#BirdvilleVoices
vol. 2, edition: 3 January 2018
Welcome to #BirdvilleVoices Digital Literary Magazine!
This digital literary magazine is a compilation of writings from the budding middle school authors around the district. Please enjoy their insights, humor, and writer's craft.
6th Grade
Haltom Middle- Aaron G
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was an African-American protester who gave a famous speech and helped the U.S. to eventually become desegregated.
MLK was part of a group called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC was a group of ministers and civil rights activists nonviolently protested. They would give speeches in public or in schools to encourage people to protest (non-violently) against segregation. (biography.com)
On December 1, 1955, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks sat down in a bus and refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. She got arrested soon after. Civil Rights Activists arranged a bus boycott that lasted 381 days and chose MLK as the protest leader. Because of this, MLK became a target for white supremacists and had his house bombed a few weeks later. (www.history.com)
On August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial MLK stood in front of hundreds of people and gave a speech. In the speech, he said that everyone was equal and should be treated equally. His speech made him famous. He was featured in magazines and became the youngest person to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. (www.history.com)
MLK was a leader and a great person who we still celebrate every year on MLK Day.
North Ridge Middle- Alden K
Fashion Through the 60's
¨Once you can express yourself, you can tell the world what you want from it...¨
-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. No matter who you were, you could express yourself through fashion in the 1960's. Even though African Americans tried to dress like whites, every individual could show their personality no matter what color. Groups who wore bright clothing and had long hair even impacted the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the 60’s everything changed from being yourself to coming together. There were many bumps on the way to freedom, but look where we are now.
Fashion was a way to be yourself no matter who you were. In the 60’s people faced discrimination, but no matter what color, shape, or size you were, you could express yourself by the way you dressed. By looking at a person’s outfit you can tell a lot. African Americans dressed sly while whites dressed more “glamorous.” Towards the end of the Civil Rights Movement everyone started to wear bright and colorful clothing to celebrate coming together as one. Even though we are all different, we can be ourselves through fashion.
The Hippie Movement impacted a lot on fashion in a positive way becoming more and more popular during the 60’s. Hippies always stated “anything goes” and peacefully protested while they also listened to music and walked in style. They rebelled against society and did it without any violence. Most hippies believed everyone was equal, everyone could vote, and everyone could go to school. Hippies gave the impression of being wacky, long haired, bright, and colorful people, but they represented way more than that.
In the 60’s, African Americans imitated whites’ looks so they could look “normal.” Blacks would straighten their hair and minimize their African American features. Sometimes it was a joke, but other times it was just because they were jealous. Soon the saying, “Black is beautiful,” became popular, and African Americans realized they should be themselves. They started to grow their natural hair and show their true heritage of who they really were.
The 1960’s were a time of change and challenge. Fashion brought in hippies, longer hair, shorter skirts, and most of all a big impact on the Civil Rights Movement. People came together and expressed themselves through the way they dressed. Whoever you were, you could always be yourself and fashion could help show the real you inside and out.
Citations
· Connikie, Yvonne, and Robert Price. Fashions of a decade, the 1960s. Chelsea, 2009.
· “AFRICAN AMERICANS' DRESS DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.” Fashion Encyclopedia, www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Early-Cultures-African/African-Americans-Dress-During-the-Civil-Rights-Movement.html.
“The Impact of The 'Fro In The Civil Rights Movement.” Essence.com, www.essence.com/2015/02/11/impact-fro-civil-rights-movement.
Watauga Middle- Rachel E
Kingdom Illusion- Chapter Two Amber's POV
I ran. I ran for maybe twenty minutes straight. I only stopped running when I tripped and fell face-first into the snow.
The snow was cool against my exhausted and boiling body.
When I tried to stand, I collapsed and landed on my shoulder, crying out in pain.
I was finally able to pull myself up and stand. I was wobbling a bit, but I didn't fall.
I looked at where I had fallen, an imprint of my body pressed into the frost. There was also red, coloring the snow near the shape of my head. I felt my brow and found the source of the mysterious color.
I wanted to pass out. My head was pounding and my legs burned. I couldn't just collapse in the middle of the forest, however. General's men were still on the hunt for me. I was a fox and they were the hound dogs.
Speaking of General, I couldn't believe I had just left James. Why didn't I stay and fight?! What was wrong with me?!?! I had to go back for him, but I needed a plan first.
I was about to concoct one until there was the crunch of snow behind me and... CRACK!!!
Then everything went black.
***
I woke up to the bright morning sun shining through my eyelids.
I tried to sit up, but an arm slowly pushed on my chest until I was laying down again.
I still hadn't opened my eyes and I was getting very curious on where I was and who I was with.
I opened my eyes quickly and looked around. The room was bright and warm. Sunlight filtered in from various windows and such. There was an earthy smell to the place and plants everywhere.
The bed I was in wasn't the only furniture in the room, though. Shelves with plants, corked bottles with various colored liquids, and a few books lined the walls.
There was a small desk in the corner nearest my bed with a lamp and runes.
Sitting at this desk was a man with straight black hair and a sleeveless shirt.
He was sitting with his back to me, so I asked him what he was working on. He turned and answered simply. "Magic"
I didn't know how to anwer. I'd heard of witches and warlocks peppered through the forest, but I just thought they were stories to keep children from wandering.
Eventually the guy stood up and stretched.
"I'm Valor." He said.
He had a scar running over his left eye, which was completely clouded over. He had a strong face and a chiseled jaw. HIs eyes were dark blue and stood out against his tanned skin.
"I'm sorry for hitting you over the head with a bat." He said in a reluctant tone. "I was just doing my job."
This intrigued me, so I questioned him. "Your job?" at this he smiled.
"Yeah, which I will probably get fired from anyway." He shook his head. "Anyway, we need to get you some food."
"I'm fine." I replied. "I just want to be on my way to find my friend. " I said, starting to get out of bed.
"Ah, do you mean that James fellow?" He kept talking even without my answer. "I know where he is. I could get you to him as well." He smirked.
"You could?!" I exclaimed. I was overjoyed. He could help me find James and then James and I could ditch him. We'd be on our way in not time.
In my joy, Valor interrupted me. "But we have to break into the castle dungeons before he's executed."
"Executed?" I was horrified. "We need to find James."
North Ridge Middle- Kenzie B
The 1960´s Sit-ins
Four college students ounce sat at a white only booth at a restaurant called Woolworth’s. They refused to move unless they were served. Protesters, both white and black,patiently sat at restaurants. Waiting to be served. A Sit-In is a peaceful protest where demonstrators sit in white only sections in mixed race restaurants, or sit at white only restaurants, and wait to be served. The 1960´s Sit-Ins had a great impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
As Sit-Ins became more popular, white citizens became more cross. They were upset that people actually agreed with the Sit-In protests. They believed that blacks should not be treated fairly like whites were. To them, segregation was normal and should never end. Some whites would even throw flour, mustard, ketchup, water, tea, sodas, coffee, and many other things on the protesters. Not only would the protesters have to deal with having food items thrown on them, but they also would be harassed by the people who disagreed with the protesters. When protesters were attacked they would curl into a ball onto the ground and just take the beating. Restaurant managers would call the police. When the police arrived they would arrest the protesters, not the people who started or caused the conflict. After the demonstrator(s) were arrested, new protesters would then take their place. A jail in Nashville, Tennessee overflowed with wrongfully accused demonstrators.
Overtime, restaurant managers started to become annoyed. People´s Drugstore in Arlington, Virginia closed their lunch for a short period of time. They didn't want to have to serve the demonstrators, nor did they want to have to tolerate the protesters sitting at their restaurants. Kress 5&10 Store removed their stools at their lunch counter to prevent protesters from sitting at the counter. Woolworth´s officially closed their lunch until all the segregation issues calmed down. Even though restaurants were dropping left, right, and center but still, protesters still found other restaurants to protest at. Demonstrators, both black and white, sat on floors at restaurants that removed their stools from the lunch counters. Some just stood at the counter. Because protesters didn't give up, restaurant managers did start to give up. Restaurants, mostly in the south but some in the North, started to drop their rules on segregation. All people that were against segregation were overwhelmed with joy.
Protesters started to start other peaceful protest since Sit-Ins had such a great outcome. Wade-Ins began at white only pools where demonstrators would swim in the pools or sit around the pool. Church-Ins began at white only churches where demonstrators would attend services at the church. Overtime pools and churches began to drop their rules on segregation also. Restaurants, pools, and churches all over the south began to take away their rule of segregation. By 1967 more than 15 restaurants had no segregation rules.
Sit-Ins are still around, though they’re not so peaceful anymore. Because America doesn't have segregation at all anymore, Sit-Ins don’t have the same meaning behind them. These protest have changed the way we live. Sit-ins were only one turning point in segregation. But because of these protest, The United States now has no segregation at restaurants.
“Uhistory.org.” Uhistory.org - This website is for sale! - Resources and Information., www.uhistory.org/.
“Civil Rights Movement Veterans.” Civil Rights Movement Veterans - CORE, NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, www.crmvet.org/.
Aretha, David. Sit-Ins and freedom rides. Morgan Reynolds Pub., 2009.Haltom Middle- Karen L.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Many people helped the Civil Rights Movement. For example,Ruby Bridges,Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman,and many more. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights leader. He made famous speeches, and fought for the segregation and discrimination to end.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights leader. He led non-violent protests and he helped organize famous marches, like the March of Washington.His first major civil rights action was the Montgomery Bus Boycott.The boycott started with the arrest of Rosa Parks for not giving her seat to a white person. In fact, he got a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was the youngest to receive it.(National Geographic Kids Martin Luther King,Jr. By Kitson Jazynka)
He made famous speeches. Martin Luther King,Jr. learned inspirational ideas from a man called Gandhi, he also used peaceful protest to fight unfair laws. On August 28,1963,on Washington D.C., he helped organize the March of Washington, where he said his famous “I have a dream” speech.” I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” (National Geographic Kids Martin Luther King,Jr. Page 37) Many people were in the march to protest the unpleasant laws.
Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for the segregation and discrimination to end. The rules did change in 1964 and 1965. While he was in Memphis,Tennessee helping black garbage collectors get better pay,a man with a gun assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr.on April 4,1968. In Washington D.C.there is a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. honoring him. In 1983,President Ronald Reagan made a official holiday honoring Martin Luther King,Jr.
Martin Luther King,Jr. was a civil rights leader, who made famous speeches,and fought for the equality for all people. Martin Luther King,Jr. changed the society we live in. After many years we still remember him as a remarkable man.
North Ridge Middle- Ayrina L
Malcolm X
“We don’t go for segregation. We go for separation,” -Malcolm X. This is one of Malcolm X’s most radical philosophies to improve the lives of African-Americans. Malcolm X’s philosophies would alter America for the better. He traveled great distances across the country to speak about the horrors black people faced in America. He would express his opinions about the use of violence if peaceful protest failed. His speeches explained of a greater discrimination than Jim Crow laws. This eventually led to a greater understanding of segregation and began an effective solution. Malcolm X also supported Black Pride and felt that all African-Americans should feel proud of their heritage. In addition, he also introduced Americans to Nation of Islam and orthodox Islam.
In the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, most effort was mainly focused on ending Jim Crow laws. However, through his speeches, Malcolm X proved that these laws were only the tip of the iceberg, changing the movement and starting the improvement of many African-American lives. Having only lived in northern states, Malcolm X was never affected by Jim Crow laws. Regardless, he still faced terrible discrimination during his childhood and youth in Lansing, Boston and Harlem. His speeches showed that the fight for equality was not only a legal battle, but a psychological one too. During the 1960s, both black and white people had the deeply rooted notion that white people were superior. Even the African-Americans in high positions were often condescended to and were never quite perceived as equals. Malcolm X demonstrated this fact through his eloquent speeches.
Malcolm X also promoted Black Pride and encouraged others to feel proud of themselves and their heritage instead of trying to act like white people. In addition to this, he felt that violence should be used to resist discrimination if peaceful protest did not work. This philosophy of pride for your background and the use of resistance with violence would form the basis of the philosophy of the Black Panther Party. Malcolm X also believed that in order to be seen as equals, African-Americans needed to separate from the white community and create their own businesses and governments.
Membership of both Nation of Islam and traditional Islam in America vastly increased with the assistance of Malcolm X. This would also allow other religions to take root. Malcolm X drew awareness to Nation of Islam through his frequent speeches. He also spent a large amount of time on the streets informing African-Americans about Nation of Islam and it’s theology. In addition to Nation of Islam growing in size, orthodox Islam also gained members. In 1950, only 205,157 Muslims lived in America. By 1970, that number had jumped to 1,026,373.
In conclusion, Malcolm X introduced new religions to the majority of the American public. He wanted African-Americans to feel pride and showed the world discrimination was much deeper in America’s soul than what was on the surface. He described numerous philosophies which beneficially changed America. Malcolm X truly transformed America and the world.
Works Cited
X, Malcolm “Malcolm explains the difference between separation and segregation. Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan. 23 January 1963.” Malcolm explains the
difference between separation and segregation.,
ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/mxp/speeches/mxt14.html.
Benson, Michael, and Martha Cosgrove. Malcolm X. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2005.
X, Malcolm, et al. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 1964. New York: Ballantine Books, Print
“Malcolm X.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Aug. 2017. Web. 14 Dec. 2017
www.biography.com/people/malcolm-x.
Kettani, Houssain. “World Muslim Population: 1950-2020.”Semanticscholar.org, International
Journal of Environmental Science and Development, June 2010, pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7c2b/9fea1298362898bb577f06c42f8a12a30e77.pdf.
Watauga Middle - Payton B
The Monster
A long bus ride, to a distant city. Garreth was going back to his hometown of B’avos. A large city next to the coast. Garreth is going home from a one month college to a small country in Europe. It was different for him, something was off. His usual loud, busy, hot, humid city was different. It was quiet and cold. The birds weren’t chirping, the dogs weren’t barking, the mice weren’t squeaking. Something wasn’t right. He stepped out of the rusty, blue, metal bus and gazed at the empty, quiet, cold suburban street. It was eleven at night and only a couple of lights shined out into the starry night from high rise office buildings. Usually at this time people would be shoving and marching throughout the streets. Garreth was walking, exploring the now, quiet and empty city when he found a note. It read “He sees all” and something else but it was torn off. That’s when he started to get worried. He started sprinting towards his best friend’s apartment complex. A tall reddish brown building with at least seven stories. He notice the door was broken so he just stepped inside. It was cold, dark, empty and quiet. Only a couple of lights flickered down the main hall. Garreth noticed a couple of holes in the wall and a torn off watch with a broken screen. He went to pick it up but when he first touched it he saw something. A flashback...but it wasn’t his memory. He saw a man in a tuxedo running down the main hall until he tripped, a couple seconds later he got dragged back into the dark hallway followed by a blood torn scream. Garreth fell backwards throwing the watch away from him. After that he got a horrible chill down his back as if he was being watched. He saw something in the corner of his eye...a man, just standing there. He quickly turned to the strange man’s direction, only to find an empty counter. That’s when he got scared. He quickly got up and ran out of the building. He was not expecting what was going to happen next…. To be continued.
Haltom Middle- Oscar T
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was a Civil Rights leader and a lawyer. Marshall was the first African-American justice in the Supreme Court and had a rough childhood as a child. His dad had an influence on him and on his future career of a lawyer.
As a kid, Marshall liked to argue with his classmates and became “A star of debate”. (ducksters.com). His grandfather was a slave and escaped during the Civil War. As a kid, his dad and he would listen to court cases. In high school, Marshall had to memorize the US constitution. When he was entering college, The University of Maryland Law School rejected him because of his race, but he was eventually accepted by Lincoln University (in Pennsylvania).
On Thurgood Marshall journey to government was a very interesting thing. He was known as “Mr. Civil Rights” because he would defend African-American rights. As a lawyer he fought against The University of Maryland Law School because an African-American was declined by the university because of his race. Marshall wound up winning the case and made the university change its policy. He also fought against the Board of Education which meant he did not want segregation in schools, he would later on rule segregation unconstitutional.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy named Marshall as the first African-American justice in the Supreme Court for the next four years. Marshall was a nice man and never gave anybody the death penalty or life in prison. Marshall also was a judge of final decision because he never had a case overturned; he also won 91% of his cases.
Marshall died on January 24, 1993 of a heart failure. As the first African-American justice in the Supreme Court, many admire him. He left a legacy of equality for all.
North Ridge Middle-Leah C
The Jim Crow Laws
You’re in a small building with an unusual crowd; it only takes a few moments to realize why. Everyone there is the same color: white. Looking forward, you see a stage with a man singing and dancing. You listen for a while and hear something like this, “Come listen all you girls and boys, come and have some fun, I'm going to sing a little song, my name is Jim Crow. Fist on the heel tap, then on the toe. Every time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow. Wheel about and turn about and do just so, every time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow.” You are witnessing a minstrel show, popular among whites or people with lighter skin during the 1830s-1840s. The actor on stage is Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice. He used blackface makeup, makeup made out of burnt cork, greasepaint, or shoe polish, to make his face appear much darker than it actually was. Wearing this makeup, Rice would sing and dance, acting carefree and lazy in tattered and frayed garments. This built a negative stereotype for African Americans, allowing many white people to believe they were superior. This was Jim Crow’s first appearance, but, as time went on, Jim Crow and other actors in minstrel shows shaped the African American stereotype of the time. Consequently, in the 1850s-1960s, the name Jim Crow was adopted and used for the Jim Crow Laws. The main idea of the Jim Crow Laws was separate but equal. Except, it didn’t happen that way. What actually happened was that everything was separate… but not equal.
One of the many things affected by the Jim Crow Laws was public transportation. To be more specific, buses. On buses, black people would not only be forced to sit in the back of the bus, but they would also have to give up their seats in the ‘colored section’ if a white person got on and the ‘white section’ was filled. This was a major blow to people’s pride, and kind of an ironic one too, because from what I’ve seen of school buses, all the kids want to sit in the back and avoid the front. Anyway, this was a major issue and caused some boycotts and retaliation from people like the Freedom Riders who, instead of boycotting the buses, like some people, chose to do the opposite, riding interstate buses in multiracial groups. The most famous bus protest, however, was most likely that of Rosa Parks, who, on December 1, 1955, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Because of this, Rosa Parks was arrested and fined, but despite the consequences, she made her point.
Another place that was affected by the Jim Crow Laws was restaurants. Some restaurants only served African Americans in the back of the restaurant and others didn’t serve them at all. In any case, when restaurants did serve blacks, it was in dirty and decaying rooms in the back of the restaurant or even in small buildings off to the side. If, by any chance, the restaurant had a front counter, African Americans couldn’t go up and order there. They’d have to order separately in not as nice conditions. Because many people were upset by these rules, protests started. The most notable of these protests was the sit-in movement. During sit-ins, people with darker skin would go to the front of a restaurant, ask for food, and quietly wait to be served. This brought on anger from the people in the restaurants. Sometimes in the form of threats, white people would show their anger by yelling and throwing food at the protesters. When confronted with violence, African American protesters would curl up into balls and wait for the blows to subside. Eventually, it worked. Restaurants started serving people of all colors, although it did take a little while for everyone to get used to integrated restaurants.
Schools have been debated many times for numerous reasons. One of the reasons that contributed quite a few debates and court cases is whether or not schools should be segregated. One law made in Texas roughly states, “No child is compelled to attend schools that are racially mixed. No desegregation unless approved by election. Governor may close schools where troops are used on federal authority.” This law is just one out of many to force segregated schools on a community without mentioning anything about the actual education of the kids who go to those schools. The people making the laws didn’t have to worry, they got a great education and their kids got one just as good. Places where white people were taught had modern methods of teaching and didn’t have many problems. On the other hand, African American schools had an abundance of problems. One of these was education. White people claimed that people with darker skin couldn’t get a good education because something was wrong with them, but the truth is, they never got a chance to learn in the first place. Usually, the teachers at African American schools were uneducated themselves, so they couldn’t provide the best education. In addition to that, African American schools were not necessarily the cleanest places to be often with dirt floors and pews like a church. When their kids weren’t getting a good education, African American parents started protesting. Many lawsuits were filed, including Plessy vs Ferguson, Gaines vs University of Missouri, and Sipuel vs Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma. The most publicised and well known court case was Brown vs the Board of Education which managed to integrate schools, but the Supreme Court didn’t state how long it had to take.
There are severe consequences when laws or other government ideas go wrong. The truth of that statement was only confirmed by the Jim Crow Laws. It seems nowhere was safe from segregation as restaurants and schools were also subject to the Jim Crow Laws. These laws were put into effect everywhere. Even something as simple as a water fountain became subjected to segregation. Now, there are many ways this could have worked out, but sadly, none of those happened. Instead, where people with lighter skin ate, sat, traveled, and even stayed for the night were much nicer and more hospitable than that which accommodated people with darker skin. The cry separate but equal became a warning rather than a new idea, and the rivers between groups of people only became wider, leaving giant chasms in their wake that are still hard to build bridges across today. The Jim Crow Laws were eventually ruled unconstitutional, resulting in the integration and equality we appreciate today.
Sources Used
“Jim Crow Laws.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/freedom-riders-jim-crow-laws/.
“Jim Crow Laws - Separate Is Not Equal.” Smithsonian National Museum of American History Behring Center, americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/jim-crow.html.
“Jim Crow Laws and Racial Segregation.” Social Welfare History Project, 23 Oct. 2017, socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/civil-war-reconstruction/jim-crow-laws-andracial-segregation/.
“Jim Crow Laws.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/malu/learn/education/jim_crow_laws.htm.
“The Origins of Jim Crow.” The Origins of Jim Crow - Jim Crow Museum - Ferris State University, ferris.edu/jimcrow/origins.htm.
Fremon, David K. The Jim Crow laws and racism in American history. Enslow Publishers, 2000.
Sharp, Anne Wallace. A dream deferred: the Jim Crow era. Lucent Books, A part of Gale, Cengage Learning, 2005.
7th GRADE
Smithfield Middle- Megan P
After a Rainstorm
Megan Pitner
The smell of the fresh grass,
The smell of the earth.
The droplets on the flowers,
The moisture in the dirt.
The dancing of the plants,
In the light breeze.
The feeling in the air,
The beams of sunlight through the trees.
The animals creep out,
From their hiding places.
The warmth of the light,
Kisses upturned faces.
After a shower,
Life is full of beauty.
When Mother Earth is done with rain,
Outside is where I want to be.
It’s where I want to be.
Watauga Middle- Lily M
The Unknown
Her stomach clenched
She fidgeted with her sweater
Her hands began to sweat
As her long, thin, cold legs walked through the dark forest
No source of light; her phone was dead and the moonlight had eerily disappeared behind a black patch
She was freezing, in a forest that she couldn't even figure out how she had arrived in the first place
She was shaking and confused
Her lungs were filled with cold air and her heart was beating faster than ever
Her body went numb from the cold, and maybe a little fear too
She began to shake out of mixed emotions
She just wanted the morning to come , and fast, because something was definitely up
She felt like reality was keeping her feet planted to the hard, stone cold ground.
Dead leaves crunched beneath her feet
Her feet hurt from her midnight walk in the dead forest
Suddenly, she felt something breathe down her neck
She spun around, but nothing was there
She began to walk faster, clueless of what was to come next
As she continued walking, something began walking up behind her
And suddenly, she feels her body go numb
She can't move or speak
Suddenly, her body falls to the cold ground, red trickles down the rocks, and a searing jolt of pain is the last thing she ever felt
Haltom Middle- Nalee L
January 5th, 2018
Dear Marley,
Thank you for coming to see me and telling me that the three spirits of Christmas will be visiting me. They have not only taught me lessons, but helped me realize a few things about life. That alone has changed my entire life and I now understand. They’ve all impacted me in many ways, but the one that got through to me was the spirit of Christmas yet to come. I was shown what will happen if I hadn’t changed my selfish and greedy ways, that I called a way of living. I wasn’t alive at all, but dead inside indeed. I’ve now become a better and caring person. Thank you again.
Your old friend,
Ebenezer Scrooge
Smithfield Middle- Morgan B
A Girl Who Struggled
There was a girl named Miranda.
She tried to do her best at school.
Then she went to her pre-ap math class.
Although she made good grades in that class, she struggled in it.
She didn’t want to tell her teacher.
So she tried to get help from her sister,but she wouldn’t help.
Then she tried to ask her mother,but she didn’t understand it all.
So she finally told her teacher that she struggled with some stuff.
Then, after she told her about it,she made a lot better grades.
North Ridge Middle- Kayla M
Education is a process that involves the transfer of knowledge, habits, and skills from one generation to another. Education is the key to human civilizations advancement.
Therefore, knowledge through education is the most critical factor for the development of our civilization.
A person to contribute to our community efficiently is Bill Gates. He is part of the reasons why society is advanced, all due to his education. He invented Microsoft, which is essential to society. Bill Gates' knowledge led him to creating Microsoft, and his creation is important to our community. Microsoft to human civilization is like meat to a starving wolf. They need it to continue moving. That's why his education contributed to our society's advancement.
Another intelligent figure is Neil Armstrong. He was one of the first men to step foot on the moon, due to his knowledge. Since he was well educated, he got the chance to land on the moon, which led to human civilization learning more about the moon than we knew before. He contributed to society all due to his high level education, which helped society advance.
There are many people like Bill Gates and Neil Armstrong that helped our society advance in an efficient way. Those people's high tier education allowed society to know more and also have advanced knowledge. Knowledge to society is similar to a paintbrush to an artist, they need it to excel. Therefore, education is a major part to the advancement of our society.
Haltom Middle- Jesse L
Being a kid is the best!
Summer nights at the beach making sand castles with family and friends. HARSH winters making snowmen in the cold.
I remembered when i would go to the store and walk down the HUGE aisles. The food stared me down as i passed.
Playing, laughing, and fighting with my siblings. Say sorry the next day but then the cycle repeats.
Memories come and go but a childhood only happens once so take advantage. Being a kid is the BEST!
Watauga Middle- Jovi H
May seem tiny
But when you think about it
They are very mighty
One alone may seem small
But when brought together
They can flood all
Smithfield Middle- Sonya D
Words
Your words can fly like bees,
Or soar like eagles.
They can lift you up into the sky
Or sting like angry hornets
Words do a lot of things.
They can bring down Berlin Walls
They can start wars of their own
But the way to keep from starting wars
Is to follow the simple rule:
If you don’t have something nice to say,
Don’t say it at all.
Haltom Middle- Gage H
Dear Marley,
My evening with the spirits changed everything for me. The experience of going through the past, present, and future made me think about my actions and how they affect other people. The one spirit that changed my point of view the most was the spirit of Christmas yet to come. It showed me what would happen if I stayed on my path of greed, like how Tiny Tim was going to die. Even though I was affected by the spirit of Christmas yet to come the most, I was given a lesson by all of the spirits that changed me a lot. Since the spirits showed up I’ve grown more generous and kind. I’ve been changed permanently, and for that I have to thank you and the spirits.
Your friend,
Mr.Ebenezer Scrooge
North Ridge Middle- Constanza V
Education is a process that involves the transfer of knowledge, habits and skills from one generation to another through teaching, research and training. Without education there would be more poverty, a lower economy, and people's health would be worse. Education is important for shaping our society at large.
Malala Yousafzai once said, " One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world." This quote shows how anyone can change the world for the better or worst. Malala changed society for the better by opening a school for girls in Pakistan. This school helps with the education of young minds in Pakistan.
In addition, another individual who changed our society is Marie Curie. Marie Curie is very important scientist in history because she discovered radiation. This discovery changed the society for the better and worst because of the various things you can do with radiation.
All in all, Education is important for the advancement of our society.
Individuals like Malala Yousafzai and Marie Curie continue helping with the advancement of our society. Lastly, with education many people do very exceptional things in life.
Smithfield Middle- Nora F
Myself in Metaphors
My hair is the white foam on the waves.
My eyes are the sailboats, bobbing gently
On the ocean that is my face.
My nose is the inner tube,
Supporting the swimmer that is my glasses.
My mouth is the sandcastle on the shore,
My cheeks are soft,
My arms are seaweed,
Caught on the rocks that are my shoulders.
My lips are the moat around the sandcastle,
That casts a shadow from the sun.
My fingers are the rays from the sunset,
Reaching out towards the horizon,
Attached to the blazing sphere that are my hands.
Haltom Middle- Tina P
Dear Marley,
It’s me, Ebenezer Scrooge, remember me? It’s your good
Ol’ pal. Anyways, I would like to say thank you. I know this might be a little weird, but I felt like I had to do this. Thank you, for being there for me in my best and worst days. I never thought I would see you again after you passed. And I thank you the most for helping me. I feel like, no one would have helped me, but you did. The spirits came to me all in one night. I would’ve been in denial, if I didn’t know they were coming. I wouldn’t still be living right now if it weren’t for you. I would still be the same man I was before. A coward, disrespectful, rude, disloyal. I will tell you the gist of what happened. The past spirit came, he showed me how rude I was. Then came the present, he showed me what life was like for my clerk. Then the future showed me if I didn’t change my ways, I would pass and nobody would care. I begged for my life. So thank you. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be happy right now or be surrounded by friends and family.
Thank you,
EBENEZER SCROOGE