Student Essays
Our last writing workshop project of the year was essay writing. Students learned how to write thesis statements that got at exactly what they wanted to say and then find support for their claims through interviews, personal stories, and research. Essay writing helped many students strengthen their voices and gave them an opportunity to write about an issue they felt strongly about. I hope you enjoy them!
Note: Danny, Deen, Gabe A, Jared, Meaghan, and Samuel forgot to email me their essays so I will post them once I have access again to the school computer network.
"Homeless People" by Kevin
Have you ever wondered how homeless people feel with people walking by them every day? Have you ever thought that people mentally and physically hurt them every day?
Homeless people aren’t getting treated correctly. Homeless people are getting treated like rats. Homeless people get physically and mentally hurt every day just like rats. For example, at one of my mom’s speaking engagements, there was a guy and he said, “People use to throw rocks and ice at me when I was sleeping on the side walk.” Another guy at my mom’s speaking engagements said, “My friend that was also homeless at the time got burned to death just because he was sleeping on the ground.”
People are acting like homeless people are invisible, like ghosts walking among the streets. When I was homeless I was walking with my family, and there was a big puddle. Then some rude person drove up and splashed my family and me. Sometimes when homeless people are sleeping on the ground, people walk all over them and act like they’re not even there. When I went to New York I saw a homeless guy in the train station lying down on the ground and people were walking all over him.
Not many people give homeless people money because people don’t care about homeless people. If people gave homeless people just a little bit of money, homeless people can buy the things they need. Usually when I walk down the street I don’t see that many people give homeless people money. If people gave homeless people some money there would be less homeless people in the world. When I was homeless it was hard to find a home. If some people gave me some money I would have found a home sooner. It was also hard for my mom to find a job with a baby and two kids going to school. My family and I had to live in a hotel for almost a year.
There are all types of stereotypes, but there shouldn’t be stereotypes about them. One of the stereotypes is that people think all homeless people are drug addicts. And that’s one of the reasons that people won’t give homeless people money.
It is important to know homeless people don’t get treated correctly. Other people should care about this because. If you see a homeless person, you know what they’re going through, and they’re not all drug addicts. Try putting yourself in homeless people’s shoes. You would have a limited amount of food, you wouldn’t have a warm place to sleep and you wouldn’t have a roof over your head to protect you from rain and snow.
Homeless people aren’t getting treated correctly. Homeless people are getting treated like rats. Homeless people get physically and mentally hurt every day just like rats. For example, at one of my mom’s speaking engagements, there was a guy and he said, “People use to throw rocks and ice at me when I was sleeping on the side walk.” Another guy at my mom’s speaking engagements said, “My friend that was also homeless at the time got burned to death just because he was sleeping on the ground.”
People are acting like homeless people are invisible, like ghosts walking among the streets. When I was homeless I was walking with my family, and there was a big puddle. Then some rude person drove up and splashed my family and me. Sometimes when homeless people are sleeping on the ground, people walk all over them and act like they’re not even there. When I went to New York I saw a homeless guy in the train station lying down on the ground and people were walking all over him.
Not many people give homeless people money because people don’t care about homeless people. If people gave homeless people just a little bit of money, homeless people can buy the things they need. Usually when I walk down the street I don’t see that many people give homeless people money. If people gave homeless people some money there would be less homeless people in the world. When I was homeless it was hard to find a home. If some people gave me some money I would have found a home sooner. It was also hard for my mom to find a job with a baby and two kids going to school. My family and I had to live in a hotel for almost a year.
There are all types of stereotypes, but there shouldn’t be stereotypes about them. One of the stereotypes is that people think all homeless people are drug addicts. And that’s one of the reasons that people won’t give homeless people money.
It is important to know homeless people don’t get treated correctly. Other people should care about this because. If you see a homeless person, you know what they’re going through, and they’re not all drug addicts. Try putting yourself in homeless people’s shoes. You would have a limited amount of food, you wouldn’t have a warm place to sleep and you wouldn’t have a roof over your head to protect you from rain and snow.
"Diwali" by Medha
Many people don’t know how amazing Diwali is, but I’ve come to know that it is great. Let me tell you why. Diwali is the best holiday of the year.
It is usually celebrated in October or November. First of all, it’s my favorite holiday because it’s one that I celebrate the most. Yeah, I celebrate other holidays like Christmas and Easter, but I don’t celebrate them as much as I celebrate Diwali. I remember one time when it was Christmas morning and my sister was trying to wake me up. “Get up!” she said. I moaned, but I got up anyway. As I opened my gifts, I wondered what I had got. Once I had opened them, I realized I had got a remote-control helicopter and the fourth Sister’s Grimm book. Then all of a sudden all the things I had done for Christmas just swam through my head. I remembered when I made gingerbread houses with my cousin and my sister. I remembered when I put up the Christmas tree and hung up the ornaments. Then I realized, that’s all I do for Christmas. I don’t do the praying or the singing or anything like that. For Easter, all I do is the “egg hunting.” But Diwali I celebrate almost all of it. Now let me explain the wonders of Diwali.
Next, I like Diwali because of the clothes we wear. We wear fancy Indian clothes with colorful stiches. Usually my mom wears a type of dress called a saree. It’s like a piece of cloth that you wrap around your body. Unfortunately they only make sarees for adults. My sister’s friend has one, but my mom said it was just for fun. I remember one purple-pink dress that my grandmother and my grandfather gave me. It is beautiful. It had really pretty stiches, beads, and it was very colorful. My grandparents have given me many Indian dresses, but this one was my favorite. It is actually too big for me so I can’t wear it yet. But I still feel great wearing something that they gave me.
Another reason why Diwali is the best holiday of the year is because we get to eat many sweets. Sometimes when my grandmother and my grandfather come, (they live in India) we buy coconuts from the store and when it’s time for Diwali we have to use a hammer to crack it open! The reason for this is so that we can get the coconut water out it. We usually drink coconut water during Diwali. There are also some other sweets that we eat. My favorite sweet is payasam. Payasam is like this milky liquid with sweet small noodles. You can eat it warm or cold. I like it warm. It tastes absolutely amazing. As soon as my mother makes it, I beg her to give some to me. Another sweet I really like is mango ice cream, but we usually have that at an Indian restaurant. That is definitely one of my favorites.
Another reason why Diwali is the best holiday is we get to sing songs and pray to God. When we are praying to God, we say something called slokams. But when my mother and my father are singing, me, my brother, and my sister take turns ringing a small bell which came from my mother’s sister. Sometimes if I want to hold the bell a little longer, my sister starts whining. I also sing songs which I have sung in my Indian music class. Singing songs is actually one of my favorite things to do for this holiday. One thing that my and I do are we take a small square-like table and put statues of God on it. We also fill a bowl of rice and slowly sprinkle the rice on the statues. I like this part of Diwali.
Lastly, Diwali is the best holiday because we get to make Diwali decorations. My mother is always having a great time. Working hard to make the decorations. My sister Neha, she loves Diwali. She thinks making tiny pots is fun. You get to make your own pot! Once it’s time for Diwali, my mother puts all the pots on a plate and puts the plate in the middle of our dining table. Also, whenever my grandmother comes over, she uses colored paper and cuts it into cool shapes. Once she’s finished, she hangs them up on the walls of our house. The Diwali decorations look awesome! Way better than Christmas decorations.
As you can see, Diwali is actually the best holiday of the year. This means that I’m going to celebrate Diwali with all my heart.
It is usually celebrated in October or November. First of all, it’s my favorite holiday because it’s one that I celebrate the most. Yeah, I celebrate other holidays like Christmas and Easter, but I don’t celebrate them as much as I celebrate Diwali. I remember one time when it was Christmas morning and my sister was trying to wake me up. “Get up!” she said. I moaned, but I got up anyway. As I opened my gifts, I wondered what I had got. Once I had opened them, I realized I had got a remote-control helicopter and the fourth Sister’s Grimm book. Then all of a sudden all the things I had done for Christmas just swam through my head. I remembered when I made gingerbread houses with my cousin and my sister. I remembered when I put up the Christmas tree and hung up the ornaments. Then I realized, that’s all I do for Christmas. I don’t do the praying or the singing or anything like that. For Easter, all I do is the “egg hunting.” But Diwali I celebrate almost all of it. Now let me explain the wonders of Diwali.
Next, I like Diwali because of the clothes we wear. We wear fancy Indian clothes with colorful stiches. Usually my mom wears a type of dress called a saree. It’s like a piece of cloth that you wrap around your body. Unfortunately they only make sarees for adults. My sister’s friend has one, but my mom said it was just for fun. I remember one purple-pink dress that my grandmother and my grandfather gave me. It is beautiful. It had really pretty stiches, beads, and it was very colorful. My grandparents have given me many Indian dresses, but this one was my favorite. It is actually too big for me so I can’t wear it yet. But I still feel great wearing something that they gave me.
Another reason why Diwali is the best holiday of the year is because we get to eat many sweets. Sometimes when my grandmother and my grandfather come, (they live in India) we buy coconuts from the store and when it’s time for Diwali we have to use a hammer to crack it open! The reason for this is so that we can get the coconut water out it. We usually drink coconut water during Diwali. There are also some other sweets that we eat. My favorite sweet is payasam. Payasam is like this milky liquid with sweet small noodles. You can eat it warm or cold. I like it warm. It tastes absolutely amazing. As soon as my mother makes it, I beg her to give some to me. Another sweet I really like is mango ice cream, but we usually have that at an Indian restaurant. That is definitely one of my favorites.
Another reason why Diwali is the best holiday is we get to sing songs and pray to God. When we are praying to God, we say something called slokams. But when my mother and my father are singing, me, my brother, and my sister take turns ringing a small bell which came from my mother’s sister. Sometimes if I want to hold the bell a little longer, my sister starts whining. I also sing songs which I have sung in my Indian music class. Singing songs is actually one of my favorite things to do for this holiday. One thing that my and I do are we take a small square-like table and put statues of God on it. We also fill a bowl of rice and slowly sprinkle the rice on the statues. I like this part of Diwali.
Lastly, Diwali is the best holiday because we get to make Diwali decorations. My mother is always having a great time. Working hard to make the decorations. My sister Neha, she loves Diwali. She thinks making tiny pots is fun. You get to make your own pot! Once it’s time for Diwali, my mother puts all the pots on a plate and puts the plate in the middle of our dining table. Also, whenever my grandmother comes over, she uses colored paper and cuts it into cool shapes. Once she’s finished, she hangs them up on the walls of our house. The Diwali decorations look awesome! Way better than Christmas decorations.
As you can see, Diwali is actually the best holiday of the year. This means that I’m going to celebrate Diwali with all my heart.
"NHL Safety" by Michael
Many people don’t realize that NHL hockey player don’t make the best decisions about safety, but I’ve come to realize that they make horrible decisions toward safety. From my point of view NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe.
One reason why NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe is that they don’t wear cages to protect their faces. My friend Jared is shocked: “Why don’t they wear cages? They’re only going to get hurt!” Two days ago Marc Staal of the New York Rangers got hit in the face by a stick and he almost lost his right eye. So, because he thought he looked cool without a cage, he won’t be playing any time soon. In addition to that injury, Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) got hit in the face by a 95 mph slap shot and broke his jaw in two different places. If he had cared about his safety and wore a cage he could have avoided that injury. My dad said that about 10 years ago there was a player who took so many pukes to the face that he died.
My second reason why NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe, is that the players fight all the time! It’s horrible to fight because you can get hurt and so injuries say with you for life. When I see a hockey fight, I think to myself, why would they do this? Why would they do this to each other? It seems like they take pleasure in fighting. Why would they drop the gloves, do they just want to look tough? Why would they allow this in hockey?
About a month ago the Montreal Canadians were playing the Ottawa Senators when a huge fight broke out. At least ten players were involved, and the referees didn’t even try to break it up. I thought this was wrong. When they showed the replay one of the players purposely slashed another player, and he asked if he wanted to fight! Soon the ice was covered in grown men beating each other senseless. My dad said that Shawn Thorton of the Boston Bruins is a reinforcer. Which means he is hired to fight, and imagine if your job was to fight?
Even though I think fighting is wrong, I do have my moments. I play with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, so as you can guess we do get into an occasional fight, and shamefully I participate. But after the game ends I look back on what I did and I think how stupid I was to take pleasure in such a bad thing. Now I know how bad NHL players feel after a fight, but I don’t feel bad for them because they keep on fighting.
My last and most important reason why NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe is that the players don’t wear neck guards. Even the goalies don’t wear them! I remember a few years ago the goalie for the Thrashers got hit in the neck by a stick. The stick cut his vein and his wind pipe, he was rushed to the hospital, and he almost died because he chose not to wear a neck guard.
I’m a goalie and last year I didn’t wear a neck guard because I thought that no one else wore them, so why should I need one. Well, I was proved wrong when a 7th grader took a slap shot at me. It was so fast you couldn’t even see it the puck just missed my neck and cracked the glass behind me. After that I always wore a neck guard.
During a game on March 22, 1989 Steve Tuttle slid into the goalie for the Canadians. Tuttle’s skate cut through the goalies jugular vein. With blood spurting on to the ice, many of the fans were sickened by the scene, eleven fans fainted, and three of them had heart attacks! It is said that if that horrid accident had happened at the other end of the ice the goalie wouldn’t have enough time to get off the ice and in result of that he would die.
As you can see NHL hockey player prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe. So in order to stay safe you must first put safety over how you look and how you act.
One reason why NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe is that they don’t wear cages to protect their faces. My friend Jared is shocked: “Why don’t they wear cages? They’re only going to get hurt!” Two days ago Marc Staal of the New York Rangers got hit in the face by a stick and he almost lost his right eye. So, because he thought he looked cool without a cage, he won’t be playing any time soon. In addition to that injury, Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) got hit in the face by a 95 mph slap shot and broke his jaw in two different places. If he had cared about his safety and wore a cage he could have avoided that injury. My dad said that about 10 years ago there was a player who took so many pukes to the face that he died.
My second reason why NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe, is that the players fight all the time! It’s horrible to fight because you can get hurt and so injuries say with you for life. When I see a hockey fight, I think to myself, why would they do this? Why would they do this to each other? It seems like they take pleasure in fighting. Why would they drop the gloves, do they just want to look tough? Why would they allow this in hockey?
About a month ago the Montreal Canadians were playing the Ottawa Senators when a huge fight broke out. At least ten players were involved, and the referees didn’t even try to break it up. I thought this was wrong. When they showed the replay one of the players purposely slashed another player, and he asked if he wanted to fight! Soon the ice was covered in grown men beating each other senseless. My dad said that Shawn Thorton of the Boston Bruins is a reinforcer. Which means he is hired to fight, and imagine if your job was to fight?
Even though I think fighting is wrong, I do have my moments. I play with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, so as you can guess we do get into an occasional fight, and shamefully I participate. But after the game ends I look back on what I did and I think how stupid I was to take pleasure in such a bad thing. Now I know how bad NHL players feel after a fight, but I don’t feel bad for them because they keep on fighting.
My last and most important reason why NHL hockey players prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe is that the players don’t wear neck guards. Even the goalies don’t wear them! I remember a few years ago the goalie for the Thrashers got hit in the neck by a stick. The stick cut his vein and his wind pipe, he was rushed to the hospital, and he almost died because he chose not to wear a neck guard.
I’m a goalie and last year I didn’t wear a neck guard because I thought that no one else wore them, so why should I need one. Well, I was proved wrong when a 7th grader took a slap shot at me. It was so fast you couldn’t even see it the puck just missed my neck and cracked the glass behind me. After that I always wore a neck guard.
During a game on March 22, 1989 Steve Tuttle slid into the goalie for the Canadians. Tuttle’s skate cut through the goalies jugular vein. With blood spurting on to the ice, many of the fans were sickened by the scene, eleven fans fainted, and three of them had heart attacks! It is said that if that horrid accident had happened at the other end of the ice the goalie wouldn’t have enough time to get off the ice and in result of that he would die.
As you can see NHL hockey player prefer looking cool and acting tough over being safe. So in order to stay safe you must first put safety over how you look and how you act.
"Animal Cruelty" by Maggie
Many people are not aware that the animals they eat are treated like dirt before they are ruthlessly killed, but this essay will tell you all about it.
Countless animals that are raised in factories are not treated well during their lifetimes. One reason why they are not treated well is because the animals are heartlessly murdered for food, but are sometimes wasted without even feeding anybody. I realized this when one day, I read an interesting-looking but nauseating brochure. I read the words, but what really stuck in my mind was the picture. A pile of pigs with strange spots rested in a white cart that closely resembled a janitor’s garbage cart. What are they doing there? I wondered. And why do those pigs have those unusual spots? They look so unnatural! Then, it hit me like a punch: the pigs were dead - and those dark spots were mold. The pigs’ lives had been taken… and wasted. At first, I had been disgusted. Then, outrage had blossomed inside of me. How could anyone be so cruel that they kill an innocent animal, and just let it rot without even using it for anything? How could someone do this? How could an animal- a living being- be killed for no good reason? How could a life be taken, but wasted? But the pigs in the brochure were just one example of how animals are killed mercilessly. However, animals are also not treated well while they are still alive.
Another reason why I think that factory animals are treated unfairly is because they do not get enough space. Once, I watched my cousin Larry’s free-range-raised chickens strut around the yard. I liked the way they walked, and had wondered if every chicken was allowed to roam the way Larry’s chickens were allowed to wander around the backyard. They definitely deserved it. Weeks later, my question was answered. In the video titled, The Natural History of the Chicken, chickens were crammed into tiny cages, with up to 8 chickens in one small cage. In my opinion, it wasn’t very smart. Putting chickens in miniscule cages would not make them any fatter. It would just make them unhealthier because they wouldn’t be able to get any exercise. More space would ensure that the chickens get enough exercise, so they would be more likely to be healthy.
My third reason why I think factory-raised animals are treated unfairly is because the animals are not fed good food. One day, while visiting my cousin and his chickens, I realized that not all factory raised animals get good food the way people get good food. My 3 cousins, my brother, and I went to the chicken coop to visit the chickens. When we got there, the chickens were pecking at small white objects that resembled pebbles. I asked my cousin Larry, the oldest one present, what they were. He replied that they were pieces of clam shells, given to the chickens for nutrients. As we headed inside, I began to think about the clam shells. Did all chickens eat clam shells for nutrients too? Sadly, I reached the conclusion that the answer was most likely no. I realized that it would be too expensive for the owners to make much profit.
My fourth reason why I think factory raised animals are treated cruelly is because they are often hurt by workers, but are never given proper care for their injuries. The animals are treated like inanimate objects. At www.mercyforanimals.org, I found the stories of many animals that were abused by workers. In Canada, thousands of pregnant pigs were crammed into cages as big as, or maybe even smaller than, a single pig. When piglets were born, workers would cut off the piglets’ tails without any painkiller. At a Butterball facility, workers were caught tossing and kicking live turkeys, slamming turkeys into tiny crates for transportation, and allowing sick or injured turkeys to suffer and slowly die without proper care. In California, Robert Celedon ran an illegal slaughter operation. Animals would be pinned down, their throats would be sawed open, and they would bleed to death. At Catfish Corner, located in Texas, workers cut, skinned, sliced, suffocated, and dismembered live and conscious catfish. At Sparboe Farms, the 5th largest egg producer in the U.S.A., workers left dead hens with the live ones. They also burned the beaks off the chicks without painkiller, sadistically tortured chickens, and tossed chickens into plastic bags, leaving them to suffocate.
Everywhere, animals are being mistreated. And as you can see, animals are being abused too much. That’s why it is important to know that animals are badly treated. There are plenty of people that would take a stand, but they don’t know about the animals’ treatment. More people should know about this so animals can be given enough space, good food, and better care for their injuries.
Countless animals that are raised in factories are not treated well during their lifetimes. One reason why they are not treated well is because the animals are heartlessly murdered for food, but are sometimes wasted without even feeding anybody. I realized this when one day, I read an interesting-looking but nauseating brochure. I read the words, but what really stuck in my mind was the picture. A pile of pigs with strange spots rested in a white cart that closely resembled a janitor’s garbage cart. What are they doing there? I wondered. And why do those pigs have those unusual spots? They look so unnatural! Then, it hit me like a punch: the pigs were dead - and those dark spots were mold. The pigs’ lives had been taken… and wasted. At first, I had been disgusted. Then, outrage had blossomed inside of me. How could anyone be so cruel that they kill an innocent animal, and just let it rot without even using it for anything? How could someone do this? How could an animal- a living being- be killed for no good reason? How could a life be taken, but wasted? But the pigs in the brochure were just one example of how animals are killed mercilessly. However, animals are also not treated well while they are still alive.
Another reason why I think that factory animals are treated unfairly is because they do not get enough space. Once, I watched my cousin Larry’s free-range-raised chickens strut around the yard. I liked the way they walked, and had wondered if every chicken was allowed to roam the way Larry’s chickens were allowed to wander around the backyard. They definitely deserved it. Weeks later, my question was answered. In the video titled, The Natural History of the Chicken, chickens were crammed into tiny cages, with up to 8 chickens in one small cage. In my opinion, it wasn’t very smart. Putting chickens in miniscule cages would not make them any fatter. It would just make them unhealthier because they wouldn’t be able to get any exercise. More space would ensure that the chickens get enough exercise, so they would be more likely to be healthy.
My third reason why I think factory-raised animals are treated unfairly is because the animals are not fed good food. One day, while visiting my cousin and his chickens, I realized that not all factory raised animals get good food the way people get good food. My 3 cousins, my brother, and I went to the chicken coop to visit the chickens. When we got there, the chickens were pecking at small white objects that resembled pebbles. I asked my cousin Larry, the oldest one present, what they were. He replied that they were pieces of clam shells, given to the chickens for nutrients. As we headed inside, I began to think about the clam shells. Did all chickens eat clam shells for nutrients too? Sadly, I reached the conclusion that the answer was most likely no. I realized that it would be too expensive for the owners to make much profit.
My fourth reason why I think factory raised animals are treated cruelly is because they are often hurt by workers, but are never given proper care for their injuries. The animals are treated like inanimate objects. At www.mercyforanimals.org, I found the stories of many animals that were abused by workers. In Canada, thousands of pregnant pigs were crammed into cages as big as, or maybe even smaller than, a single pig. When piglets were born, workers would cut off the piglets’ tails without any painkiller. At a Butterball facility, workers were caught tossing and kicking live turkeys, slamming turkeys into tiny crates for transportation, and allowing sick or injured turkeys to suffer and slowly die without proper care. In California, Robert Celedon ran an illegal slaughter operation. Animals would be pinned down, their throats would be sawed open, and they would bleed to death. At Catfish Corner, located in Texas, workers cut, skinned, sliced, suffocated, and dismembered live and conscious catfish. At Sparboe Farms, the 5th largest egg producer in the U.S.A., workers left dead hens with the live ones. They also burned the beaks off the chicks without painkiller, sadistically tortured chickens, and tossed chickens into plastic bags, leaving them to suffocate.
Everywhere, animals are being mistreated. And as you can see, animals are being abused too much. That’s why it is important to know that animals are badly treated. There are plenty of people that would take a stand, but they don’t know about the animals’ treatment. More people should know about this so animals can be given enough space, good food, and better care for their injuries.
"Crossing Guards" by Drexel
Many people don’t realize that crossing guards are nice people. Some people even wonder what it’s like to be a crossing guard. I have found out that crossing guards are nice people because of these reasons.
The first reason is crossing guards are nice people is because they are friendly. They always take the time to learn your name, and if they don’t, they call you honey or sweetie. They are friendly because they also really take the time to get to know you as well as learn your name. Also crossing guards are friendly because they talk about the weather. Every day I walk to school the crossing guard is friendly. She usually says how nice the weather is even if the weather is bad. Plus, crossing guards are friendly because they always look out for kids. When I walk to school the crossing guard that works close to my street looks out for me.
Another reason crossing guards are nice people is because they keep kids safe. Just their bright yellow jackets are a symbol for drivers to slow down. That makes crossing guards nice because it means they care about the kids. If they didn’t they wouldn’t try so hard to protect them. Crossing guards hold up cars just so you can walk by. Even if you are being really slow walking across the street and you are taking forever, the crossing guard won’t even let the car start to move until you get safely across the street. Crossing guard do this because they want to take every precaution to keep kids safe. Their priority is always to keep kids safe even if it means holding up cars in the morning. That means crossing guards are nice because this means that they care about kids. Without crossing guards kids wouldn’t feel as safe as they do when a crossing guard is around. Crossing guards realize that would happen if they weren’t there. So they make sure they are there, every day to keep kids safe. I also get to see other crossing guards look out for kids too. When a crossing guard looks out for a kid they make sure to keep them safe. They can do that by stopping cars to make sure the kids don’t get run over.
One more reason crossing guards are nice people is because they make time for you. One way crossing guards make time for kids is by giving up their mornings for you. Every day I walk to school and see the crossing guards. They are always there all day every day. They make sure to be there in the mornings so they can help you cross the street and at the end of the school day. I know that they are giving up their mornings and afternoons because they could be at home relaxing in bed or have their lunch, but they still make sure to be there extra early for you. Even though they get paid it’s not much s it is almost like they are volunteering. Sometime if a crossing guard lives far away they might have to wake up extra early to get their before you. For example one crossing guard I know does live far away, and sometimes she tells me that she has to travel from Cambridge. Which isn’t too far but it still means she has to get up early to get here.
Another reason crossing guards are nice people is because they go out of their way to make kids happy. One way crossing guards go out of their way to make kids happy is by giving them candy on holidays. One time when it was around Easter, I was hoping the crossing guard would have candy like she normally did around this time of year. As soon as I approached she began to walk over to her car. On holidays almost always the crossing guards would give me candy. She walked over to her car I couldn’t see what she was picking up but it looked like a bag. Then she surprised me with a small bag of candy.
Sometimes instead of bags of candy they even bake muffins for my parents. For example, one time around Christmas, one of my favorite crossing guards, Jean, made little bags for my parents. Inside each bag was a muffin, small piece of chocolate, and for me, a marshmallow snow man.
The last reason crossing guards are nice people is because they try to help kids. Once when I had forgotten my snack the crossing guard helped me. I was walking to school when I just remembered I had forgotten my snack. I was already half way to school so it was too late to turn back. “Darn,” I said. “What’s wrong?” the crossing guard asked. “I forgot my snack,” I said glumly. “Oh, do you want a candy cane?” she asked “I’m giving them out for the holidays.” “Thanks,” I said as she handed me one. It is really nice when a crossing guard takes time out of their lives to you a make you happy, because sometimes they can really help you, for example, giving you a snack when you don’t have one.
As you can see, crossing guards are nice people because they are friendly, they keep kids safe, they make time for you, and they take time out of their day to make you happy. I think other people should recognize that crossing guards are nice people because they really try to be kind to everyone and people should appreciate that.
The first reason is crossing guards are nice people is because they are friendly. They always take the time to learn your name, and if they don’t, they call you honey or sweetie. They are friendly because they also really take the time to get to know you as well as learn your name. Also crossing guards are friendly because they talk about the weather. Every day I walk to school the crossing guard is friendly. She usually says how nice the weather is even if the weather is bad. Plus, crossing guards are friendly because they always look out for kids. When I walk to school the crossing guard that works close to my street looks out for me.
Another reason crossing guards are nice people is because they keep kids safe. Just their bright yellow jackets are a symbol for drivers to slow down. That makes crossing guards nice because it means they care about the kids. If they didn’t they wouldn’t try so hard to protect them. Crossing guards hold up cars just so you can walk by. Even if you are being really slow walking across the street and you are taking forever, the crossing guard won’t even let the car start to move until you get safely across the street. Crossing guard do this because they want to take every precaution to keep kids safe. Their priority is always to keep kids safe even if it means holding up cars in the morning. That means crossing guards are nice because this means that they care about kids. Without crossing guards kids wouldn’t feel as safe as they do when a crossing guard is around. Crossing guards realize that would happen if they weren’t there. So they make sure they are there, every day to keep kids safe. I also get to see other crossing guards look out for kids too. When a crossing guard looks out for a kid they make sure to keep them safe. They can do that by stopping cars to make sure the kids don’t get run over.
One more reason crossing guards are nice people is because they make time for you. One way crossing guards make time for kids is by giving up their mornings for you. Every day I walk to school and see the crossing guards. They are always there all day every day. They make sure to be there in the mornings so they can help you cross the street and at the end of the school day. I know that they are giving up their mornings and afternoons because they could be at home relaxing in bed or have their lunch, but they still make sure to be there extra early for you. Even though they get paid it’s not much s it is almost like they are volunteering. Sometime if a crossing guard lives far away they might have to wake up extra early to get their before you. For example one crossing guard I know does live far away, and sometimes she tells me that she has to travel from Cambridge. Which isn’t too far but it still means she has to get up early to get here.
Another reason crossing guards are nice people is because they go out of their way to make kids happy. One way crossing guards go out of their way to make kids happy is by giving them candy on holidays. One time when it was around Easter, I was hoping the crossing guard would have candy like she normally did around this time of year. As soon as I approached she began to walk over to her car. On holidays almost always the crossing guards would give me candy. She walked over to her car I couldn’t see what she was picking up but it looked like a bag. Then she surprised me with a small bag of candy.
Sometimes instead of bags of candy they even bake muffins for my parents. For example, one time around Christmas, one of my favorite crossing guards, Jean, made little bags for my parents. Inside each bag was a muffin, small piece of chocolate, and for me, a marshmallow snow man.
The last reason crossing guards are nice people is because they try to help kids. Once when I had forgotten my snack the crossing guard helped me. I was walking to school when I just remembered I had forgotten my snack. I was already half way to school so it was too late to turn back. “Darn,” I said. “What’s wrong?” the crossing guard asked. “I forgot my snack,” I said glumly. “Oh, do you want a candy cane?” she asked “I’m giving them out for the holidays.” “Thanks,” I said as she handed me one. It is really nice when a crossing guard takes time out of their lives to you a make you happy, because sometimes they can really help you, for example, giving you a snack when you don’t have one.
As you can see, crossing guards are nice people because they are friendly, they keep kids safe, they make time for you, and they take time out of their day to make you happy. I think other people should recognize that crossing guards are nice people because they really try to be kind to everyone and people should appreciate that.
"Math Class Should be Longer" by Sam
Many people think math class is a waste, but I’ve learned it is very important. I think Math class is too short and I personally think it should be longer.
One reason math class should be because everybody would get better at math, so that would give everyone better math tests scores. Last time my class took a test are average was 83%. My teacher also teaches another class. They get 45 minutes and there average on the last test was 79%. We get 1hr plus and our last average was 83%. This right here is proof that math class would help test scores.
Another thing is that when my dad was in high school he had this very important test. He needed a good score to pass the test. He ended up getting a 75% on the test and did not pass. If he had longer math class he would have gotten more time to ask the teacher questions. My point is if he had longer math class he would have passed the test.
If we had longer math class it would give some kids more of a chance. For example once Gabe. A was working on a math sheet. He was working with Michael and Jarred. He needed 10 more minutes to finish the sheet but he did not get to finish it because time was up. If we had just 10 more minutes of math class Gabe. A would of finished the sheet plus had less homework that night.
Another example is that once I did not get area at all and we had a test on it the next day. If we had a longer math class I could have asked some questions. Everybody in my class probably agrees that they wanted more time to ask questions. So everybody would have done better with some time to ask questions.
If we had longer math it would give Ms. Moll more one-on-one time with kids. For example I once was helping a kid study for a test last year. He needed the teacher to help him with something I could not describe to him. But since we only had a 45 minute he did not get help from the teacher. So he ended up a 75% on the test.
Another reason is that when Ms. Moll was in high school she needed help to learn something she did not know. But since the class was so short she had to call out and bother the teacher to get help. So if she had longer math class there would have been more time for questions and Ms. Moll wouldn’t have to be so disruptive of a student.
As you can see math class is too short and should be longer. This means that today’s kids have too short of a math class and don’t learn enough math. That means in the future it will be harder to find someone who is half good at math.
One reason math class should be because everybody would get better at math, so that would give everyone better math tests scores. Last time my class took a test are average was 83%. My teacher also teaches another class. They get 45 minutes and there average on the last test was 79%. We get 1hr plus and our last average was 83%. This right here is proof that math class would help test scores.
Another thing is that when my dad was in high school he had this very important test. He needed a good score to pass the test. He ended up getting a 75% on the test and did not pass. If he had longer math class he would have gotten more time to ask the teacher questions. My point is if he had longer math class he would have passed the test.
If we had longer math class it would give some kids more of a chance. For example once Gabe. A was working on a math sheet. He was working with Michael and Jarred. He needed 10 more minutes to finish the sheet but he did not get to finish it because time was up. If we had just 10 more minutes of math class Gabe. A would of finished the sheet plus had less homework that night.
Another example is that once I did not get area at all and we had a test on it the next day. If we had a longer math class I could have asked some questions. Everybody in my class probably agrees that they wanted more time to ask questions. So everybody would have done better with some time to ask questions.
If we had longer math it would give Ms. Moll more one-on-one time with kids. For example I once was helping a kid study for a test last year. He needed the teacher to help him with something I could not describe to him. But since we only had a 45 minute he did not get help from the teacher. So he ended up a 75% on the test.
Another reason is that when Ms. Moll was in high school she needed help to learn something she did not know. But since the class was so short she had to call out and bother the teacher to get help. So if she had longer math class there would have been more time for questions and Ms. Moll wouldn’t have to be so disruptive of a student.
As you can see math class is too short and should be longer. This means that today’s kids have too short of a math class and don’t learn enough math. That means in the future it will be harder to find someone who is half good at math.
"No Quiet Time" by Audrey
Have you ever experienced 2-5 minutes of pure silence every day? If you have, you probably would find that it gets very annoying and irritating. We shouldn’t have quiet time. I don’t like quiet time. It annoys me. Why should we have to face silence and no talking? Here are some reasons why kids Brooks School shouldn’t have to face quiet time.
My first reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time is that quiet time makes you be silent for 2-5 whole minutes which some kids can’t stand. Being quiet is torture to some kids. Being silent and not talking is torture to me. I’m not a quiet person and I can’t stand being quiet. Well, to be honest I could be quiet but not for a long time because the sound of silence annoys me.
My friend Bianca is just like me. We like to talk and socialize with our friends, because lunch is for eating and socializing. For example I was whispering to someone to make the room seem a little bit louder because it was like a still, silent, sea. Finally, when quiet time was over, the noise in the room wasn’t a still sea; it was a dance party once more. Dance party noise is good because that means quiet time is over and it’s just the noise level I like.
Another reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time is because quiet time can sometimes be too long. For example, it was quiet time for the last 5 minutes of lunch. The bell rang and the noise level in the cafeteria dropped suddenly. I have an urge to speak to Bianca but the lunch ladies are circling the cafeteria like hawks, waiting for someone to speak so they can yell, “Shhh!!!!” I wait and watch the clock as it ticks on but it seems to go slower than what I have wanted. I can’t be quiet for a long time except when I’m sleeping. Finally after five minutes of dreaded silence, the end of lunch bell rings. Talking floods the cafeteria like a dam that was just broken. Yes! I think. Hooray! Quiet time is over! Everyone’s obviously thinking. No more silence till tomorrow!
Another reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time my class doesn’t like quiet time either. Most of my classmates said that quiet time is not talking time. Talking time is where you can talk about anything not school related. Some of them have personal stories to share on their experiences with quiet time.
When I asked Samuel if he had a personal experience with quiet time, he told me this story. One time Samuel was doing homework and he needed help. Samuel asked his friend but it was quiet time. The lunch lady yelled “No Talking!” but he desperately needed help.
I dislike quiet time. Lunch time is for socializing, and if you have to be quiet during lunch than you can’t socialize. My friend Drexel doesn’t like quiet time too. Lunch and recess are our only free time in school. Plus, we already have the moment of silence in the morning she says. Maggie doesn’t like quiet time either. Teachers always say “Talk about it at lunch”, she says. If we have to be quiet at lunch then you can’t “talk about it at lunch.”
Medha, Bianca and Gabe A. also dislike quiet time. None of them feel that it has a purpose. Lunch time is free time and for talking about non-related school stuff. Marisa is another person that dislikes quiet time. She feels there’s no point of it. Lunch is for talking about anything you want. If you have to be quiet during lunch than you can’t be talking about anything you want.
Another reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time is some things about quiet time don’t make sense to me or they aren’t fair. Where quiet time is placed doesn’t make sense to me. First of all, it’s at the end of lunch right before recess. So we have to be quiet right before we run around and scream outside. Also some other kids don’t get yelled at for talking but you get yelled at for whispering and softly clapping. It isn’t fair. I mean, those kids were the ones talking during quiet time. You just were whispering softly. You shouldn’t get yelled at. Lastly, the cafeteria windows are open and you can hear everybody yelling outside. So it’s tempting to talk because everybody is yelling and having fun outside while you’re is stuck being quiet.
It is important to know that many kids don’t like quiet time like me. Other people should know this because if no one likes it then there’s no point of having it. Quiet time isn’t fair to the kids at the Brooks School. I don’t like quiet time. None of my class likes quiet time. In fact, I feel no one likes quiet time. And just like Michael says, “We’re 5th graders. You can’t expect us to be quiet.” Almost anyone could agree with that.
My first reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time is that quiet time makes you be silent for 2-5 whole minutes which some kids can’t stand. Being quiet is torture to some kids. Being silent and not talking is torture to me. I’m not a quiet person and I can’t stand being quiet. Well, to be honest I could be quiet but not for a long time because the sound of silence annoys me.
My friend Bianca is just like me. We like to talk and socialize with our friends, because lunch is for eating and socializing. For example I was whispering to someone to make the room seem a little bit louder because it was like a still, silent, sea. Finally, when quiet time was over, the noise in the room wasn’t a still sea; it was a dance party once more. Dance party noise is good because that means quiet time is over and it’s just the noise level I like.
Another reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time is because quiet time can sometimes be too long. For example, it was quiet time for the last 5 minutes of lunch. The bell rang and the noise level in the cafeteria dropped suddenly. I have an urge to speak to Bianca but the lunch ladies are circling the cafeteria like hawks, waiting for someone to speak so they can yell, “Shhh!!!!” I wait and watch the clock as it ticks on but it seems to go slower than what I have wanted. I can’t be quiet for a long time except when I’m sleeping. Finally after five minutes of dreaded silence, the end of lunch bell rings. Talking floods the cafeteria like a dam that was just broken. Yes! I think. Hooray! Quiet time is over! Everyone’s obviously thinking. No more silence till tomorrow!
Another reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time my class doesn’t like quiet time either. Most of my classmates said that quiet time is not talking time. Talking time is where you can talk about anything not school related. Some of them have personal stories to share on their experiences with quiet time.
When I asked Samuel if he had a personal experience with quiet time, he told me this story. One time Samuel was doing homework and he needed help. Samuel asked his friend but it was quiet time. The lunch lady yelled “No Talking!” but he desperately needed help.
I dislike quiet time. Lunch time is for socializing, and if you have to be quiet during lunch than you can’t socialize. My friend Drexel doesn’t like quiet time too. Lunch and recess are our only free time in school. Plus, we already have the moment of silence in the morning she says. Maggie doesn’t like quiet time either. Teachers always say “Talk about it at lunch”, she says. If we have to be quiet at lunch then you can’t “talk about it at lunch.”
Medha, Bianca and Gabe A. also dislike quiet time. None of them feel that it has a purpose. Lunch time is free time and for talking about non-related school stuff. Marisa is another person that dislikes quiet time. She feels there’s no point of it. Lunch is for talking about anything you want. If you have to be quiet during lunch than you can’t be talking about anything you want.
Another reason why we shouldn’t have quiet time is some things about quiet time don’t make sense to me or they aren’t fair. Where quiet time is placed doesn’t make sense to me. First of all, it’s at the end of lunch right before recess. So we have to be quiet right before we run around and scream outside. Also some other kids don’t get yelled at for talking but you get yelled at for whispering and softly clapping. It isn’t fair. I mean, those kids were the ones talking during quiet time. You just were whispering softly. You shouldn’t get yelled at. Lastly, the cafeteria windows are open and you can hear everybody yelling outside. So it’s tempting to talk because everybody is yelling and having fun outside while you’re is stuck being quiet.
It is important to know that many kids don’t like quiet time like me. Other people should know this because if no one likes it then there’s no point of having it. Quiet time isn’t fair to the kids at the Brooks School. I don’t like quiet time. None of my class likes quiet time. In fact, I feel no one likes quiet time. And just like Michael says, “We’re 5th graders. You can’t expect us to be quiet.” Almost anyone could agree with that.
"No Standardized Tests" by Owen
Lots of people agree: MCAS and other state wide standardized tests are torture! My friend Damon says, “MCAS is unfair. Why don’t the teachers take the test? I mean the entire point of the test is to find out what the teachers are teaching?” Lots of people find these tests hard. People will make jokes like “Massachusetts Child Abuse System”.
One reason we shouldn’t have state-wide standardized tests is control. What I mean is teachers should have more control over the test. My teacher Ms. Moll says teachers should administer their own tests. She said the teachers should give their own tests because some schools are poor and can’t afford the tools to study.
Some people like standardized tests but the people who hate it far outnumber them. One thing people can do is get rid of the open response and replace it with more multiple choice questions because if people don’t get rid of them at least, make them better.
Another reason kid shouldn’t have to take state-wide standardized tests is kids will have stress brought upon them. When I was taking the reading Mcas I worried so much I wouldn’t finish. Dr. Richard Vieille, a California psychologist, has done tests and has found massive outbreaks of stress before and after a test. They have also found that teachers are stressed as well. My teacher Ms. Moll is very stressed because her status as a teacher depends on if the kids do well and if the kids are stressed and don’t do well then she may lose her job.
The last reason kids shouldn’t have to take standardized tests is kids may miss out on free time with their friends. My friend Samuel missed out on lunch because he had to finish his open response. Another thing I have found out is that some teachers clearly state that free time isn’t important! Teachers don’t even realize how important free time is. Free time is important to kids because it allows us to socialize with our friends.
I hate standardized tests and you should too. Remember, if we stop standardized testing we could have zero stress in each class and a better school environment.
One reason we shouldn’t have state-wide standardized tests is control. What I mean is teachers should have more control over the test. My teacher Ms. Moll says teachers should administer their own tests. She said the teachers should give their own tests because some schools are poor and can’t afford the tools to study.
Some people like standardized tests but the people who hate it far outnumber them. One thing people can do is get rid of the open response and replace it with more multiple choice questions because if people don’t get rid of them at least, make them better.
Another reason kid shouldn’t have to take state-wide standardized tests is kids will have stress brought upon them. When I was taking the reading Mcas I worried so much I wouldn’t finish. Dr. Richard Vieille, a California psychologist, has done tests and has found massive outbreaks of stress before and after a test. They have also found that teachers are stressed as well. My teacher Ms. Moll is very stressed because her status as a teacher depends on if the kids do well and if the kids are stressed and don’t do well then she may lose her job.
The last reason kids shouldn’t have to take standardized tests is kids may miss out on free time with their friends. My friend Samuel missed out on lunch because he had to finish his open response. Another thing I have found out is that some teachers clearly state that free time isn’t important! Teachers don’t even realize how important free time is. Free time is important to kids because it allows us to socialize with our friends.
I hate standardized tests and you should too. Remember, if we stop standardized testing we could have zero stress in each class and a better school environment.
"Kids Should Have a Longer Summer Vacation" by Marisa
It is Ninety five degrees outside and kids are sitting inside doing homework while they should be outside playing in the pool or doing any other fun activities. It is already the end of June. You think to yourself, “Is it summer yet?!” Many people think that the school year is fine as it is. But I think that all kids should have a longer summer vacation. Here is why.
One reason is that kids work really hard in school and only have two and a half months of summer. I miss being able to surf on a hot summer day with the wind blowing in my face as I ride the wave onto the shore. I am never able to do that as much anymore because summer is just too short and I never have enough time because of school.
Another reason that summer vacation should be longer is because after MCAS, kids brains shut down and they start to think “Oh, I don’t have to do this anymore MCAS is all over now I can do whatever I want.” My mom thinks that kids should have an extra hour of school and then end up getting out on Memorial Day weekend. My nana says that she agrees with my mom. She says that kids should get out on Memorial Day weekend because the weather starts warming up and it gets too hot for kids to go to school. She also says that they should add an extra hour to school so kids can do all their homework in school and have time to relax when they get home. My cousin Caroline thinks that kids should get out near the beginning of June and that we should have an extra hour of school like my nana and my mom said. She comes home from school every day with a lot of things to and she can’t fit in her homework and ends up doing it around eight thirty. She wants an extra hour of school because kids will be able to do their homework and do what they have to do when they get home.
In addition, kids should have a longer summer vacation because we get to see our friends and family we never get to see during the school year. For example, when I was boogie boarding with my older sister Megan, we could see two people waving to us in the distance. It was my Uncle Tom and my Auntie Chrissie. We only get to see them in the summer. Also, when I was at the Fourth of July parade, I saw my dad waving to me on the deck of my friend’s house. I dashed out of the line and ran over to him and gave him a big hug. I never see my dad in the summer because my dad doesn’t have a vacation because he is a police man. I think he deserves at least a week of time with his family. Another example is that when I was lounging on the beach with my friends, I saw someone running to me like a maniac. I get a closer look. It was one of my best friends Angelica. I never get to see Angelica because she lives in Connecticut and the last time I saw her was last January. I only get to see her in the summer.
This is important because when kids are not able to see their family and friends as much, their relationships start to break apart because they don’t see each other as often like Angelica and I. They don’t talk to each other as often because they are too busy with other things like school. Why can’t summer be longer? Why is it so short? To add on, when I was walking down to the beach I could see my best friend Kathryn Tierney waving to me. I dashed over to her and gave her a big hug. Kathryn and I only see each other in the summer time and only sometimes in December, April, and very little in February. How would you like it if you didn’t see your best friend for over four months?
Another reason on why kids should have a longer summer is because kids work SO HARD during the school year and never have any time to relax. For example, my older sister Megan started middle school this year. It was really hard for her at the beginning of the year because she had so much homework. She comes home every day with a math packet, a science packet, social studies, she has to read a certain book, and A LOT more. One day she came home with more homework than usual. I ran up to her and yelled “Hey Meg do you want to go play with the guinea pigs?” I ask. “NO GO AWAY I AM TOO BUSY!” she screams back. Megan is a really smart person, but I feel bad for her because she has way too much homework and never gets a break. My friend Bianca was doing her homework at her kitchen table and she finally finished. “Yay now I can go to Isabella’s house now!” she said happily. As she was getting up to leave, her mom suddenly stopped her. “Bianca are you done with your homework?” she asked suspiciously. “Yes” she said. Just to make sure, her mom looked in Bianca’s homework folder. “You’re not done yet!” she yelled. “You still have to do your math” Bianca was so mad, she started yelling and ran into her room and slammed the door.
Also, one of my classmates Michael says he gets really stressed in school. He agrees that kids should have a longer summer vacation because of all the homework they get and never getting any time to relax. One day Micheal was doing his homework in his bedroom. He looked out the window and saw all of his friends playing outside. “This isn’t fair” he said. He told me that he never has any time to do his homework because he is too busy with all of his sports. He ends up finishing his entire homework around nine thirty at night. My friend Meaghan also gets stressed out in school. She will come home from school every day and go to gymnastics and not come home till around eight o’clock. She walks up to her room and gets ready for bed. She realizes that she was forgetting something. HER HOMEWORK! She rushes down the stairs and gets it done very quickly. She was telling me that homework gets her really mad because she is way too busy. One of my friends Paige gets really stressed out with homework too. She doesn’t like all the homework projects we get. Paige is always so busy with all her sports like horseback riding so she ends up finishing her projects on either Saturday or Sunday. She doesn’t like how our teacher gives us all these homework projects. Don’t we already have enough? I was interviewing one of my friends Drexel. She says that kids should have a longer summer vacation. She was telling me that the time we have in school and summer should be balanced. She said that kids should have school for half the year and then have summer for the other half. So that kids can have more time to relax and study for school.
This makes me realize that kids never get any time to relax after school because of all their homework and all their sports so they get really stressed out. It is important to know that kids should have a longer summer vacation. Other people think that the school year is fine as it is. People should care about this because would you like kids sitting inside doing homework in ninety five degrees weather when it’s almost the end of June? I DON’T THINK SO!!!
One reason is that kids work really hard in school and only have two and a half months of summer. I miss being able to surf on a hot summer day with the wind blowing in my face as I ride the wave onto the shore. I am never able to do that as much anymore because summer is just too short and I never have enough time because of school.
Another reason that summer vacation should be longer is because after MCAS, kids brains shut down and they start to think “Oh, I don’t have to do this anymore MCAS is all over now I can do whatever I want.” My mom thinks that kids should have an extra hour of school and then end up getting out on Memorial Day weekend. My nana says that she agrees with my mom. She says that kids should get out on Memorial Day weekend because the weather starts warming up and it gets too hot for kids to go to school. She also says that they should add an extra hour to school so kids can do all their homework in school and have time to relax when they get home. My cousin Caroline thinks that kids should get out near the beginning of June and that we should have an extra hour of school like my nana and my mom said. She comes home from school every day with a lot of things to and she can’t fit in her homework and ends up doing it around eight thirty. She wants an extra hour of school because kids will be able to do their homework and do what they have to do when they get home.
In addition, kids should have a longer summer vacation because we get to see our friends and family we never get to see during the school year. For example, when I was boogie boarding with my older sister Megan, we could see two people waving to us in the distance. It was my Uncle Tom and my Auntie Chrissie. We only get to see them in the summer. Also, when I was at the Fourth of July parade, I saw my dad waving to me on the deck of my friend’s house. I dashed out of the line and ran over to him and gave him a big hug. I never see my dad in the summer because my dad doesn’t have a vacation because he is a police man. I think he deserves at least a week of time with his family. Another example is that when I was lounging on the beach with my friends, I saw someone running to me like a maniac. I get a closer look. It was one of my best friends Angelica. I never get to see Angelica because she lives in Connecticut and the last time I saw her was last January. I only get to see her in the summer.
This is important because when kids are not able to see their family and friends as much, their relationships start to break apart because they don’t see each other as often like Angelica and I. They don’t talk to each other as often because they are too busy with other things like school. Why can’t summer be longer? Why is it so short? To add on, when I was walking down to the beach I could see my best friend Kathryn Tierney waving to me. I dashed over to her and gave her a big hug. Kathryn and I only see each other in the summer time and only sometimes in December, April, and very little in February. How would you like it if you didn’t see your best friend for over four months?
Another reason on why kids should have a longer summer is because kids work SO HARD during the school year and never have any time to relax. For example, my older sister Megan started middle school this year. It was really hard for her at the beginning of the year because she had so much homework. She comes home every day with a math packet, a science packet, social studies, she has to read a certain book, and A LOT more. One day she came home with more homework than usual. I ran up to her and yelled “Hey Meg do you want to go play with the guinea pigs?” I ask. “NO GO AWAY I AM TOO BUSY!” she screams back. Megan is a really smart person, but I feel bad for her because she has way too much homework and never gets a break. My friend Bianca was doing her homework at her kitchen table and she finally finished. “Yay now I can go to Isabella’s house now!” she said happily. As she was getting up to leave, her mom suddenly stopped her. “Bianca are you done with your homework?” she asked suspiciously. “Yes” she said. Just to make sure, her mom looked in Bianca’s homework folder. “You’re not done yet!” she yelled. “You still have to do your math” Bianca was so mad, she started yelling and ran into her room and slammed the door.
Also, one of my classmates Michael says he gets really stressed in school. He agrees that kids should have a longer summer vacation because of all the homework they get and never getting any time to relax. One day Micheal was doing his homework in his bedroom. He looked out the window and saw all of his friends playing outside. “This isn’t fair” he said. He told me that he never has any time to do his homework because he is too busy with all of his sports. He ends up finishing his entire homework around nine thirty at night. My friend Meaghan also gets stressed out in school. She will come home from school every day and go to gymnastics and not come home till around eight o’clock. She walks up to her room and gets ready for bed. She realizes that she was forgetting something. HER HOMEWORK! She rushes down the stairs and gets it done very quickly. She was telling me that homework gets her really mad because she is way too busy. One of my friends Paige gets really stressed out with homework too. She doesn’t like all the homework projects we get. Paige is always so busy with all her sports like horseback riding so she ends up finishing her projects on either Saturday or Sunday. She doesn’t like how our teacher gives us all these homework projects. Don’t we already have enough? I was interviewing one of my friends Drexel. She says that kids should have a longer summer vacation. She was telling me that the time we have in school and summer should be balanced. She said that kids should have school for half the year and then have summer for the other half. So that kids can have more time to relax and study for school.
This makes me realize that kids never get any time to relax after school because of all their homework and all their sports so they get really stressed out. It is important to know that kids should have a longer summer vacation. Other people think that the school year is fine as it is. People should care about this because would you like kids sitting inside doing homework in ninety five degrees weather when it’s almost the end of June? I DON’T THINK SO!!!
"Cats Shouldn't Get Declawed" by Paige
A cat shouldn’t get declawed because it’s an important part of their body. A cat without claws is like a bird without wings. You don’t give the cat a choice when you get it declawed. Do you think it’s going to go for the idea of getting its claws surgically removed? What if the cat took your fingers off? Do you want to have a say in something that’s happening to your own body or would you like to day dream and not care if you get a voice? You use your fingers for almost everything. How could I type this report without fingers? You use your fingers for holding a cup, writing, and just holding a simple ball. What’s going to happen when you see your new baby cousin? You can’t hold it or feed it, never mind feeding yourself.
Cats shouldn’t get declawed because it changes there personality. I was watching a show called “My Cat From Hell” and there was a wild devils cat. When the cat was a kitten it was loved and cared for and it loved its owner as much as its owner loved it. They thought that getting a cat declawed wouldn’t be a bad thing, but they thought wrong. The cat still tried to scratch them. The cat would scratch before they got it declawed. They only made the problem worse by making the cat more vicious than the beginning. Getting a cat declawed can change a cat’s personality for example the sphinx cat my aunts cat Ruby. My aunt’s cat passed away but when she was a kitten she was outgoing and loved attention. But my aunt decided that she would get poor little Ruby declawed. After Ruby got declawed she wouldn’t come out of the basement she would run away from any sound she heard. It was so heart breaking to see ruby so scared and distraught looking. It never got better throughout her whole life. If you get your cat declawed it could end up like this.
Cats shouldn’t get declawed because it makes them defenseless. A cat has owner ship of their claws. Their claws aren’t yours you can’t just play with them. It’s a part of their body not yours. A cat is defenseless without its claws. What happens if somehow your cat got out and some kind of predator came and wanted to hurt your cat in some kind of way? There is an expression that people say about animals its flight or fight the first thing a cat would do is flight, which means that they would run away from the animal. What if your cat got cornered against a tree? It couldn’t climb the tree to get away and the other option is to fight. The cat can’t fight because it doesn’t have claws.
As you can see cats shouldn’t get declawed. This means that you shouldn’t get your cat declawed.
Cats shouldn’t get declawed because it changes there personality. I was watching a show called “My Cat From Hell” and there was a wild devils cat. When the cat was a kitten it was loved and cared for and it loved its owner as much as its owner loved it. They thought that getting a cat declawed wouldn’t be a bad thing, but they thought wrong. The cat still tried to scratch them. The cat would scratch before they got it declawed. They only made the problem worse by making the cat more vicious than the beginning. Getting a cat declawed can change a cat’s personality for example the sphinx cat my aunts cat Ruby. My aunt’s cat passed away but when she was a kitten she was outgoing and loved attention. But my aunt decided that she would get poor little Ruby declawed. After Ruby got declawed she wouldn’t come out of the basement she would run away from any sound she heard. It was so heart breaking to see ruby so scared and distraught looking. It never got better throughout her whole life. If you get your cat declawed it could end up like this.
Cats shouldn’t get declawed because it makes them defenseless. A cat has owner ship of their claws. Their claws aren’t yours you can’t just play with them. It’s a part of their body not yours. A cat is defenseless without its claws. What happens if somehow your cat got out and some kind of predator came and wanted to hurt your cat in some kind of way? There is an expression that people say about animals its flight or fight the first thing a cat would do is flight, which means that they would run away from the animal. What if your cat got cornered against a tree? It couldn’t climb the tree to get away and the other option is to fight. The cat can’t fight because it doesn’t have claws.
As you can see cats shouldn’t get declawed. This means that you shouldn’t get your cat declawed.
"Kids Should be Able to Drive Cars" by Joe
When I was five I was with my uncle. He let me drive his car. I would sit on his lap and he would push the pedal. And I would steer the car. We did it every time we took out the trash at the end of the dirt road. This was the first time I wanted to drive a car.
Kids should be able to drive a car because most kids are the same height as their mom or dad. I once asked my mom why kids can’t drive cars. She said kids are too small. So a year later I asked my mom the same question. And she said the same thing so I said, “But I am the same height as you.” So my mom said, “Joe I do not know, but when I do, you will be the first person I tell. It makes no sense. My mom does not know why kids can’t drive cars.
Kids should be able to drive cars kids have to go places. For example Sam wanted to go to a fun place and his mom said, “No I do not want to go." But if Sam could drive a car he could go buy himself. Another example: Audrey had a doctor’s appointment. No one was home, so her dad had to skip work. If her dad does not work, he will not be able to get money. If they don’t get money, they can’t buy food. So if they don’t get food, they will starve to death. But if Audrey could drive a car, she can go herself.
Lastly kids some kids are just as smart as their mom and dad. I saw a boy with his mom asking, “Can I play on the play ground?” I thought to myself, “Can’t he go by himself?" Adults trust kids to go to the park by themselves. So he should have been able to go himself.
That is why kids should be able to drive cars.
Kids should be able to drive a car because most kids are the same height as their mom or dad. I once asked my mom why kids can’t drive cars. She said kids are too small. So a year later I asked my mom the same question. And she said the same thing so I said, “But I am the same height as you.” So my mom said, “Joe I do not know, but when I do, you will be the first person I tell. It makes no sense. My mom does not know why kids can’t drive cars.
Kids should be able to drive cars kids have to go places. For example Sam wanted to go to a fun place and his mom said, “No I do not want to go." But if Sam could drive a car he could go buy himself. Another example: Audrey had a doctor’s appointment. No one was home, so her dad had to skip work. If her dad does not work, he will not be able to get money. If they don’t get money, they can’t buy food. So if they don’t get food, they will starve to death. But if Audrey could drive a car, she can go herself.
Lastly kids some kids are just as smart as their mom and dad. I saw a boy with his mom asking, “Can I play on the play ground?” I thought to myself, “Can’t he go by himself?" Adults trust kids to go to the park by themselves. So he should have been able to go himself.
That is why kids should be able to drive cars.
"Summer Vacation" by Ava
I think kids should have a longer summer vacation. Have you ever wanted a longer summer vacation? Do you ever want to get better at sports? Well, if you think we should have a longer summer vacation, here are some reasons why I think we should!
I think that kids should have a longer summer vacation because its only 2.5 months long. If we could have a longer summer vacation you could stay at the beach longer, hangout with your friends, and go camping for two weeks instead of one! I go camping every year at the end of summer break. When I go camping I have a lot of fun hanging out with my family but I have to go home to get ready for the first week of school. If we have longer summer vacation I can stay at my campsite and have fun at the beach there with my family.
My friend Drexel and my brother Luke both think that we should have a longer summer vacation. Here’s why. Drexel said that she went to a fun summer camp and it was over in a couple of weeks because the school year was really close. “If we could have a longer summer vacation I could stay at camp longer,” Drexel cried.
Luke my brother says that 2.5 months is not enough time to learn how to play a sport or to become better at one. “If we could have a longer summer vacation I can practice football and become one of the best players on the team!” he claims.
Another reason why I think that we should have a longer summer vacation is because we work hard in school and don’t get time to relax, so if we have a longer summer vacation we can make up relaxation time. For example, every Thursday I take the bus home and I don’t get home until 3:15 pm. When I get home I have a snack, do my homework and then I get ready for soccer. I also go to a math school called the Russian School of Math (R.S.M.) where I get extra math homework. I finish my homework around 4:30 pm. Then I have to go to soccer. When I get home I have family dinner then I get ready for bed. I barely had time to breath, never mind relax. If we have a longer summer vacation we can make up the days we didn’t get to relax on.
I think that kids should have a longer summer vacation because its only 2.5 months long. If we could have a longer summer vacation you could stay at the beach longer, hangout with your friends, and go camping for two weeks instead of one! I go camping every year at the end of summer break. When I go camping I have a lot of fun hanging out with my family but I have to go home to get ready for the first week of school. If we have longer summer vacation I can stay at my campsite and have fun at the beach there with my family.
My friend Drexel and my brother Luke both think that we should have a longer summer vacation. Here’s why. Drexel said that she went to a fun summer camp and it was over in a couple of weeks because the school year was really close. “If we could have a longer summer vacation I could stay at camp longer,” Drexel cried.
Luke my brother says that 2.5 months is not enough time to learn how to play a sport or to become better at one. “If we could have a longer summer vacation I can practice football and become one of the best players on the team!” he claims.
Another reason why I think that we should have a longer summer vacation is because we work hard in school and don’t get time to relax, so if we have a longer summer vacation we can make up relaxation time. For example, every Thursday I take the bus home and I don’t get home until 3:15 pm. When I get home I have a snack, do my homework and then I get ready for soccer. I also go to a math school called the Russian School of Math (R.S.M.) where I get extra math homework. I finish my homework around 4:30 pm. Then I have to go to soccer. When I get home I have family dinner then I get ready for bed. I barely had time to breath, never mind relax. If we have a longer summer vacation we can make up the days we didn’t get to relax on.
"Elevator Use" by Bianca
Have you ever been annoyed about having to take stairs? Have you ever why kids can’t take the elevator? Well this essay tells you why kids should take the elevator.
My first reason why kids should be able to take the elevator is because it can be dangerous taking stairs. Beep Beep! The lunch bell interrupts our writing lesson. “Time for lunch,” Ms. Moll says. Then flows of fifth graders charge out of the class room, grab their lunchboxes, and bolt down the stairs like a stampede. As the fifth graders rush down the stairs, lines of third graders are going down too. When I get close to the bottom of the stairs, I trip. The first word that pops into my head is danger. I was lucky that I didn’t get hurt. I was lucky that I didn’t sprain my ankle, or hit my head. These are some of the injuries that I could have gotten all because of the stairs.
My second reason why kids on the fourth floor should take the elevator is because Brooks School staff members take the elevator when they don’t need to. I walk into school excited for new day at the brooks school. Next I turn the corner to walk up the stairs, but before I even step onto the first step I see Ms. Hardy taking the elevator. This outrages me because I am on the fourth floor and have to walk up stairs, while teachers like Mrs. Hardy, and Ms. Kennedy just take the elevator. Last time I checked they have no trouble getting up stairs and aren’t on the fourth floor.
“It is a pain of walking up stairs every day,” a sixth grade girl, Adriana says. She has a strong opinion about this since she has to walk all around her school from class to class “Elevator passes sound good,” she finishes. She was one of the two interviews that stood out to me. Another interview I had was one with a fifth grade girl named Isabella. “In the morning walking up the stairs gets me going,” she starts. “But as the day goes on I get tired of walking up stairs so much.” My third reason why kids should be able to take the elevator is because kids like the idea of elevator passes then why can’t kids take the elevator? What are elevator passes? you must be thinking. Well I will tell you.
Elevator passes are a reward for good behavior for fourth floor students. Only teachers can give them out, but if you have already had a turn in your class you have to wait until everyone in your class has gone before you can have another turn. Maggie, Audrey, Medha, Isabella and I sent out a survey to all of the Brooks School staff members to see how often they take the elevator and if they think if there should be elevator passes. Most of the staff members of the Brooks School said that they don’t even think there should be elevator passes, but some of them take the elevator most often! I just think that some staff members are afraid that if elevator passes are allowed then they won’t get any time in “their” elevator.
My fourth reason why kids on the fourth floor take the elevator is because kids exercise enough, between gym, recess and various other activities, teachers don’t exercise at recess or gym, so why can’t kids on the fourth floor take the elevator. I see teachers taking the elevator, so kids have just the right to take it too. It is a 93 degree day out and my class just came back from recess the first thing my class has to do walk up stairs, but meanwhile some teachers just take the elevator. Last time I checked none of the teachers play at recess like kids do .This is why kids have more right than teachers to take the elevator.
As you can see kids on the fourth floor deserve to use the Brooks School elevator for all of these reasons.
My first reason why kids should be able to take the elevator is because it can be dangerous taking stairs. Beep Beep! The lunch bell interrupts our writing lesson. “Time for lunch,” Ms. Moll says. Then flows of fifth graders charge out of the class room, grab their lunchboxes, and bolt down the stairs like a stampede. As the fifth graders rush down the stairs, lines of third graders are going down too. When I get close to the bottom of the stairs, I trip. The first word that pops into my head is danger. I was lucky that I didn’t get hurt. I was lucky that I didn’t sprain my ankle, or hit my head. These are some of the injuries that I could have gotten all because of the stairs.
My second reason why kids on the fourth floor should take the elevator is because Brooks School staff members take the elevator when they don’t need to. I walk into school excited for new day at the brooks school. Next I turn the corner to walk up the stairs, but before I even step onto the first step I see Ms. Hardy taking the elevator. This outrages me because I am on the fourth floor and have to walk up stairs, while teachers like Mrs. Hardy, and Ms. Kennedy just take the elevator. Last time I checked they have no trouble getting up stairs and aren’t on the fourth floor.
“It is a pain of walking up stairs every day,” a sixth grade girl, Adriana says. She has a strong opinion about this since she has to walk all around her school from class to class “Elevator passes sound good,” she finishes. She was one of the two interviews that stood out to me. Another interview I had was one with a fifth grade girl named Isabella. “In the morning walking up the stairs gets me going,” she starts. “But as the day goes on I get tired of walking up stairs so much.” My third reason why kids should be able to take the elevator is because kids like the idea of elevator passes then why can’t kids take the elevator? What are elevator passes? you must be thinking. Well I will tell you.
Elevator passes are a reward for good behavior for fourth floor students. Only teachers can give them out, but if you have already had a turn in your class you have to wait until everyone in your class has gone before you can have another turn. Maggie, Audrey, Medha, Isabella and I sent out a survey to all of the Brooks School staff members to see how often they take the elevator and if they think if there should be elevator passes. Most of the staff members of the Brooks School said that they don’t even think there should be elevator passes, but some of them take the elevator most often! I just think that some staff members are afraid that if elevator passes are allowed then they won’t get any time in “their” elevator.
My fourth reason why kids on the fourth floor take the elevator is because kids exercise enough, between gym, recess and various other activities, teachers don’t exercise at recess or gym, so why can’t kids on the fourth floor take the elevator. I see teachers taking the elevator, so kids have just the right to take it too. It is a 93 degree day out and my class just came back from recess the first thing my class has to do walk up stairs, but meanwhile some teachers just take the elevator. Last time I checked none of the teachers play at recess like kids do .This is why kids have more right than teachers to take the elevator.
As you can see kids on the fourth floor deserve to use the Brooks School elevator for all of these reasons.
"Family" by Damon
Spending quality time with your family is very important. You get to know them better and it can be a lot of fun. For example, when I was little, after a long day of school, my mom would always take me out for ice cream. We would always have lots of fun and we got to know each other better. Whenever the weekends came by, my dad would always take my brother and me down to the field to play football with us. Another example is how my mom would always take us for joy rides in the car whenever she could. Of course it wasn’t that much, but we still appreciated it. I enjoyed it very much and I bet she liked it too.
Spending time with your family can be fun because you always have fun and memorable times. For example, a few days ago my brother Dante and I went over Austin’s house to have a sleepover. We had to carry lots of luggage that we didn’t even need but, according to our parents, “We needed it”. Once we got there we were very tired and we needed to chill out and relax. From there we basically played XBOX until it got dark outside. It was about 12:00 midnight and we had nothing to do. We couldn’t go outside because it was too dark. We couldn’t go downstairs because we had to sleep up there. And we couldn’t go to sleep because we weren’t tired. But, we could watch YouTube, so we went into Austin’s room and watched some videos. Eventually, we did see something on Minecraft then got on XBOX. 1:30 it was very dark outside and it was silent in the house. We then tried to go downstairs and grab a bite to eat, but since we were pretty hungry we basically looted the kitchen. Once we ran upstairs, we went up to Austin’s room; a while after Austin’s dad came up and told us we needed to brush our teeth. After brushing our teeth, we went back up to Austin’s room. Since he was exhausted, my brother was the first one to fall asleep. Then Austin and I were left there with nothing to do except play with these giant building block things from when Austin was a baby. But despite all of that I had a really nice time.
Spending time with your family can be fun because everything is always an adventure. For example, one time when I was younger we had to go visit my aunt Renee down at her house. Since parents can never be proved wrong my mom thought she knew where she was going but, of course, we got lost in the middle of nowhere. My mom then looked at the directions but we were nowhere near one of the landmarks, so we had to go on our own. Luckily, we actually found one of the landmarks. We looked at the directions and (eventually) got there. Yes, it was a very bad situation but I still kind of enjoyed it because we were all lost together. It was an adventure.
Spending time with your family can be fun because you always enjoy yourself. For example, when I was little, my family took a vacation to a hotel resort named Ko-Ko Keys. It was basically half hotel and half waterpark. Since I was already sick before we went I didn’t get to do as much as I wanted, but I could do some stuff. I couldn’t really go swimming and I couldn’t really run around that much, but I couldn’t really run around anyway. I just couldn’t do much of anything. While staying at the hotel, my birthday finally came, so I thought I could finally do something. Besides that, I was feeling better. On the day of my birthday my mom and dad ran out and got me a present. Since we were already at a hotel, my mom and dad told me they were not going to buy me something too expensive. Finally my birthday and I was feeling better so I finally got to go swimming. I was so happy that I could finally go swimming; I loved it so much I stayed in the pool almost all day.
Spending time with your family can be fun because no matter what you always have fun. For example, one time my brother, Austin and I all went to Burger King. We went up to the counter, ordered our food and sat down. In the middle of eating, a weird kid came to the playroom window looked at us then started to lick the glass. It was actually pretty funny; it was actually like getting entertainment while eating at Burger King.
I have always loved spending time with my family. Before I didn’t really think it was that important. But once we got out of the house a little bit, I found out it isn’t really that bad. Every time we got on a family trip I always have fun and enjoy myself. Above all, spending time with my family has to be one of my favorite things to do.
Spending time with your family can be fun because you always have fun and memorable times. For example, a few days ago my brother Dante and I went over Austin’s house to have a sleepover. We had to carry lots of luggage that we didn’t even need but, according to our parents, “We needed it”. Once we got there we were very tired and we needed to chill out and relax. From there we basically played XBOX until it got dark outside. It was about 12:00 midnight and we had nothing to do. We couldn’t go outside because it was too dark. We couldn’t go downstairs because we had to sleep up there. And we couldn’t go to sleep because we weren’t tired. But, we could watch YouTube, so we went into Austin’s room and watched some videos. Eventually, we did see something on Minecraft then got on XBOX. 1:30 it was very dark outside and it was silent in the house. We then tried to go downstairs and grab a bite to eat, but since we were pretty hungry we basically looted the kitchen. Once we ran upstairs, we went up to Austin’s room; a while after Austin’s dad came up and told us we needed to brush our teeth. After brushing our teeth, we went back up to Austin’s room. Since he was exhausted, my brother was the first one to fall asleep. Then Austin and I were left there with nothing to do except play with these giant building block things from when Austin was a baby. But despite all of that I had a really nice time.
Spending time with your family can be fun because everything is always an adventure. For example, one time when I was younger we had to go visit my aunt Renee down at her house. Since parents can never be proved wrong my mom thought she knew where she was going but, of course, we got lost in the middle of nowhere. My mom then looked at the directions but we were nowhere near one of the landmarks, so we had to go on our own. Luckily, we actually found one of the landmarks. We looked at the directions and (eventually) got there. Yes, it was a very bad situation but I still kind of enjoyed it because we were all lost together. It was an adventure.
Spending time with your family can be fun because you always enjoy yourself. For example, when I was little, my family took a vacation to a hotel resort named Ko-Ko Keys. It was basically half hotel and half waterpark. Since I was already sick before we went I didn’t get to do as much as I wanted, but I could do some stuff. I couldn’t really go swimming and I couldn’t really run around that much, but I couldn’t really run around anyway. I just couldn’t do much of anything. While staying at the hotel, my birthday finally came, so I thought I could finally do something. Besides that, I was feeling better. On the day of my birthday my mom and dad ran out and got me a present. Since we were already at a hotel, my mom and dad told me they were not going to buy me something too expensive. Finally my birthday and I was feeling better so I finally got to go swimming. I was so happy that I could finally go swimming; I loved it so much I stayed in the pool almost all day.
Spending time with your family can be fun because no matter what you always have fun. For example, one time my brother, Austin and I all went to Burger King. We went up to the counter, ordered our food and sat down. In the middle of eating, a weird kid came to the playroom window looked at us then started to lick the glass. It was actually pretty funny; it was actually like getting entertainment while eating at Burger King.
I have always loved spending time with my family. Before I didn’t really think it was that important. But once we got out of the house a little bit, I found out it isn’t really that bad. Every time we got on a family trip I always have fun and enjoy myself. Above all, spending time with my family has to be one of my favorite things to do.
"Friends of the Opposite Gender" by Gabe E.
From my point of view I think it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender.
One reason why I think it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender is because; the opposite gender (girls, boys) can teach you things that you don’t know. For example, if you’re a boy and you’re having trouble with girls, if you have a friend that’s a girl she can give you advice. Also if you’re a girl a boy can do the same thing give advice. It’s not only for advice on girls, or boys but anything you need advice on.
Another reason why I think it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender is, sometimes you just get tired of your own gender. Personally for me I’m tired of always playing football and acting tough, but don’t get me wrong I love football, but sometimes I just want to chill out and talk about things other than sports. Not all boys like doing that, and I know not all girls like doing that stuff, but I do, and most of the time girls like to do the same thing as me. And sometimes it’s good to do that because it’s always good to chill out. Too much of the same thing is bad for you. So sometimes just mix it up, and don’t only hang out with your own gender.
Girls (boys) have your back when you need them, and that is one of my reasons why it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender. For example, One day my mom was driving me to school, and somehow she got a flat tire. I don’t know why but when she called triple A, and they wouldn’t come, so she called our good friend jay. Unfortunately I walked to school that day so I didn’t get to see jay. My mom and jay have been friends for 8 years, that’s he came so early.
Another example is that friends of the opposite gender can cheer you up when you’re feeling down, for example… One day I got in trouble for no reason and I was mad on the bus. So my old friend aliyiah told me she didn’t have any money for snack, so I gave her a dollar. Then when we get to the boys and girls club, she pulls out two dollars!! And because of that I wasn’t mad and I got a dollar out of it. So its friends can cheer you up when you’re down.
Friends of the opposite gender can also help you with your academics. For example, if you’re not the best at taking test, call your friend to help. Because most of the time, when you invite your friend over you’ll spend most of your time playing video games, but if you invite a friend that’s a girl she can help. I hang out with girls all the time because most of my family is made of girls. When you work with girls you are getting the job done, not playing around, and no video games. Girls will do the work with you and do it right.
In conclusion I found out friends of the opposite can be helpful and fun. The benefits of having friends of the opposite gender is that they can help you when you need them, they can have your back when you need them, they can also teach you things that you may not know, and importantly they can be a really great friends. That’s why it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender.
One reason why I think it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender is because; the opposite gender (girls, boys) can teach you things that you don’t know. For example, if you’re a boy and you’re having trouble with girls, if you have a friend that’s a girl she can give you advice. Also if you’re a girl a boy can do the same thing give advice. It’s not only for advice on girls, or boys but anything you need advice on.
Another reason why I think it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender is, sometimes you just get tired of your own gender. Personally for me I’m tired of always playing football and acting tough, but don’t get me wrong I love football, but sometimes I just want to chill out and talk about things other than sports. Not all boys like doing that, and I know not all girls like doing that stuff, but I do, and most of the time girls like to do the same thing as me. And sometimes it’s good to do that because it’s always good to chill out. Too much of the same thing is bad for you. So sometimes just mix it up, and don’t only hang out with your own gender.
Girls (boys) have your back when you need them, and that is one of my reasons why it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender. For example, One day my mom was driving me to school, and somehow she got a flat tire. I don’t know why but when she called triple A, and they wouldn’t come, so she called our good friend jay. Unfortunately I walked to school that day so I didn’t get to see jay. My mom and jay have been friends for 8 years, that’s he came so early.
Another example is that friends of the opposite gender can cheer you up when you’re feeling down, for example… One day I got in trouble for no reason and I was mad on the bus. So my old friend aliyiah told me she didn’t have any money for snack, so I gave her a dollar. Then when we get to the boys and girls club, she pulls out two dollars!! And because of that I wasn’t mad and I got a dollar out of it. So its friends can cheer you up when you’re down.
Friends of the opposite gender can also help you with your academics. For example, if you’re not the best at taking test, call your friend to help. Because most of the time, when you invite your friend over you’ll spend most of your time playing video games, but if you invite a friend that’s a girl she can help. I hang out with girls all the time because most of my family is made of girls. When you work with girls you are getting the job done, not playing around, and no video games. Girls will do the work with you and do it right.
In conclusion I found out friends of the opposite can be helpful and fun. The benefits of having friends of the opposite gender is that they can help you when you need them, they can have your back when you need them, they can also teach you things that you may not know, and importantly they can be a really great friends. That’s why it’s good to have friends of the opposite gender.
"Summer Fun" by Steph
There are many fun activities you can do in the summer. One fun activity is having ice cream and popsicles. When it’s hot out, you can have a cold and refreshing snack. At the beach loads of people crowded the ice cream truck buying as much ice cream as they can. I have a Popsicle every day in summer.
Another fun activity is swimming. There is one thing that everybody loves to do and that is swimming. It’s fun, refreshing, and cold. You can do lot of fun games like macro polo and tag. One time I was in Cape Cod with my dad, brother, cousins and my aunt and uncle. We went down to the beach and played macro polo and we had lots of fun. That is why swimming is a fun activity.
Another fun thing is seeing your family and friends. In summer time, I get to see my family and friends. I can do loads of things with them like the time I saw my friend Damon at wright’s pond with his brother and played shark attack.
Another fun activity is seeing the fireworks on the fourth of July. On the fourth of July, my dad takes me and my brother to Cape Cod almost every summer for my birthday, which is the day before the fourth of July. My cousins, aunt, and uncle came too, and they come from Kansas.
As you can see there are lots of fun activities for summer time like having ice cream and popsicles, swimming, seeing friends and family, and seeing fireworks.
Another fun activity is swimming. There is one thing that everybody loves to do and that is swimming. It’s fun, refreshing, and cold. You can do lot of fun games like macro polo and tag. One time I was in Cape Cod with my dad, brother, cousins and my aunt and uncle. We went down to the beach and played macro polo and we had lots of fun. That is why swimming is a fun activity.
Another fun thing is seeing your family and friends. In summer time, I get to see my family and friends. I can do loads of things with them like the time I saw my friend Damon at wright’s pond with his brother and played shark attack.
Another fun activity is seeing the fireworks on the fourth of July. On the fourth of July, my dad takes me and my brother to Cape Cod almost every summer for my birthday, which is the day before the fourth of July. My cousins, aunt, and uncle came too, and they come from Kansas.
As you can see there are lots of fun activities for summer time like having ice cream and popsicles, swimming, seeing friends and family, and seeing fireworks.
"School Should be Longer" by Austin
Jimmy comes home at two thirty five. He has to go to baseball once he comes home. By time he gets back it’s six o’ clock and he has to go to dinner at his grandma’s house. When he comes home it’s nine o’clock. Now he has to do his homework.
I think that school should be longer. My first reason why I think school should be longer is because we would learn more and after school we would have no homework. Autumn said that it would be nice to have school be longer because at her old school she had time after school to do her homework so when she got home didn’t have any homework. I interviewed my brother and he said he would like to have school be longer so he doesn’t have tons of homework and papers to do. He said if school was one or two hours longer he could get more help on math and do better on a test.
My second reason that school should be longer is because sometimes after school I have to do things. For example I have to teach karate lessons. One time after school I had to go and teach karate and after that class I had to go home and have dinner. I only had an hour to eat and get my homework done. Sadly, I didn’t get it done, so when I came home, I had to finish my homework and I was so tired.
Another example is that the other day I had to go shopping with my mom. She forced me to go even though I didn’t want to. When I got home I started my homework but my dad kept yelling up stairs “It’s time for dinner”. I ran downstairs quickly and ate dinner. Then my mother said “We have to get the plants for your garden”. By time I got home I was too tired to do my homework.
My third reason is that if school was just one or two hours longer we could do more things. For example we could do more stuff like having science class longer so we could learn more about genes and plants. We could work on our fish game board which we can’t do because we don’t have enough time in science. If school were longer we could have an extra two hours to learn some new math facts. If we had two hours school we could go on more field trips. If we had an extra two hours of school we could start our homework and have none to do when we come home.
My fourth reason is that school should be longer and we should have no homework because sometimes people don’t always get help with their homework. Sometimes I come home and I have to do my homework by myself, and it’s not that easy when we just learn something new. For example I came home one day and no one was really there except for my grandma and she really can’t help me with my homework. I didn’t know what to do. I tried the internet but it didn’t have what was looking for exactly, so I had to wait for my mom and dad to get home at eight thirty, and I knew they wouldn’t want to help after a long days of work.
That is why school should be longer.
I think that school should be longer. My first reason why I think school should be longer is because we would learn more and after school we would have no homework. Autumn said that it would be nice to have school be longer because at her old school she had time after school to do her homework so when she got home didn’t have any homework. I interviewed my brother and he said he would like to have school be longer so he doesn’t have tons of homework and papers to do. He said if school was one or two hours longer he could get more help on math and do better on a test.
My second reason that school should be longer is because sometimes after school I have to do things. For example I have to teach karate lessons. One time after school I had to go and teach karate and after that class I had to go home and have dinner. I only had an hour to eat and get my homework done. Sadly, I didn’t get it done, so when I came home, I had to finish my homework and I was so tired.
Another example is that the other day I had to go shopping with my mom. She forced me to go even though I didn’t want to. When I got home I started my homework but my dad kept yelling up stairs “It’s time for dinner”. I ran downstairs quickly and ate dinner. Then my mother said “We have to get the plants for your garden”. By time I got home I was too tired to do my homework.
My third reason is that if school was just one or two hours longer we could do more things. For example we could do more stuff like having science class longer so we could learn more about genes and plants. We could work on our fish game board which we can’t do because we don’t have enough time in science. If school were longer we could have an extra two hours to learn some new math facts. If we had two hours school we could go on more field trips. If we had an extra two hours of school we could start our homework and have none to do when we come home.
My fourth reason is that school should be longer and we should have no homework because sometimes people don’t always get help with their homework. Sometimes I come home and I have to do my homework by myself, and it’s not that easy when we just learn something new. For example I came home one day and no one was really there except for my grandma and she really can’t help me with my homework. I didn’t know what to do. I tried the internet but it didn’t have what was looking for exactly, so I had to wait for my mom and dad to get home at eight thirty, and I knew they wouldn’t want to help after a long days of work.
That is why school should be longer.
"Some Boys are Mean to Girls" by Autumn
Have you ever wondered why boys are so mean to girls? Well let me tell you why. One reason boys are mean to girls is that they call girls names. For example they call girls "boys" and girls really don’t like that but sometimes girls like being called “dude” or “bro”. They like being called “pretty” but not called a boy, because girls are not boys they are young ladies. They also don’t like being called “ugly”. For example there was this kid I knew and when I was over his house he called me a “bro” and I did not like that so I was mad at him. He said that “I call everybody bro; it is a habit of mine”. I don’t think boys should call girls names.
Another reason boys are mean to girls is that boys like girls but they just don’t want to hang out with them because if the boy has a crush on the girl they will try to push the girl away from the boy. For example I had this friend that was a boy and every time another boy was over there he would call me names. But when the other boy is not over there he does not call me names.
The last reason is that boys are mean to girls is that boys tease girls. For example there is this boy I know and every time he sees a girl he starts teasing them, calling them losers. I think boy boys tease girls a lot.
It is important to know that boys are mean to girls, but not all of them. Some boys are really nice but some are very mean so try to avoid the mean boys!
Another reason boys are mean to girls is that boys like girls but they just don’t want to hang out with them because if the boy has a crush on the girl they will try to push the girl away from the boy. For example I had this friend that was a boy and every time another boy was over there he would call me names. But when the other boy is not over there he does not call me names.
The last reason is that boys are mean to girls is that boys tease girls. For example there is this boy I know and every time he sees a girl he starts teasing them, calling them losers. I think boy boys tease girls a lot.
It is important to know that boys are mean to girls, but not all of them. Some boys are really nice but some are very mean so try to avoid the mean boys!
