Students Choose Real Audiences & Purposes for Writing!
All writings posted below are from Ms. Henderson's 5th grade students in 2009-2010.
9-10-09
Dear Coach Overstreet,
Hey Coach! I am writing to persuade you to let me be a running back. The reason I want to be a running back is because the running backs we have now are coughing up the ball. Plus, they can’t truck anybody. They just get stripped and the other team gets a touchdown. We can’t afford for that to happen, especially on teams like Mayfield. So will you let me be a running back? I want to be an undefeated team this year and I can help make it happen!
Coach, we need a big person like Teqoz, Chance or me to run the ball. I say that because the people who run the ball now are scared, but Teqoz and I aren’t. They are scared when they see Teqoz and me coming!
When we play Heath I know our running backs are going to try to do shake and bake. But it’s like my dad told me: your chest doesn’t go anywhere. When they watch that chest he is going to go for the legs or there will be somebody behind our running back and he’ll get tackled from behind. Basically, we just don’t need to shake and bake. I think we just need to run so put me in as running back!
During our last game, two of our running backs got hurt. Both Darrien and Torrence got their legs hurt. They were both limping because they tried to shake and bake and they got hit in their legs from behind. (You may also remember that Torrence dropped the ball!) We would have beaten Ballard twenty-one, zip, but instead it was fourteen, zip. I’m proud of our win, but I still think I deserve a chance to play running back. I’ll bet we will win a lot more games!
Sincerely,
Wallace
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Dear Ms. Henderson,
Do you ever wish we would stay awake in class? Do you ever hope we’ll have a week without zero marks? How does an afternoon with less talking sound? If this sounds great to you, why not give us a gum reward day?
Maybe you remember some kids sleeping in class recently. I won’t mention any names, but Trevon and Nathan sure look tired in class! I’ve even heard them snoring! If we have a gum reward day, they’ll stay awake. They’ll learn more. They’ll hear every word you say. They will stay focused, all because of the gum you give us.
Ms. Henderson, a gum reward day will motivate us to get zero marks. One way a gum reward day will help us is by encouraging us to do the right thing. For example, Brandon doesn’t always do his homework. I don’t know why. If he had a good reason to do his homework, like a gum reward day, then I know he’ll do it in a heartbeat. I know it will motivate him to do his homework. Ms. Henderson, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Brandon loves to chew apple or watermelon Bubbalicious. In fact we all do!
I know you want us to do less talking and more listening, Ms. Henderson. Well, bubble gum will do the trick. Don’t worry about smacking, either. We’ll keep our gum quiet. It will help us concentrate more. We will do less talking because we’ll be chewing. We can’t talk and chew at the same time! The juicy and flavorful apple and watermelon Bubbalicious will keep me from getting chatty. I will be appreciating and listening while I focus on what you are teaching. So Ms. Henderson, please reward us, will you? Less talking and more listening means a fabulous day!
Ms. Henderson, I have given you delicious, juicy reasons why we should have a gum reward day. Trevon and Nathan will stay awake and energized. Brandon will be motivated to get his work done. Plus, we’ll all be focusing on your lesson with less talking and more listening! I hope this sound good to you. Thanks for your time!
Sincerely,
Monyette
9-10-09
Dear Coach Overstreet,
Hey Coach! I am writing to persuade you to let me be a running back. The reason I want to be a running back is because the running backs we have now are coughing up the ball. Plus, they can’t truck anybody. They just get stripped and the other team gets a touchdown. We can’t afford for that to happen, especially on teams like Mayfield. So will you let me be a running back? I want to be an undefeated team this year and I can help make it happen!
Coach, we need a big person like Teqoz, Chance or me to run the ball. I say that because the people who run the ball now are scared, but Teqoz and I aren’t. They are scared when they see Teqoz and me coming!
When we play Heath I know our running backs are going to try to do shake and bake. But it’s like my dad told me: your chest doesn’t go anywhere. When they watch that chest he is going to go for the legs or there will be somebody behind our running back and he’ll get tackled from behind. Basically, we just don’t need to shake and bake. I think we just need to run so put me in as running back!
During our last game, two of our running backs got hurt. Both Darrien and Torrence got their legs hurt. They were both limping because they tried to shake and bake and they got hit in their legs from behind. (You may also remember that Torrence dropped the ball!) We would have beaten Ballard twenty-one, zip, but instead it was fourteen, zip. I’m proud of our win, but I still think I deserve a chance to play running back. I’ll bet we will win a lot more games!
Sincerely,
Wallace
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Dear Ms. Henderson,
Do you ever wish we would stay awake in class? Do you ever hope we’ll have a week without zero marks? How does an afternoon with less talking sound? If this sounds great to you, why not give us a gum reward day?
Maybe you remember some kids sleeping in class recently. I won’t mention any names, but Trevon and Nathan sure look tired in class! I’ve even heard them snoring! If we have a gum reward day, they’ll stay awake. They’ll learn more. They’ll hear every word you say. They will stay focused, all because of the gum you give us.
Ms. Henderson, a gum reward day will motivate us to get zero marks. One way a gum reward day will help us is by encouraging us to do the right thing. For example, Brandon doesn’t always do his homework. I don’t know why. If he had a good reason to do his homework, like a gum reward day, then I know he’ll do it in a heartbeat. I know it will motivate him to do his homework. Ms. Henderson, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Brandon loves to chew apple or watermelon Bubbalicious. In fact we all do!
I know you want us to do less talking and more listening, Ms. Henderson. Well, bubble gum will do the trick. Don’t worry about smacking, either. We’ll keep our gum quiet. It will help us concentrate more. We will do less talking because we’ll be chewing. We can’t talk and chew at the same time! The juicy and flavorful apple and watermelon Bubbalicious will keep me from getting chatty. I will be appreciating and listening while I focus on what you are teaching. So Ms. Henderson, please reward us, will you? Less talking and more listening means a fabulous day!
Ms. Henderson, I have given you delicious, juicy reasons why we should have a gum reward day. Trevon and Nathan will stay awake and energized. Brandon will be motivated to get his work done. Plus, we’ll all be focusing on your lesson with less talking and more listening! I hope this sound good to you. Thanks for your time!
Sincerely,
Monyette
Congratulations to MONYETTE DREW, 1st place winner of the Annual McCracken Co. NAACP Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Contest!
Outstanding writing, Monyette!
‘’Injustice anywhere is a threat everywhere.’’
One injustice I would like to address is school bullying. Bullying is everywhere, but in this case, at school. I’m a true witness of injustice in my school. One day outside a group of kids decided to pick on a little girl. They picked on her, they mocked her, they cussed her about what she was wearing. The little girl was me. I started to shed tears. It made me feel horrible inside, I felt sick. I started to tell the teacher but the teacher did not do anything about it. I was too disabled to tell my parents. It was hard for me at the time. I was just in the third grade.
Over the years I have been bullied1-4th grade, I still get bullied today. However now I am aware of bullying, I try to reverse bullying every time I can. Now that I’m older, I can take up for myself. I learn how to take up for myself in a peaceful manner. Like to compromise with the bully. Show them that you are not a bad person. Ask them, “Why are you trying to do something I don’t want to do?’’ Try to ask them question without violence or drama.
Kids have feelings. Everybody does, including grown-ups. In school, a lot of kids think they are all that. So I tell them how would you feel if someone threatened you or mocked you? It would not feel great; not at all. When I get a chance to stop bullying, I will. Sometimes I use the saying, ‘’Put your feet in someone else’s shoes. See how they feel. In that way, I don’t have to worry about getting in trouble. If that does not work, it does not mean for you or nobody else to give up. It is just the beginning of a new start.
One injustice I would like to address is school bullying. Bullying is everywhere, but in this case, at school. I’m a true witness of injustice in my school. One day outside a group of kids decided to pick on a little girl. They picked on her, they mocked her, they cussed her about what she was wearing. The little girl was me. I started to shed tears. It made me feel horrible inside, I felt sick. I started to tell the teacher but the teacher did not do anything about it. I was too disabled to tell my parents. It was hard for me at the time. I was just in the third grade.
Over the years I have been bullied1-4th grade, I still get bullied today. However now I am aware of bullying, I try to reverse bullying every time I can. Now that I’m older, I can take up for myself. I learn how to take up for myself in a peaceful manner. Like to compromise with the bully. Show them that you are not a bad person. Ask them, “Why are you trying to do something I don’t want to do?’’ Try to ask them question without violence or drama.
Kids have feelings. Everybody does, including grown-ups. In school, a lot of kids think they are all that. So I tell them how would you feel if someone threatened you or mocked you? It would not feel great; not at all. When I get a chance to stop bullying, I will. Sometimes I use the saying, ‘’Put your feet in someone else’s shoes. See how they feel. In that way, I don’t have to worry about getting in trouble. If that does not work, it does not mean for you or nobody else to give up. It is just the beginning of a new start.
Ms. Henderson's 5th Graders have the "Write" Stuff!
If I Could Go Anywhere by Wallace
If I could go anywhere I would visit Paris. I would want to go to Paris to go to the Eiffel Tower. For lunch we could go to an extra fancy restaurant. There I could eat escargot again. Escargot is a little slimy like half-shell oysters. Paris would be a good and fun place to visit. That is where I would like to visit. Where would you like to visit?
Winter Storm 2009 by Nathan
It was a dark, and snowy night.
Trees cracking
falling on power-lines
in the middle of the street
causing cars to swerve around them.
Ice falling off the roof,
breaking once it touches the ground.
A maniac sliding on the street
thinking he is cool;
3 feet away from crashing
into my dad’s new van.
It was getting colder
so we went back in the house.
We took our wet cloths off
and changed into our pajamas
and we went to sleep
that’s when everything got
very,
very quiet.
My Robot by Nathan
When I make my robot, it will look like Wall-e. It will help everyone do everything. I will also make it indestructible and water-proof. I will paint it a light blue color. It will run off of water, not gasoline. It will do almost anything. It will be the best robot in the world!
Dear Shane,
Do you know when we are at home doing homework how smart you are? How you listen and follow directions? So why are you bad in school? Is it because you cannot control yourself? Do you like to be bad? How do you learn in school when you are being bad? If you can’t learn in school, you cannot go to the next grade. Are you tired of get in trouble? If you are, let me tell you how to not get in trouble.
One thing it is important to do is do not talk when the teacher is talking! If you do talk you will not know if she given you instructions on what to do. Shane, if you want to say something you should raise your hand. If you do not the teacher will give you a mark (put your name on the board). If you feel like talking out put your hand over your mouth as if you were coughing. Do what you will do if you were home; like sitting down, being quiet as a mouse. Your teacher will notice how well behaved you are being.
Looking back, over my experience sitting in my in seat is the easiest to learn how to do. All you have to do is put your feet on the floor, put your behind in your seat, and listen to your teacher. If you do not you will get your chair taken away from you. In other words, you will have to stand up all day including lunch .So sit in your chair all day. You’ll be better off sitting in your chair any way.
I hope that you do not disrespect your teacher. If you do disrespect your teacher you know that’s the wrong thing to do. While you are in school Mrs. Hadfield is responsible to take care of you until you get ready to go home. So, use the same manners as you would at home. Being disrespectful will get you in a lot of trouble; even more than getting out of your seat and talking out or even jumping around. So please don’t be disrespectful to your teacher. If you do be respectful to your teacher you might get to go on fieldtrip, even get a respect ticket, or a reward.
Shane, people don’t get rewarded for being bad. So Shane, if you want to get rewarded, be good. It’s your life so make good choices. In school you should sit in your chair, do not talk out, and listen to your teacher. To give you my advice, do what you would if you were at home. You are a good brother but you have to show it.
Love your sister,
Monyette
Music to My Ears by Monyette
Walking along the busy street
cracks in between the concrete sidewalk
weeds, grass tangle together.
Walking along the busy street the noise is loud-
booming cars with boombox bass,
roaring fire engine, car rushing to be on time.
Walking along the busy street by the soccer field,
children banging on the fence
laughing, yelling, cheering, climbing.
A family on the bleachers talking as loud as they can
by a game across the street clapping their hands,
cheers loud and clear So I can’t understand.
Walking along the busy street
All the music in the world on my little block
making pleasure to my ears.
My Fish and I by Quwong
My fish and I
In my bedroom.
He dives down in
The bottom
Of his bowl
Looking for food.
His mouth opens
Like an alligator
Eating his prey.
I politely take the
Top off of the
Fish’s food
And put the top
On the nightstand.
Pinching the stinky food
And sprinkling it in.
Then Zoom!
Up like a cheetah
Bubbles popping
Up in the fish’s
Bowl.
He races to the surface
Gobbling his flaky dinner.
My fish and I
In my bedroom.
Flipping
and smiling,
We are happy together now.
Essence’s Nails by Essence
So much depends
On Essence’s nails
Painted red,
The color of a rose
So I can write and
Type and look good.
Much depends
On Essence’s nails
Painted red,
My mom paints them
Nice and slowly so
She won’t get out
Of lines.
Much depends
On Essence’s nails
Painted red,
So I can
Come to
School looking good
And my hands
Will handle all the work.
Gave My Biggest Smile by J.P.
I gave my biggest smile when I got my motorcycle for Christmas. I could not believe it! I stared acting silly. I was running, smiling, and laughing. I could not wait to ride it. I put on my clothes. I ran outside with a smile on my face and jumped on my motorcycle and rode away. That was when I gave my biggest smile.
Winter Storm by Teqoz
Lights blinking quickly
On
and
Off,
P O W!
No more lights.
In the dark
everything’s quiet.
SHHHHHH, CRACK!
Branches breaking
behind the dog house.
Flashlights and candles
light the house.
Shadows in corners
Moving like blowing wind.
Power back on.
Watch the news and
prepare for another ice storm.
Dear Obama,
What I learned from you is to stay in school and work hard and keep us out from the swine flu, so we won’t be sick. From your speech, I learned about something that someday I will grow up to be a police officer. I learned that I am going to be a good person.
Sincerely,
Quinton
My Apology Note for My Family By Quinton
I am sorry For what I didn’t do.
I did forget cleaning my room.
was too busy watching TV
Sponge Bob oh!! Tartar Sauce!
Patrick is always acting a fool.
Grandma yelling at us to clean our room, she
hurts my feelings.
I get angry,
I slam my stuff on the ground
Try to calm down.
Picking up my stuff
I step on my dog’s tail.
He whines, barks and cries.
I didn’t know my dog was
behind me.
I am sorry For what I did.
Construction Zone by Brandon
Sometimes I walk by a
Construction Company.
It looks like a pigsty.
Dirt and rocks all over the place
Loose rocks fall really hard,
Louder than a bomb,
Almost louder than a VOLCANO!
The muddy workers
Look like a mud ball,
Dirt all over the place,
But I bet when they
Go home their wives say,
“You stink badly!
Go take a shower!”
The machines, big and yellow
Are really noisy.
Noisy machines
So loud they have
To yell to tell them what to do.
So noisy you can’t
Even hear me!! Or my big brother talking.
So we just walk by and watch.
Good Bye Rock by Reese
So much depends upon
A blue rock,
A green and blue rock
on the driveway.
The driveway,
rough, curvy
with the rock
sitting on the
spot where the tires tread
when they
exit the driveway.
So much depends upon
a blue rock,
Getting Rained On;
Showery days
with thunder,
icy cold rain drops on
the blue rock
with no protection,
like a frog without a home.
So much depends upon
a blue rock,
a green and blue rock
getting crushed
every time
it gets run over
by the cars that
enter the driveway.
So much depends upon
a blue rock,
the poor green and blue rock
with only one step
before getting to the point
of shattering, back in to sand!
My writing teacher by Lorenzo
Leaning on the projector,
writing that tickles you,
but still thinking
as she writes
things from
left
to right thinking,
making
up stuff like she doesn’t
have any sense at all.
Pencil on paper, focus
like a tiger seeking its
prey. It’s like her
pencil is magic.
3-2-09
Dear Dr.Greene,
I’m writing this letter because I want to persuade you not to make up those days we missed during the winter storm ‘09. I understand it was a hard time. When we were in the challenging winter storm, no one had electricity. I recognized the days were crazy when electricity was out. Please do not make us make up the days. It was not our fault that trees were falling, and damage was everywhere. We were afraid and frightened because we had no lights!!! Plus that week at home was a learning experience. Now I know to be prepared when anything like a tornado comes by.
One reason why I am writing this letter is because we will already prove what we learned when we take the big test. The test shows our math, reading, science, and social studies knowledge. Do you know that the test is in May? We need those days to get ready for the test. If we start to make the days up in June it will be too late. Making the days up in June will not make our test scores any better.
Do you realize that June is a delayed time to make the days up? That is really not a great time because other people have to go on vacation. Many people are not able to change their plans, and several airline tickets or car rentals do not give refunds back. If someone has made a reservation they will lose their money. Now making up the days will cause money loss as well.
I have plans in June. I am traveling to Louisiana where my family resides. They wish I could be there so we can have a fiesta. We were planning to go on the beach and attend the 3-D I-Max Theater. We were going to do some spectacular activities like playing the Nintendo Wii but we will not be able to do the things we have planned if we are forced to make up the days. Louisiana is fun, you can do anything; you can go to the fair and you can eat popcorn as well. My mom’s dad is famous, he plays in a band called The Jabberwockies and on June 6, 09, he is going to play in a concert. I would really prefer to listen to him play a jazz saxophone, I hope you understand.
It is important that I see him because he is famous and I don’t get to see him very often. There is nothing like a Jazz Granddad; he is one special man. We are not going to see him if we make up the days. I don’t think we should make up the days because we would already have proved what we learned, money would be lost, and my plans to go to Louisiana will be spoiled. I really appreciate you taking your time for think about this!!!
Your buddy,
Bryan
September 9, 2009
Dear Cafeteria Ladies,
Hello! When you serve tacos (soft shell), have you noticed the students’ faces yet? Have you also noticed how they’ve been playing with the tacos instead of eating them? You may have seen some kids eating only the meat, not the shells. You may have also noticed some of the kids getting something else. For example, they have been choosing tuna fish, PB & J, or Trix yogurt instead of tacos. Have you heard them talking about soft shells when they are entering in a negative way? Well, if you have, why don’t you offer us hard shell tacos, too?
Maybe if you serve hard shells, you will see children with smiles on their faces! Also, they will start talking about tacos in a positive way! If you don’t, they may just keep that frown on their faces. I’ve seen first graders, and to tell you the truth, some of their trays have just the soft shell left and they’ve only eaten the meat. That’s not enough! I know that may make you disappointed, but just try serving the hard shells to see if it helps!
When you serve hard shell tacos, you may see that nobody chooses the other options and then you will not be disappointed! Also, the kids might like the hard shell tacos so much that they want to buy extras. That will make you even happier. That will mean smiley faces for you and the children. It’s simple! Just make your regular tacos, but instead of using soft shells, use hard shells. If you do, you will get comments like, “Good! Delicious! and Awesome!”
Just picture the students eating soft shell tacos. They don’t look very happy, do they? Now picture the students enjoying hard shell tacos. It will be perfect. Most kids love that crunching sound. Also, kids would start eating the whole taco and not just the meat!
So I think you can see my point. Please serve hard shell tacos as a choice. It is your decision and I hoped it grabbed your attention. Remember, we love hard shells!
Sincerely,
Kaitlyn
Ahquavion, My Brother By Trevon
One sunny day
in the afternoon
outside my house
in the short green grass
Ahquavion, my brother
hollered a loud noise.
“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”
Ahquavion, my brother
screamed a vehicle noise
that was really earsplitting.
“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”
like the Mazda commercial.
I told him to stop or
he would get grounded,
but Ahquavion, my brother
ignored me.
I felt furious like a mad dog who lost its bone.
The next door neighbor
heard him;
Ahquavion, my brother
woke the neighbor up
he grumpily told me.
My neighbor’s eyelashes had sleepy stuff
like he just got out of bed.
Ahquavion, my brother
truly in trouble.
Ahquavion, my brother
got himself grounded.
My Old Home by Nathan
I live in the city of Orlando, Florida
with flashing red, blue, green, and violet
neon lights in the distance
of my beach house.
No stars, only the moon in
the sky over the beach looking down at me.
Sun reflective, tall buildings so very close
together, scrunched so close I think,
there would be no air to breathe!
So noisy with dogs barking, cars honking,
tires squealing, rocks crashing into windows.
So noisy it will make you stay
awake all night.
From the subway rumbling
under me like a stampede of rhinos underground,
to helicopters like whales raining on top of my building.
I would give anything to live somewhere else;
the noise sometimes makes me mad,
when I hear that twinkle, twinkle, little star melody
I can finally rest,
and let the melody drift me to sleep.
I Remember by Danielle
I remember being little enough to be picked up and put to bed. I would fall asleep on the couch. My daddy would pick me up and put me in my bed. My mommy would put me to bed sometimes even if I wasn’t asleep. She would sing me a lullaby to make me go to sleep. My mommy would go buy me medicine when I was really sick. She would call the doctor and he would give her the medicine. My daddy would hold me all the time.
If I could go anywhere I would visit Paris. I would want to go to Paris to go to the Eiffel Tower. For lunch we could go to an extra fancy restaurant. There I could eat escargot again. Escargot is a little slimy like half-shell oysters. Paris would be a good and fun place to visit. That is where I would like to visit. Where would you like to visit?
Winter Storm 2009 by Nathan
It was a dark, and snowy night.
Trees cracking
falling on power-lines
in the middle of the street
causing cars to swerve around them.
Ice falling off the roof,
breaking once it touches the ground.
A maniac sliding on the street
thinking he is cool;
3 feet away from crashing
into my dad’s new van.
It was getting colder
so we went back in the house.
We took our wet cloths off
and changed into our pajamas
and we went to sleep
that’s when everything got
very,
very quiet.
My Robot by Nathan
When I make my robot, it will look like Wall-e. It will help everyone do everything. I will also make it indestructible and water-proof. I will paint it a light blue color. It will run off of water, not gasoline. It will do almost anything. It will be the best robot in the world!
Dear Shane,
Do you know when we are at home doing homework how smart you are? How you listen and follow directions? So why are you bad in school? Is it because you cannot control yourself? Do you like to be bad? How do you learn in school when you are being bad? If you can’t learn in school, you cannot go to the next grade. Are you tired of get in trouble? If you are, let me tell you how to not get in trouble.
One thing it is important to do is do not talk when the teacher is talking! If you do talk you will not know if she given you instructions on what to do. Shane, if you want to say something you should raise your hand. If you do not the teacher will give you a mark (put your name on the board). If you feel like talking out put your hand over your mouth as if you were coughing. Do what you will do if you were home; like sitting down, being quiet as a mouse. Your teacher will notice how well behaved you are being.
Looking back, over my experience sitting in my in seat is the easiest to learn how to do. All you have to do is put your feet on the floor, put your behind in your seat, and listen to your teacher. If you do not you will get your chair taken away from you. In other words, you will have to stand up all day including lunch .So sit in your chair all day. You’ll be better off sitting in your chair any way.
I hope that you do not disrespect your teacher. If you do disrespect your teacher you know that’s the wrong thing to do. While you are in school Mrs. Hadfield is responsible to take care of you until you get ready to go home. So, use the same manners as you would at home. Being disrespectful will get you in a lot of trouble; even more than getting out of your seat and talking out or even jumping around. So please don’t be disrespectful to your teacher. If you do be respectful to your teacher you might get to go on fieldtrip, even get a respect ticket, or a reward.
Shane, people don’t get rewarded for being bad. So Shane, if you want to get rewarded, be good. It’s your life so make good choices. In school you should sit in your chair, do not talk out, and listen to your teacher. To give you my advice, do what you would if you were at home. You are a good brother but you have to show it.
Love your sister,
Monyette
Music to My Ears by Monyette
Walking along the busy street
cracks in between the concrete sidewalk
weeds, grass tangle together.
Walking along the busy street the noise is loud-
booming cars with boombox bass,
roaring fire engine, car rushing to be on time.
Walking along the busy street by the soccer field,
children banging on the fence
laughing, yelling, cheering, climbing.
A family on the bleachers talking as loud as they can
by a game across the street clapping their hands,
cheers loud and clear So I can’t understand.
Walking along the busy street
All the music in the world on my little block
making pleasure to my ears.
My Fish and I by Quwong
My fish and I
In my bedroom.
He dives down in
The bottom
Of his bowl
Looking for food.
His mouth opens
Like an alligator
Eating his prey.
I politely take the
Top off of the
Fish’s food
And put the top
On the nightstand.
Pinching the stinky food
And sprinkling it in.
Then Zoom!
Up like a cheetah
Bubbles popping
Up in the fish’s
Bowl.
He races to the surface
Gobbling his flaky dinner.
My fish and I
In my bedroom.
Flipping
and smiling,
We are happy together now.
Essence’s Nails by Essence
So much depends
On Essence’s nails
Painted red,
The color of a rose
So I can write and
Type and look good.
Much depends
On Essence’s nails
Painted red,
My mom paints them
Nice and slowly so
She won’t get out
Of lines.
Much depends
On Essence’s nails
Painted red,
So I can
Come to
School looking good
And my hands
Will handle all the work.
Gave My Biggest Smile by J.P.
I gave my biggest smile when I got my motorcycle for Christmas. I could not believe it! I stared acting silly. I was running, smiling, and laughing. I could not wait to ride it. I put on my clothes. I ran outside with a smile on my face and jumped on my motorcycle and rode away. That was when I gave my biggest smile.
Winter Storm by Teqoz
Lights blinking quickly
On
and
Off,
P O W!
No more lights.
In the dark
everything’s quiet.
SHHHHHH, CRACK!
Branches breaking
behind the dog house.
Flashlights and candles
light the house.
Shadows in corners
Moving like blowing wind.
Power back on.
Watch the news and
prepare for another ice storm.
Dear Obama,
What I learned from you is to stay in school and work hard and keep us out from the swine flu, so we won’t be sick. From your speech, I learned about something that someday I will grow up to be a police officer. I learned that I am going to be a good person.
Sincerely,
Quinton
My Apology Note for My Family By Quinton
I am sorry For what I didn’t do.
I did forget cleaning my room.
was too busy watching TV
Sponge Bob oh!! Tartar Sauce!
Patrick is always acting a fool.
Grandma yelling at us to clean our room, she
hurts my feelings.
I get angry,
I slam my stuff on the ground
Try to calm down.
Picking up my stuff
I step on my dog’s tail.
He whines, barks and cries.
I didn’t know my dog was
behind me.
I am sorry For what I did.
Construction Zone by Brandon
Sometimes I walk by a
Construction Company.
It looks like a pigsty.
Dirt and rocks all over the place
Loose rocks fall really hard,
Louder than a bomb,
Almost louder than a VOLCANO!
The muddy workers
Look like a mud ball,
Dirt all over the place,
But I bet when they
Go home their wives say,
“You stink badly!
Go take a shower!”
The machines, big and yellow
Are really noisy.
Noisy machines
So loud they have
To yell to tell them what to do.
So noisy you can’t
Even hear me!! Or my big brother talking.
So we just walk by and watch.
Good Bye Rock by Reese
So much depends upon
A blue rock,
A green and blue rock
on the driveway.
The driveway,
rough, curvy
with the rock
sitting on the
spot where the tires tread
when they
exit the driveway.
So much depends upon
a blue rock,
Getting Rained On;
Showery days
with thunder,
icy cold rain drops on
the blue rock
with no protection,
like a frog without a home.
So much depends upon
a blue rock,
a green and blue rock
getting crushed
every time
it gets run over
by the cars that
enter the driveway.
So much depends upon
a blue rock,
the poor green and blue rock
with only one step
before getting to the point
of shattering, back in to sand!
My writing teacher by Lorenzo
Leaning on the projector,
writing that tickles you,
but still thinking
as she writes
things from
left
to right thinking,
making
up stuff like she doesn’t
have any sense at all.
Pencil on paper, focus
like a tiger seeking its
prey. It’s like her
pencil is magic.
3-2-09
Dear Dr.Greene,
I’m writing this letter because I want to persuade you not to make up those days we missed during the winter storm ‘09. I understand it was a hard time. When we were in the challenging winter storm, no one had electricity. I recognized the days were crazy when electricity was out. Please do not make us make up the days. It was not our fault that trees were falling, and damage was everywhere. We were afraid and frightened because we had no lights!!! Plus that week at home was a learning experience. Now I know to be prepared when anything like a tornado comes by.
One reason why I am writing this letter is because we will already prove what we learned when we take the big test. The test shows our math, reading, science, and social studies knowledge. Do you know that the test is in May? We need those days to get ready for the test. If we start to make the days up in June it will be too late. Making the days up in June will not make our test scores any better.
Do you realize that June is a delayed time to make the days up? That is really not a great time because other people have to go on vacation. Many people are not able to change their plans, and several airline tickets or car rentals do not give refunds back. If someone has made a reservation they will lose their money. Now making up the days will cause money loss as well.
I have plans in June. I am traveling to Louisiana where my family resides. They wish I could be there so we can have a fiesta. We were planning to go on the beach and attend the 3-D I-Max Theater. We were going to do some spectacular activities like playing the Nintendo Wii but we will not be able to do the things we have planned if we are forced to make up the days. Louisiana is fun, you can do anything; you can go to the fair and you can eat popcorn as well. My mom’s dad is famous, he plays in a band called The Jabberwockies and on June 6, 09, he is going to play in a concert. I would really prefer to listen to him play a jazz saxophone, I hope you understand.
It is important that I see him because he is famous and I don’t get to see him very often. There is nothing like a Jazz Granddad; he is one special man. We are not going to see him if we make up the days. I don’t think we should make up the days because we would already have proved what we learned, money would be lost, and my plans to go to Louisiana will be spoiled. I really appreciate you taking your time for think about this!!!
Your buddy,
Bryan
September 9, 2009
Dear Cafeteria Ladies,
Hello! When you serve tacos (soft shell), have you noticed the students’ faces yet? Have you also noticed how they’ve been playing with the tacos instead of eating them? You may have seen some kids eating only the meat, not the shells. You may have also noticed some of the kids getting something else. For example, they have been choosing tuna fish, PB & J, or Trix yogurt instead of tacos. Have you heard them talking about soft shells when they are entering in a negative way? Well, if you have, why don’t you offer us hard shell tacos, too?
Maybe if you serve hard shells, you will see children with smiles on their faces! Also, they will start talking about tacos in a positive way! If you don’t, they may just keep that frown on their faces. I’ve seen first graders, and to tell you the truth, some of their trays have just the soft shell left and they’ve only eaten the meat. That’s not enough! I know that may make you disappointed, but just try serving the hard shells to see if it helps!
When you serve hard shell tacos, you may see that nobody chooses the other options and then you will not be disappointed! Also, the kids might like the hard shell tacos so much that they want to buy extras. That will make you even happier. That will mean smiley faces for you and the children. It’s simple! Just make your regular tacos, but instead of using soft shells, use hard shells. If you do, you will get comments like, “Good! Delicious! and Awesome!”
Just picture the students eating soft shell tacos. They don’t look very happy, do they? Now picture the students enjoying hard shell tacos. It will be perfect. Most kids love that crunching sound. Also, kids would start eating the whole taco and not just the meat!
So I think you can see my point. Please serve hard shell tacos as a choice. It is your decision and I hoped it grabbed your attention. Remember, we love hard shells!
Sincerely,
Kaitlyn
Ahquavion, My Brother By Trevon
One sunny day
in the afternoon
outside my house
in the short green grass
Ahquavion, my brother
hollered a loud noise.
“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”
Ahquavion, my brother
screamed a vehicle noise
that was really earsplitting.
“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”
like the Mazda commercial.
I told him to stop or
he would get grounded,
but Ahquavion, my brother
ignored me.
I felt furious like a mad dog who lost its bone.
The next door neighbor
heard him;
Ahquavion, my brother
woke the neighbor up
he grumpily told me.
My neighbor’s eyelashes had sleepy stuff
like he just got out of bed.
Ahquavion, my brother
truly in trouble.
Ahquavion, my brother
got himself grounded.
My Old Home by Nathan
I live in the city of Orlando, Florida
with flashing red, blue, green, and violet
neon lights in the distance
of my beach house.
No stars, only the moon in
the sky over the beach looking down at me.
Sun reflective, tall buildings so very close
together, scrunched so close I think,
there would be no air to breathe!
So noisy with dogs barking, cars honking,
tires squealing, rocks crashing into windows.
So noisy it will make you stay
awake all night.
From the subway rumbling
under me like a stampede of rhinos underground,
to helicopters like whales raining on top of my building.
I would give anything to live somewhere else;
the noise sometimes makes me mad,
when I hear that twinkle, twinkle, little star melody
I can finally rest,
and let the melody drift me to sleep.
I Remember by Danielle
I remember being little enough to be picked up and put to bed. I would fall asleep on the couch. My daddy would pick me up and put me in my bed. My mommy would put me to bed sometimes even if I wasn’t asleep. She would sing me a lullaby to make me go to sleep. My mommy would go buy me medicine when I was really sick. She would call the doctor and he would give her the medicine. My daddy would hold me all the time.
