Mrs. Malbin's Class Artwork

Violet F. 4M

Sweet and Sour

Those simple but small words took me a long time to process, “We’re moving…”

I had just got back from camp, made some great new friends and now move?! My older sister burst into tears. My mom took her behind the restaurant where we were eating lunch at while I sat at the table and stared at my dad thinking about all the wonderful times I’d had in my life, living in Los Angeles. I held back the tears trying to speak. No, I thought no. I couldn’t speak though. My eyes couldn’t hold back the tears any more. Feeling the tears run down my face, I ran around the restaurant trying to find my mom. I sat there listening to her telling us the positives about Westport. I wasn’t really listening I was thinking… I’m really going to miss this place.

I didn’t have a choice and before long we were sitting in the airplane’s comfy gray chairs waiting for the flight to start. Maybe if we got up in the air my head would stop hurting and thinking about my friends, my family, and my life I was hurting not physically, but mentally. I struggled, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and thought about the positives of Westport. I woke up after my sleep and the plane flight was already over, hello new life.

I was looking out the window of the Westport taxi. Wow, this town was small!

I rolled down the window to get some fresh air and realized it didn’t smell of smoke and smog. There was no trash or the sound of crazy people taking to themselves.

It smelled like pine trees and nature, and I heard the sounds of birds chirping. The houses here are so much cleaner and so are the buildings. No graffiti or dirty windows. Just clean Westport.

Now I live in Westport, and it’s so different from California- the weather, nature, and social life. In California we don’t have fall; no bright red leaves blowing in the wind and we also don’t get snow. There is way more nature in Connecticut. Now I love to play in the streams and climb on the trees. I used to be really shy and quiet in the beginning of the year because I didn’t know anyone. Now I know a bunch of people and I have many friends. I realize why my parents wanted me to move to Westport. They wanted me to move to a safer environment.

I was way wrong about moving. I thought it would be the worst thing that ever happened to me. Even though moving is difficult, it’s like an archeologist who has just discovered a whole new world filled with sweet candy and sour candy, just waiting to be bitten.

Terry B. 4M

Music is Magical       

I don’t know where I’d be without music. It’s what makes me, me! Without music I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s my comforter, my duet song on my empty solo. When I’m sad, music is always there for me to cheer me up so I can keep going.

My inspiration is my dad and my brother and most of all School of Rock which is where I take lessons. Thanks to School of Rock I now have a band called The Boomslangs. I play in concerts at the Black Bear Saloon, and I can just entertain people.  When I hear a song I like, it just lures me in and before I know it, I’m begging my guitar teacher to teach it to me.

I play guitar, bass guitar, keys, and just little drums. My goal is to master them all. I LOVE MUSIC!!! When I sing, I feel free and I feel like my voice has a mind of its own and it can do all different notes. I feel as if I can’t stop and I don’t even want to stop. I love when I can sing to other people and entertain them. I’ve never been shy to sing and I always love when people want me to sing!

When I get older I’m going to play in concerts, go on tours, and become famous. But I will never forget School of Rock or my inspiration, my Dad.

I always visualize myself on stage, playing my guitar and singing in my band, the Boomslangs. Music takes me to a different world, distant from here. I never want to go back to the real world. Music can decipher how someone’s feeling. Music displays a story. Music can make you cry, or laugh and jump around. Music is the portal to a different dimension just like a worm hole. Music can show conflict between people, a love story, or what’s happening in someone’s life. Music could be a lullaby, or a song to wake you up. Music has many different meanings. It doesn’t matter if you can play or not. All you have to do is strum, blow, bang, or push your fingers and music can be all around you. Music is the road that keeps me driving, the amp that turns me on, the little voice in my head that tells me what to do which way to go and right or wrong.

Samantha R. 4M

My Family

My family is like a pride of lions. We stick together through thick and thin and we take things that are impossible and make them possible.

My mom is the one who made me possible! She was born on July 31, 1965. She went to the University of Boston and then later on in, fell in love with my fabulous father, Paul Ronca. They got married on September 26, 1998 on a beautiful spring day in Maine in little red church. They had their reception on a beautiful golf course. One year later she gave birth to my sister Olivia Ronca, and two years later came me! Mom does so much for me that it is out of this WORLD! She cooks the food I eat and makes the house look brand new , and is still able to make my life AMAZING! She goes out of reach to make sure I am happy and that is why I love her so much.

Dad was born on March 27, 1967. He went to Knox College and then moved to Washington, DC and fell in love with my magical mom, Cathy Ronca. My parents lived in the same apartment building and then became best friends, and then husband and wife. My dad also makes my life possible. He goes to work every day so I can do every thing I do. He is the only boy in the family besides my dog, Sprocket. Every single day I look forward to my dad coming home. He makes my nights light up like the sun lighting up the sky.

Olivia, my sister, was born on October 10, 1999. She is such a large part of my life and basically makes my life. She makes me believe in myself and never give up. When she started soccer, I knew I wanted to play as well, and now I play and am on the travel team. Olivia is my leader in life. When I grow up, I want to just like her, brave and strong. My sister is my best friend even though we fight all the time!

My family always sticks together no mater what. We are like a project stuck together with glue and we never fall apart. We always have fun together and we are happy when we are together. When we fight, we solve the problem without any tears or feelings hurt. We try hard to make every body feel welcome and extremely happy! I love my family with all my heart and nothing can change that. I will always be there for my family and they are always there for me.

Sam L. 4M

My Force Field Family

My family is like a force field, deflecting all attacks from the outside. They’re standing right in front of me when I am in danger, protecting me from all bad intentions.

        My mom was born right here in Westport, and has lived most of her life here. She went to Cornell and has turned us into Cornell sports fanatics. After Cornell, she attended Georgetown Law School. She is such a hard worker! Her cookies are delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, soft pieces of heaven that we always end up eating in one night since they are irresistible. She plays fast-pace tennis weekly and has become a tennis superstar! She is very neat and has a place for pretty much EVERYTHING in our house. Unfortunately, the items sometimes don’t go into their specified location. She is like Wonder Woman and flies to all of our events (except in a Cadillac SRX)! She is a bit overprotective at times, especially regarding e-mail. She has me on… not G-mail, not AOL, not Optonline, not Hotmail, but Zoobuh, an e-mail provider that basically nobody has heard of. She chose this, (against my will) to “protect” me from websites that “track you”. She is always there for me. If I fell off a trapeze, she’d be the net to catch me. I can always talk to her about anything and everything, and she always lets me tell her, even if I’ve done something that doesn’t exactly put me on her “good side”.

        My dad was born in NYC. He went to Colgate, and got a great education there. Law was what he was interested in, so he attended Hofstra Law School. He has developed a passion for cooking, especially his super savory salmon, which superbly satisfies my starving stomach. He is very big on sports and coaches my brother’s baseball team with incredible patience. He also is always up for a game of catch or some hoops.  Personal injury law is his specialty, and he practices in NYC. He has a very good reputation from his clients and has won a good portion of his cases, mostly in a big lawsuit against Crocs for their shoes being caught in escalators and ripping up clients’ feet. Dad loves to exercise and goes once a week to a fitness trainer who makes him do exercises that really put him to work! It’s a lot more efficient than “working out” in our basement “home gym” which coincidentally, is right near a TV…

        My brother Alex, a first grader, and I are like a rope that is very fragile. We sometimes brawl like hooligans, and that’s when the rope starts to break. When we get along and acknowledge and congratulate each other, the rope is re-attached and hugs break out. Alex is phenomenal at soccer and plays daily with whomever he can, even if he’s just met them. His DSI is constantly around him and mainly plays the game Real Soccer ’09, even though it’s outdated. He is VERY smart and does 3 digit by 3 digit multiplication with ease.

        Our force field is so strong; we’ll always be together, defending each other until the very end.

Noah D. 4M

Dreams

Science can take you on a journey like no other. It is like an endless maze filled with inventions and discoveries hidden in its bright bowels. And hidden at the end is the best of all … Your Dreams!

When I was three, I started learning about space and the planets. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated with astronomy and science. When I was four, I made an epic poster all about planets and science. I’ve always loved to write about science. Even, in kindergarten, I wrote a book about the solar system and I remember showing this to my teacher. Science just came so easily to me. My dream has always been to be an astronaut.

This year in 4^th grade when I had a science/physics test… I aced it. One of the questions was ‘There are slides. One slide is for young kids the other for older kids. What would the slides look like? Explain.’ My parents praised me for what felt like one million years. I was elated to see how well my science grades were.

One of my favorite topics is geography. Geography can take you to any place anywhere without even moving an inch. I love going on vacation because it is relaxing but at the same time you are doing geography just by looking at the biomes around you and looking at a map to see where you’re going. If none of my other hopes come true, I want to be a cartographer when I grow up. This year in class we made maps from scratch and I was enthusiastic from the start! It took a few weeks to complete and it gave me a sense of how small our continent actually is. This is the reason why I would want to be a cartographer when I grow up.

Mythbusters is a show where the hosts test myths and urban legends to see whether they are true or not. I’ve learned so much from this show which I’ve been watching for ages. In this show the Mythbusters test chemical reactions like Diet Coke and mentos. The Mythbusters also test Hollywood movie myths like in the James Bond 007 special.

I love math because it really gets your mind thinking and finding out how best to solve a really tough math problem. It takes your mind on a journey of equations and problems. I love math because it makes you learn more and it makes you very smart. Math can be at times exciting but challenging.

One of the people I look up to is Albert Einstein. When I grow up I really want to go to MIT the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I would also like to become a rich and famous world renowned scientist and make some of the biggest discoveries the world has ever known.

Matt C. 4M

A Portal to a New World

          Reading is the best thing that happened to me. When I open a book I am taken into a whole new world with new people to meet and new places to explore. Sometimes I am taken into a world of fantasy and mayhem and sometimes I am taken into the serious and depressing times of World War 2. Reading has evolved us, changed us and taught us the mystery of the past. Now follow me into the wonderful world of reading!

          Reading makes me a better person in spirit. I define reading as an adventure for your brain. Some people think “oh reading looking at some pieces of paper” in a melancholy tone but I say “reading recess for your brain”! I started reading in kindergarten and now it is one of my favorite hobbies. There are so many genres of books and all you have to do is look for your favorite but you shouldn’t only read one genre; be sure to add variety because only reading one genre is boring. In my opinion books are the best invention ever. The invention welcomed in average intelligence. I guess we owe one to the Romans for books(and another million for everything else they made).

          I feel reading has changed me. When I read books I get all excited because when you read there is nothing to lose. The only thing that happens when you read is your knowledge and imagination expands. Reading helps us evolve by making us better people. If we had no books we might still be drooling cavemen. When the Romans invented the first proper books the fate of the human race was forever changed.       

          Reading is one of the best things that ever happened. It not only brings joy and enlightenment to all but it also makes reports easy and unravels the mystery of the past. I think by now you get that books are more than pieces of paper sewn together and dotted with ink, they’re a portal to a magical world like a black hole is a portal into deep space and once you cross through the portal you never want to go back because you may never experience it again( but if it’s a book you will) so what are you waiting for, pick up a book and READ!

Mark D. 4M

A Link of Chains

My family is the gravity that keeps me on the ground, keeps me standing, and keeps me from floating off.

We are an amazing family! One of the most important people in my life is my mom, Melisa. She is the best cook in the world and my favorite meal is her ravioli. My mom is very helpful. My room is always a mess in the morning but when I get home from school, I am puzzled by how clean my room is! Most important of all, my mom is loving. No matter how many times I mess up, she will always love me. She is an amazing person. She is the leader, she is the chef, but most important she is the most amazing Mom in the world. She is my out- of- school teacher. She knows so much about so many things. She taught me how to do long division, multiplication, and much more. She loves telling me everything and always can answer my questions.

My dad, Mark, says I am the king and he is the knight that will protect me. Dad is an amazing athlete. He was so good at football that he played in the NFL. My dad teaches me everything he knows about sports. I wouldn’t love sports if it weren’t for him. My dad is also a clean freak. He flips out when the smallest dust bunny scurries across the carpet. He always bugs me to clean up my room but if I don’t, he just does it for me. Most important, he is caring. My dad is the most caring person you will ever meet. Just because he played in the NFL doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have feelings. He is very sensitive to. Just like me. My dad is one of my role models. You can learn a lot from him and it might not even be about sports! 

My three sisters, Mia, Mckenzie and Isa may seem sweet, but they are DEVILS! Isabella is the oldest and she is twelve. She is an amazing athlete. We belong to club that owns horses so my sister has to be there 24/7.  Mia and McKenzie are twins and they are really good athletes, too. They are eight and are also sports fanatics! This year they wanted to play baseball but they weren’t very good, so they asked me to teach them. Now that I have taught them everything I know, they are really good!!

One of the most amazing people in the world lived in my house; his name was Abraham Harry Zemer, Harry for short.  My great grandpa was the best card player on the planet. He would beat you at bridge, poker, war and any other game you can think of. He passed away while I was at Sound View Day Camp. My life has been changed ever since. I have never had someone pass away in my family. It was the saddest moment in my life. I have never cried so much. Now every time I walk into his room, I see him lying on the bed and I start talking to him. He was an amazing person. My eyes say he’s still alive and so does my heart. Now my heart has turned into a puzzle, and I am missing one of the most important pieces.

My family is a link of chains. If one of us breaks we all break. But if one of us is strong then we are all strong!!

Kylie C. 4M

!Ms.Malbin!

I feel like I have been taken away to a world, far away in Ms.Malbin’s class. This is a world where I feel safe, peaceful, happy and always by her side. I feel as if I’m a free bird just flying around, always finding new discoveries and learning about that discovery, cherishing it and trying not to forget it.

Ms. Malbin was born on October 12 and she spent her childhood in Cape Town, South Africa and came to Westport when she was a grown up! I love listening to stories about a different country and learning about the oceans and the weather. When she was a child, she used to love sipping honey from the honeysuckles which grew in her garden in South Africa, and she would shake the pine nuts from the trees, too.

Every morning Ms. Malbin starts her day with a Starbucks latte! Ms. Malbin wears the prettiest clothes every day from head to toe! She is very beautiful, as beautiful as a princess or even a queen! She wears something that makes her stand out every single day, as if she has a whole closet full of spectacular things. She wears the prettiest accessories. My favorite ones are the necklaces from South Africa because they are all different colors like red, blue, pink, purple and yellow which make her look like the rainbow! They were made by a special tribe called the Ndebeles. She also has an elephant belt and that is her favorite animal.

Ms.Malbin is unique because she is the only teacher in the school with a cool accent like her! Ms.Malbin’s catch phrase is “Oh crumbs” when she is frustrated! When we misbehave she tells us that we are “naughty, boisterous and bouncy”. But mostly Ms. Malbin calls us ‘darling, sweetheart and baby cakes!

My favorite thing Ms. Malbin does is read alouds. My favorite book she read this year is Time for Andrew because I got to learn about how people lived in 1910 especially how girls could not wear trousers or drive cars. Another book Ms. Malbin read to us was Tiger Rising and Fig Pudding. I love Ms.Malbin’s read alouds because of her expression and one day I hope I can become a teacher like her!

I will cherish her enthusiastic voice and how I feel like her own daughter with a mother comforting me, encouraging me and always there for me. I will never forget Ms.Malbin.

Katie B. 4M

Skyy

Skyy is like the sun who brightens up my day. She is the big ball of butter so high up but still in my heart.

When we first got our dog, she was as wrinkled as a raisin, with tan fur, and big brown eyes like a cow. We got Skyy when she was four years old and rescued her from shar-pei rescue.com. The family we got her from was moving to Texas and could not bring the dog with them. The first day we tried to give her a bath she jumped out shaking and shivering. We learned quickly that she did not like water! She waddled about my house leaving paw prints all over the floor. If there was meat or pasta on the ground, Skyy would gobble it right up but if there were vegetables, she would not go near them! Skyy loved her platypus toy and she played with it nearly every day!

Skyy’s best friend was her bed! She literally took three naps a day. Her bed looked like a leopard print oversized pizza maybe that’s why she liked it so much! One day we even had to bring her food bowls to her bed to get her to eat! I hate to admit it but Skyy was as lazy as a lump!

Sometimes, Skyy would get very active and go crazy. She would run around the house and we would play fetch, but Skyy wouldn’t give the toy back. She would lay by the pool while I swam with my cousins, slurping her water. Skyy did not like hot or cold days; on hot days she would pant and get rashes and on cold days, she would shiver. If it snowed, she wouldn’t even step outside.

One day after school I noticed a bump on her back leg. My mom told me she had noticed this earlier and had taken her to the vet when I was at school. It turned out that Skyy had leg cancer. The vet said that she would only live for a few more months. I was angry that I couldn’t do anything to help and I felt a strike of sadness in my heart.

Skyy lived another year which was a miracle. She still died though; it was the circle of life. We were very melancholy. I found out that she died at my 3^rd grade Halloween party. My mom whispered to me, “This might be Skyy’s last day.” I was very upset because it was her last day and I didn’t even get to say good bye. The vet had to put Skyy down.

Fortunately a year later we adopted a little caviler King Charles Spaniel named, ‘Honey” whom we have had for five months. I do the same things with Honey that I did with Skyy.

I play fetch with her, she lies by the pool while I swim and she loves her bed. Although I really miss Skyy, I love Honey!

Justin B. 4M

The Canine Atlas

Sidney takes up a big space in my heart and I can’t imagine my life without him. My heart would be like an empty box of chocolates. It’s as if a silversmith wielded an indestructible steel cord bonding us together forever.   

Sidney loves many things, but he has his favorites. One thing he especially loves is bones with peanut butter inside. He gnaws endlessly trying to get to the peanut butter in the bone. It must be heaven to him. Another thing he adores is curling up in the cherry red armchair in the same room as his cage, or dozing on the dotted green couch by his water bowl and food bowl, sometimes with a slobber covered ball in his mouth. He isn’t lazy though. He cherishes chasing a tennis ball out side on one of those warm 80 degree days, gleefully dashing across the sun streaked lawn. Sid can be a very naughty and mischievous dog. He enjoys the food he slyly steals from the table when nobody is looking. But there is one lone thing that I am certain he loves 100% and it loves him back. That would be me!

Sidney is always there for me. When I’m feeling down, he comforts me and licks me. In fact, he licks me no matter how I am feeling! When I throw the ball for Sidney in my front yard I feel wonderful. I feel as if the only living beings in the world are me and Sidney. Sometimes I talk to Sidney just as if I were speaking to any human being. I almost believe he understands me! It is as if I speak bilingually-like I am speaking English and dog language at the same time! Sometimes I consider that I understand him too! When I believe we can understand each other I think our steel cord is getting bulkier by the second. This makes me feel that Sidney loves me just as much as I love him. When I connect with him, I am assured of our close relationship. Sidney is one of the few animals in the world that brings a huge amount of jubilance to me, and I love him for that.

I have many memories of Sidney. I remember when my mom went to the breeder to get a fond, furry, cuddly puppy for our family. That’s exactly what our family got. When I came home from an errand, I met Sidney. He followed me around everywhere I went! I remember I was showing him around the house and he went in all of the rooms. He kept on licking me and he acted very affectionate towards me. He still licks me thoroughly and is always affectionate but it’s just not the same. I also remember a time when Sid wasn’t as tough as he usually is. There was a gargantuan turtle in our yard and my dad decided to let Sidney out to scare it away (my mom thought it might have been a snapping turtle). Sidney was about as futile as a pile of rat’s dung. He plainly just lay down and rested on the grass. Another memory I have is the time when he cuddled up with my cat, James, and he slept with him. He was literally almost spooning with my cat! A really funny memory I have of my fantastic dog is when I was playing fetch with him and I bent over to get his ball. He streaked under my legs, I was swept off the ground and I was on his back for a split second. It wasn’t for long! The speed at which Sidney was going caused me to slide straight off his back and I dropped to the ground in the blink of an eye! That was really amusing! I love these memories I have of Sidney and though they may fade over time, new memories will compensate for those forgotten.

Sidney is like a canine version of Atlas the Greek god, but instead of holding up the sky, he holds up my heart forever no matter what the situation. And you might want to reverse the letters in god.

Joseph C. 4M

The Candy House

I have many passions. I have some that I think are exquisite and lure me in like the candy house in Hansel and Gretel.

Sports, is one of the many things I am passionate about. When I play sports I feel as athletic as a cheetah. There are many sports I like but I have three favorites, football, basketball and soccer. When I am playing soccer, I feel like I’m in my own world. When I’m in this place nobody can get me out, call me for homework, get me for dinner or do anything. It’s like I’m in two different worlds.

Football is another sport I completely adore. Even though I have been playing for about two years, it feels like I have been playing football my whole life. It seems to me that watching football helps me gain new ideas to play. Football to me is more mental than physical. I think it is more important to be happy and lose, than to win the game and be sad.

I like basketball because it feels like I’m floating away into the hoop and suddenly dropping through the hoop. When I play basketball I feel as graceful as a ballerina; shooting around without a care in the world. In my opinion James Naismith, the creator of basketball, is one of the smartest people ever, even though originally, basketball was only a volleyball and a peach basket.    

Reading is something else that blows me away. Once I start a good book I can never put it down. It drops me into a pit that takes my life into world of monsters, goblins and gods. My favorite fantasy book is the Serpents Shadow which is a superb book about Egyptian gods. Fantasy is a very interesting genre in my opinion even though it is not realistic.

Non-fiction makes me as smart as Albert Einstein. When I am bored I read this genre and I am jubilant. I love reading about animals because I like to read about the many different types of them.   I like to read picture books as well. They are funny and live up to their name. Reading to me is something else. You can read more than five different genres and reading makes me feel ecstatic.

Passions are great things to have and I am so happy I have so many of them. Passions make me smart as Albert Einstein ,athletic as a cheetah and as graceful as a ballerina.

Joe M. 4M

Three Shields Surrounding Me

My family is like a generator that doesn’t let our power die out.

My dad was born in Pennsylvania on June 13, 1968. After college, he went to work at Deloite where he still works. Later he was introduced to my mom and they married in 2001. My dad makes me feel comfortable around him. When I am scared in the middle of the night, unlike most dads, he doesn’t just shoo me away, he lets me stay and he relaxes me. He talks to me about my problems and this helps me solve them. My dad sometimes grills on Saturday nights. I find this special because I am with him outside and spending time alone with him. This gives me a chance to talk to him and to tell him what I did at school that week and he tells me what we’re going to do the next day. His food is so good that I keep on asking him, “When is it going to be ready?”

I have a mom who is different from other moms! My mom was born in Lebanon in the year 1966.  She was the first child born to her parents. Later her two sisters and two brothers were born. It was hard for my mother to be the oldest of five. Sometimes she wished her siblings didn’t exist because she always had to look after them. Mom knew she would get the full blame if she didn’t do something to get them to listen to her. Later she went to Harvard in the USA. After college she decided to live in America and decided to become a doctor. My mom is the one who cooks at night and she’s the parent who is at home when my dad travels. I am very close to my mom because I share secrets with her and she knows what it’s like to be my age. Mom sometimes cooks Lebanese food for the fun of it and because it reminds her of her childhood. When I taste the food, I don’t want to swallow it too quickly because I want to have the joy of tasting every bite of it. Two of my favorite foods are her scrumptious spinach triangles, and her fabulous meat-shaped squares. When I bite into the squares, my mouth says, “Let the taste just absorb into your tongue!

My younger brother, Alex, was born on December 17 2004.Unlike most kids my brother was born with a hearing problem. When you are born you have a test to see if you can hear but Alex failed that test. He had to get hearing aids, but after a while he had to get an implant. After the surgery his hearing problems were solved. Alex is really close to me. He understands me, cheers me up, and acts like a fourth grader instead of a first grader which is good because then I feel I am always with someone my age.

A family is something that you are given and every body gets only one. People have to choose what to do with them. The choices are to be thankful that you have a few people that understand you and can feel your emotions or you can pretend that they don’t exist and that they are statues sitting next to you. I know that no matter what I will always be happy that I have a few people who love me.

Jake T. 4M

My Other World

Sports change a person not only athletically, but more so mentally. That’s why I love sports more than anything on Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto (which is not a planet anymore). When I play sports I’m in whole different world where I’m the king of the universe, standing on a throne of accomplishments, goals, and dreams in life hoping that I complete those goals and make those dreams come true.

When I’m playing sports I feel no one can beat me nor stop me. I’ve floated into a whole different world where anything that’s impossible I make possible. I feel solitary and independent. I’ve escaped from the island of all troubles in my life. I’m completely free from the world. I get a break from homework and television and do what I do best…play sports! I’m free from my entire life.

When I’m melancholy my coaches cheer me up. My coaches are the most enthusiastic people known to the galaxy. My coaches affect my play when I’m not playing well. My coaches taught me everything I know about sports and I would not be close to the skill level I’m at now without them. I think my favorite coach I’ve ever had is Coach Clemons. Coach Clemons was my first AAU basketball coach. He taught me that size, speed, skill, weight, and athleticism don’t matter. It’s all about will and desire.

When I play soccer and my foot touches the ball, it’s magical. The best is hearing the imaginary crowd roar with jubilance after a goal. I love “losing” and knowing there’s another imaginary game to be played tomorrow. I feel great when I make the most impossible play possible. That’s how I feel when I’m in the backyard playing soccer. Even though I’m not great at soccer I know that if I work at it every day and every night I can be fantastic.

I love playing sports more than anything in the world and hope to play a professional sport when I’m older. I’m going to work as hard as I can to complete that goal. I worship sports more than anything in the galaxy. It’s impossible to love sports more than me even if you say you do. I don’t go inside without literally collapsing because I’ve worked so hard. Even then I know I need to get that one more goal, that one more shot, that one more pass, and that one more touchdown.

Sports are my life no matter how hard they are. Sports keep me going in life and keep me active. If sports didn’t exist then I don’t know what I’d be in life. I hope that throne will just get bigger and bigger.

Evan S. 4M

King of the Soccer Field   

Travel Soccer kicks me away into another world where I can do anything.

When I play games, I always think I am a lion which is considered king of the jungle but now I am the king of the field. Even though I get carried away by the game, I am still in the zone. Sometimes I feel like I am the ball and I feel like the more my team scores a goal, I am part of it because I was the ball that was scored. When I go on the field I feel like it’s my time to shine.

                                                                       

When there’s one minute left in the game, I feel stressed.  I feel like a ticking time bomb about to blow because I feel like all the pressure is on me. I usually get passed to and if there’s one minute left in the game and I don’t score, then I feel that it was my entire fault.  Even if I don’t score, I still feel that I did my best and I am a master in my soccer world. When my team loses I feel the pain but am still confident to try again.

       

My soccer world is the best place to be when you’re in a soccer mood. I love being on the field and being outside. I need soccer! It’s like I’m a battery, and if I don’t play soccer my juice will die down. Some of my friends call me a soccer aleck  because I can’t stop playing… it’s like when I start I just can’t stop. 

           

        Ever since I was three, I wanted to play soccer. As soon as I laid my eyes on a soccer ball, I was in a trance. Soccer is my favorite hobby. It is an amazing sport to play and I think everybody   should try it. If I were the president I would make a new law saying EVERYBODY MUST PLAY SOCCER! I know that I will play this sport my whole life and will never give up. There is a soccer player inside of me that is always in action.      

Emil S. 4M

Special People in my Life

I am so lucky to have special people in my life! They care about me and that make me feel grateful. It is like a treasure to see them.

I have lots of friends but Brian is the one who keeps me smiling, and makes me feel happy. Brian is hilarious in a million ways, and makes me crack up! He makes parodies of songs with rhyming words that make me laugh. Brian is also a fantastic artist and we like drawing basketball teams and showing them to each other. On the weekends, we email back and forth so we can keep in touch. I always look forward to seeing Brian at school and that makes me happy. I know that I am a good friend to Brian by being kind, and caring about how he is feeling.

My mom is the one who puts all her heart into mine and keeps me alive.

She looks after me, loves me, and drives me to basketball tournaments in New Milford.  When I get severely hurt, she knows what to do! My mom makes amazing meals especially her chicken pasta and she enjoys making me happy. Mom was born on July 4^th, and was born in London England so she has a British accent. My grandma is still living in the same house where my mom used to live. This summer I am going to England to visit my grandma. Grandma takes me to a grocery store and buys me chocolate eggs and you can’t get these in America. This summer the Olympics are in London and my uncle might get tickets to the US basketball team! There are special traditions in my family. We have tea with milk and sugar and biscuits which we call cookies! We take a subway and walk past Big Ben which is a famous clock. Mom and Grandma have different catch phrases. In the morning Mom says, “Top of the Morning” when she wakes me up! Grandma is special to me because I don’t see her much and she is very loving to me.

I will always the special people in my life and know that if I have a problem, I will come to them because they are always there for me.

Daniella G 4M

Inspirational!

Krystie, my coach, is my strength in every way. When I fall apart like a shattered window, she puts me back together with her heart.

                                                                                    

When I met Krystie she was so amazing. I felt like I belonged in the gymnastics center. She made me feel comfortable with the kids and the coaches. When I met her I thought she was so kind. Then and there I knew she was going to be my coach for ever. I knew I was right for the gymnastics center.

Krystie pushed me to do my best in all my routines.  When I was disappointed that I didn’t make a trick, she would comfort me and tell me, “You can do it, I believe in you”. When I started or finished a routine, she would cheer for me and give me hugs and high fives.  Krystie was encouraging to all her students.

Krystie taught me in a way that I understood. She would demonstrate a routine and then we would do it in parts. This helped me because I could remember the moves and work on them. She taught in a calm way, spoke slowly and her voice was low. When I messed up, Krystie explained the move in a different way and it made it easier for me. If I was absent, Krystie wouldn’t teach a new move because she didn’t want her students to be behind. She was very patient and would do anything to make her students succeed.

When I took gymnastics with Krystie, I felt like I was in a different universe; just as if Krystie and I were in a world of our own. Every thing turned pink and purple like the colors she wore. I felt like I was in heaven. Krystie made me feel like I was at home with everything I love. She cared for me and the team like we were her children. She was like a second mother to all of us.

All of a sudden Krystie got fired. I was crying hysterically when I heard the news. The day she got fired there was practice so I went. Krystie was standing outside in the parking lot and acted like she was happy but I knew she wasn’t. She didn’t share the reasons so we were all confused.

Krystie will always be my favorite coach. She touched my life in every way. There is a chance that my mom will let me follow her to the gym where she is now coaching. Krystie is like the booty won in war! I will never forget the best coach in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cailyn L. 4M

Our Special Bond

My sisters are the roots that keep me standing from blowing away

with the wind. They help me in every way they can.

Mackenzie is always encouraging me to do my best. She makes me be ME no matter what mood I’m in. She is always there for me to lend a hand or to just sit and chat.

She is sometimes my best friend, other times she’s just plain sisterly. Sometimes we get into big fights but they are easily solved. She is my leader and I am her follower. She is my sassy sister but I love her anyway. Mackenzie loves horses and has them all over her room! Sometimes I wonder if she ever gets tired of horses. She is two years older than I am and always points that out to me even though she knows that irritates me.

Lauren is probably the most cheerful person I have ever met. She can cheer a person up in seconds. That’s why I hate to see her upset which rarely happens. She is

always there for me. I admire her because of her cheerfulness and her high spirits. Sometimes I wonder how she can always be happy. She is a big book worm and she loves to have fun. When she is upset, everyone is. Sometimes I wish I were as cheerful as her

I love to fool around with my sisters because it’s never fun to get in trouble by yourself. We stick together through thick and thin even though we fight a lot and I mean a lot! When I’m alone in the house, I always wish my sisters were there because when they’re around, I’m never bored. We are stuck together forever; sometimes we appreciate it, other times we don’t.

My sisters and I have a special bond that can’t be broken even when we fight. When we fight it is just normal- it’s always going to happen and always will be solved. Life is a confusing puzzle waiting to be solved but it is always easier with sisters.

My sisters are the roots that keep me standing and prevent me from blowing and they will always be there for me. My sisters are the gravity that helps the world spin round.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

     

Brian G 4M

JMy FamilyJ

My family is fishing net that scoops me up and savors me forever.

Mom was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. She is special because she makes me meals 24/7. Even though the meals are not always the best, Mom always makes them with love. My mom drives me to sports and activities no matter what gets in her way. Mom will always have time for me.

My dad was also born in West Hartford and they even went to the same elementary school!  My dad has been teaching me sports ever since I was a little kid. I’m still not the best player in every sport but I know that I will always improve. Dad is always on my side and he is the head of the furious four!

My sister can be annoying but I have to live with it if I ever need her when I grow up! She can be annoying because she dances to loud music when I want to go to sleep. My sister’s name is Anna and she was born on August 15, 2000. Anna is an amazing tap and jazz dancer and she goes to Bedford Middle School and is in 6^th grade.

Ever since I was little, I have been learning how to control my diabetes better and better each year. My parents have taught me how to monitor my diabetes and now I can manage most of it on my own. My family protects me from danger in every single way no matter what happens.

I don’t know what I would do without my family. They are the reason I am alive.

Brendan C 4M

The Metal Dome

My brother, Tanner, is like a metal dome protecting me 24/7. There may be a two year difference between us, but he’s just like me.

Tanner was born on September 1, 2004, and my life changed from boring and miserable, to exiting and chaotic! When he started walking in 2006, we started having a lot more fun together. Before that in 2005, he started talking. You probably think that was good but it was also evil. He started yelling stuff like SHUT UP and IDIOT to everyone in the family. Every time I tried to tell him to stop he didn’t listen.

  

He isn’t just obnoxious, but Tanner can be like a metal dome protecting me. One example of that was when we were outside playing after one of his soccer games in 2010, when someone started annoying me. My brother and I both told him to stop, but it was no use. Tanner stepped up to the kid and came to my defense and the kid left me alone.

Tanner is literally always by my side like my shadow. He follows me all around the house and even watches me do my ixl homework and calls out the answers. He steals my toys and tries to play my drums. Tanner likes to hang around my friends and feels like an older kid. He helps me with friendships and gives me advice about making up with a friend or staying away from someone. We both like to borrow each other’s clothes and they fit because we are only a couple of inches difference in height. He does get away with more mischievous actions like attacking me and then I am sent to my room! I know that by Tanner being my shadow he really likes being around me and I am special to him.

When we both grow up, I hope Tanner becomes the sweet boy he is now and that we don’t get into as many fights as we do now. I hope that even if we are separated, we will still protect each other somehow. I hope the metal dome continues on and on.