not because of the pandemic. “I

my book about it. I interviewed kids in my class and in the

persevered through that by learning to enjoy what I do have, and I

community. I also interviewed people who don't live in California like

learned to focus better and to enjoy talking with my wife more and

people in Connecticut to see how they persevered through this

to my children and grandchildren on Zoom,” he said. After talking

pandemic.

with him, I spoke to Carin Feldman. She is 70 years old.

The first person I interviewed was Chloe Kravetz. She is 9 years old.

The same week Covid-19 was announced, Carin found out she had

Here is her story.

leukemia, and it was even harder because Covid-19 was going

Chloe said the hardest part of getting through Covid-19 was not

around, so she couldn't see any family or friends, which was really

being able to hug her friends and having to wear masks. Chloe said,

hard, she told me. Also, because of Covid-19, Carin could not do her

“Over time, I got used to wearing a mask but I still miss hugging my

job at the nursing home. When she was at doctors appointments, and

friends.” The way she persevered was, over time she “just got used to

when she was in the hospital, because of the pandemic no friends or

it.”

family could see her there. She told me she persevered through that

Next I interviewed Harrison Blake. He is 10 years old. Like Chloe,

because, “I have amazing friends and family that found ways to

Harrison said it was hard for him not to see his friends and it was hard to wear a mask, too. “I had to get used to it, but it helped knowing everybody else had to do the same thing.” Both persevered by thinking to themselves everybody has to do the same thing, so I need to get used to it, too. But then I started to think about it a little

include me in their lives while I was at the hospital,” she said. This included people from other places who traveled by car to see her, talking to family through hospital windows so she could see and hear them, and lots Zooming for birthdays, celebrations, and dinners. “I also watched lots of Netflix with my husband, and hugged my dog

more: If two people persevered the same way, did others, also, or

and cat.”

were there other ways people made it through?

Lee Kravetz, 43, also has a dog and a cat. He is an author and a

To figure this out, next I interviewed Shane Feldman. He is 43 years old. Shane has a two-year-old and he had just started his own company when Covid started in March 2020. He had to take care of his daughter because daycare shut down. To make it through, he only worked at night, and that was hard for him to do for a couple of months. His mom had cancer and he wanted to see her before she

therapist with two kids, but when Covid-19 happened, he had to do everything from home while still taking care of his family. “It was hard not to see my friend or extended family,” he said. He persevered by spending a lot of time with family, and by reminding himself what the important things in life were, like his kids, his wife, his parents and inlaws, his pets. “That’s all I needed to persevere.

went into treatment, but planes were unsafe, so he had to take more

What else does a person really need?”

time off of work to drive across the country to see her. He

Last but not least, I spoke to Mimi Kravetz, who is 42 years old. Mimi

persevered by helping out his family. “That keeps me happy because

said that it was hard for her to work because she needed to go to

some of my friends don't have family around them and they are stuck college campuses for her job, but because of Covid-19, she was not at home feeling lonely,” he said.

able to go on planes to visit the schools. “I could not see people I

The next person I interviewed was Sabine Feldman. She is 16 years

work with because most of the people live on the East Coast. I could

old. It was hard to keep a good routine while she was going to school online, and also hard to keep up with homework, she said, but she persevered by calling her closest friends and her grandma and grandpa to keep her company. “Every time I did homework I gave myself a reward,” she said.

I was curious how someone my grandparents’ age had persevered, so the next person I interviewed was Paul Feldman. He is 72 years old.

He missed seeing his kids and his grandchildren, he told me. Some of his kids and his grandchildren live in California, but he could not see them in the beginning because things were still unclear at that point as to what was safe. The other parts of his family lived on the East Coast, so it was hard not to see them, too. He told me that, even though he is retired, he teaches people how to do first aid and CPR,

not run meetings because people live all over place, and nobody felt safe going on a plane, either,” she said. In the beginning, her kids went online for school, so she had to work to help them do their school work, and she was worried, she told me, about her parents because they were vulnerable to the illness. She persevered through that by trying to create joyful moments and memories throughout and to make the best of things. For example, she played with her kids, made up fun games, started cooking more, and did more exercise. “I also adopted two new kittens.”

I had a lot of fun getting other people's perspectives on how they persevered. Thank you for reading."

ZOE H. 6TH GRADE

"I based it off a quote I once saw, The artwork shows the fight to keep on pushing forwards to reach your dreams, whether that be

Shoot for the Moon

fame, happiness, or world

Colored pencil, sketch pad

domination, hopefully not that last one, though."

"Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you'll land among the stars" - Les Brown

INSPIRED YET?

Use these two pages to create your own masterpiece!

WAGSHUL WONDERS