Writings of the Month for November 1996

Owls

by Nathan G.

Mrs. Lake's 1st Grade Class

Objective: After reading a book about Native American legends in which owls were featured, read more about owls and write about them.

Owls hunt at night. They have large eyes. They can see well in the dark.

Large owls hunt rabbits, squirrels, and skunks. Small owls hunt mice, small birds, and insects.

Ryan's Diary

by Ryan W.

Mrs. Moy's 4th Grade Class

Objective: Write a diary entries from the viewpoint of a passenger sailing on the Ark en route to Maryland.

Nov. 22, 1633 - Cowes, England
Our journey is beginning today. Some catholic priests come and pray for a safe journey. People are saying good-bye and kissing and hugging. People are dancing and singing that the time for the trip has finally come. There really are islands.

Nov. 26, 1633 - On the Ark
I held on to a pole because the winds could make the boat tip over. Then I helped other people get to safety down below. DJ, one of the sailors. yelled that the Dove went to the bottom of the sea. Everything was scared. When storm cleared, we could no longer see the dove. I was getting very sad, because I had friends on the Dove.

Jan., 1634 - Barbados, West Indies
Father White, the Catholic priest, met with his people in the lower deck. When the Catholics met, all was quite. I waLd by and heard nothing and went in. The priest made me go away with my mop and soap. I told the captain and he told me they were just so happy to see another. The captain walked to look at the stars in the sky. He loved to see the stars at night. He saw a gentlemen looking at the stars too. The captain stared to talk about the stars. The man listened to him. The captain did not know that window to my room was right there.

Finally, we landed on an island. They called it Barbados. I was so glad to step on land. The people were glad to know that the journey was almost over. Land at last! They said that Barbados is warm. They were right. I could stay here forever.

I turned and there were figures waving their hands at me. It was Charles and Derrick. The Dove made it! I was as happy as a person could ever get. That was one of the happiest days of my life. At dinner that night, I thanked Father White.

Feb., 1634 - Chesapeake Bay
Some of us sailed farther then the rest. I went with the people who went to Virginia. I saw a part of the water which I did not know what to call. It the Chesapeake Bay. It was as big as the sea. There were many trees around the bay.

March 5, 1634 - St. Clement's Island
We went to another island. It was called St. Clement's Island. There were birds everywhere. There were so many birds if you went hunting for birds there would still be a lot there. The men discussed land for our people with the Indians. The women washed the Indians. I helped the women because my another made me. My father said that they might shoot at us. You never know. I began to get scared about my daddy. Mom said donšt be sad your father knows what he is doing.

They gave us fair deals and we played with the Indian Kids.

Love

by Rachel F.

Mrs. Oliver's 5th Grade Class

Objective: Write in a specific poetry form.

Love is something
money can not buy.
Love is something
That will never die.

love in the morning
love at noon
love far away
and love very soon

love is something
you hold in your heart
love is something you can't
break with a dart

love is a hold
with your best best
friend
love is a circle
that will never end

When I think of love
I think of my mom
The beat of her heart
like the beat of a drum

Sparia: The Goddess of Wind

by Marian S.

Mrs. Banks' 6th Grade Class

Objective: To create your own mythological creature and write a myth about that creature.
It was a beautiful spring day. The dogwoods were blooming and the sparrows were singing. In a giant tree there was a nest, and inside the nest there were three eggs, two of which were white and one was peach.

When the time came for the eggs to hatch, all of the babies had wings, but one was a human! She was a child of Zeus.

Her father had hidden her from his jealous new queen, Hera. Zeus did not want her to find his favorite child for the child was like him.

Since she was raised as a sparrow, she was able to fly like a bird. She was named Sparia. She soared on the wind and learned its secrets. But she was a daughter of Zeus, so it came to pass that on her twelfth birthday her wings became enchanted gold wings.

One day one of Hera's many-eyed guards reported that he had seen a young teenager soar through the clouds around Mount Olympus and vanish as quickly as she had appeared.

"Oh yes." the guard added. "her wings glimmered as if they were gold."

"Ohhh," Hera mumbled. "I'll take this up with Zeus," Hera said in an annoyed tone, "You may leave."

The next day Hera caught Zeus after breakfast. "Zeus, honey, let's talk," Hera said in a cunning manner.

"About what?" Zeus asked, his mind still on breakfast.

"About your children," Hera said like a snake who was trying to suck the truth out of him.

"Why?"

"Well, um, er, I was going to make a family tree," Hera said sneakily.

"But you despise my family!" Zeus, with shock.

"I decided to return over a new leaf."

"But you hate history, too!"

"That is true, but we need to have a family tree."

"We already have one" Zeus said, very annoyed.

"Very well, but do you have a daughter that look like you and has a set of golden wings?" Hera replied, sensing Zeus's anger.

"Yes," Zeus said, caught off guard, "I do and she is very beautiful, not to mention she is my favorite child!"

"Oh, is she?!"

"NO!" Hera stood up and walked away mumbling, "I'll take care of her; no child except mine will be Zeus's favorite child!"

She went to Hephaestus to order him to make her a gold chariot that would fly.

"Sure," Hephaestus said, slightly confused. But he did not dare question the queen, for he could tell she was in a bad mood.

When the chariot was done Hera wanted to test it. But before she could, Hephaestus warned her not to make 180' turns or she might cause great storms.

"Ok, I'll be careful," Hera said. Off she went with her new chariot to catch Sparia.

It wasn't that easy to find Sparia because there was so much sky and so little time. The sun was turning bright orange. Hera knew it was almost dark but then a huge gust of wind hit her face and it drove her on. When she finally caught up with whatever was making all the wind it went behind a cloud. When it came out with Hera right behind, it turned around. It was the most beautiful girl Hera had ever seen.

Hera called out, "What is your name, oh beautiful one?"

"My name is Sparia, " came a honey sweet reply, with a slight hesitation. "And what might your name be?"

"My name is, is, er, a, um, . . . my name is um, Quinus," Hera said, lying.

"Oh, is it Quinus?" Sparia said with suspicion. "You look a lot like Hera, the Queen of the Gods."

"Come here child."

"I'm not a child," Sparia said in disgust. She flew away leaving a rain storm with a lot of lightning behind her where Hera was flying in her chariot.

Sparia raced to Mount Olympus to tell her father to stop Hera from killing her, but Zeus was not there. So she flew and flew and asked Poseidon to make a thick fog that would cover her. When Poseidon was done, Sparia flew away with her fog.

She snuck up beside Hera and started to remind herself how mean Hera was to her father's other wives and how many lives she had ruined. From the bottom of Sparia's sinless heart a storm arose higher and higher until it flew out of her heart and straight into her wings. The anger gave her wings a boost of energy; the wind hit the back end of Hera's chariot and the force of the blow made the chariot do a 180' turn. Just as the gold chariot had finished turning, a great storm began to brew.

"Oh no!" Hera said in distress. "Look what you've done!"

"I didn't do it, you did!"

They are still arguing. Even today, Sparia sneaks over to Oklahoma and hits Hera and her gold chariot with a mighty blast of wind.

Writings of the Month for November 1996

Owls

by Nathan G.

Mrs. Lake's 1st Grade Class

Objective: After reading a book about Native American legends in which owls were featured, read more about owls and write about them.

Owls hunt at night. They have large eyes. They can see well in the dark.

Large owls hunt rabbits, squirrels, and skunks. Small owls hunt mice, small birds, and insects.

Ryan's Diary

by Ryan W.

Mrs. Moy's 4th Grade Class

Objective: Write a diary entries from the viewpoint of a passenger sailing on the Ark en route to Maryland.

Nov. 22, 1633 - Cowes, England Our journey is beginning today. Some catholic priests come and pray for a safe journey. People are saying good-bye and kissing and hugging. People are dancing and singing that the time for the trip has finally come. There really are islands.

Finally, we landed on an island. They called it Barbados. I was so glad to step on land. The people were glad to know that the journey was almost over. Land at last! They said that Barbados is warm. They were right. I could stay here forever.

I turned and there were figures waving their hands at me. It was Charles and Derrick. The Dove made it! I was as happy as a person could ever get. That was one of the happiest days of my life. At dinner that night, I thanked Father White.

Feb., 1634 - Chesapeake Bay Some of us sailed farther then the rest. I went with the people who went to Virginia. I saw a part of the water which I did not know what to call. It the Chesapeake Bay. It was as big as the sea. There were many trees around the bay.

They gave us fair deals and we played with the Indian Kids.

Love

by Rachel F.

Mrs. Oliver's 5th Grade Class

Objective: Write in a specific poetry form.

Sparia: The Goddess of Wind

by Marian S.

Mrs. Banks' 6th Grade Class

Objective: To create your own mythological creature and write a myth about that creature. It was a beautiful spring day. The dogwoods were blooming and the sparrows were singing. In a giant tree there was a nest, and inside the nest there were three eggs, two of which were white and one was peach.

When the time came for the eggs to hatch, all of the babies had wings, but one was a human! She was a child of Zeus.

Her father had hidden her from his jealous new queen, Hera. Zeus did not want her to find his favorite child for the child was like him.

Since she was raised as a sparrow, she was able to fly like a bird. She was named Sparia. She soared on the wind and learned its secrets. But she was a daughter of Zeus, so it came to pass that on her twelfth birthday her wings became enchanted gold wings.

One day one of Hera's many-eyed guards reported that he had seen a young teenager soar through the clouds around Mount Olympus and vanish as quickly as she had appeared.

"Oh yes." the guard added. "her wings glimmered as if they were gold."

"Ohhh," Hera mumbled. "I'll take this up with Zeus," Hera said in an annoyed tone, "You may leave."

The next day Hera caught Zeus after breakfast. "Zeus, honey, let's talk," Hera said in a cunning manner.

"About what?" Zeus asked, his mind still on breakfast.

"About your children," Hera said like a snake who was trying to suck the truth out of him.

"Why?"

"Well, um, er, I was going to make a family tree," Hera said sneakily.

"But you despise my family!" Zeus, with shock.

"I decided to return over a new leaf."

"But you hate history, too!"

"That is true, but we need to have a family tree."

"We already have one" Zeus said, very annoyed.

"Very well, but do you have a daughter that look like you and has a set of golden wings?" Hera replied, sensing Zeus's anger.

"Yes," Zeus said, caught off guard, "I do and she is very beautiful, not to mention she is my favorite child!"

"Oh, is she?!"

"NO!" Hera stood up and walked away mumbling, "I'll take care of her; no child except mine will be Zeus's favorite child!"

She went to Hephaestus to order him to make her a gold chariot that would fly.

"Sure," Hephaestus said, slightly confused. But he did not dare question the queen, for he could tell she was in a bad mood.

When the chariot was done Hera wanted to test it. But before she could, Hephaestus warned her not to make 180' turns or she might cause great storms.

"Ok, I'll be careful," Hera said. Off she went with her new chariot to catch Sparia.

Hera called out, "What is your name, oh beautiful one?"

"My name is Sparia, " came a honey sweet reply, with a slight hesitation. "And what might your name be?"

"My name is, is, er, a, um, . . . my name is um, Quinus," Hera said, lying.

"Oh, is it Quinus?" Sparia said with suspicion. "You look a lot like Hera, the Queen of the Gods."

"Come here child."

"I'm not a child," Sparia said in disgust. She flew away leaving a rain storm with a lot of lightning behind her where Hera was flying in her chariot.

Sparia raced to Mount Olympus to tell her father to stop Hera from killing her, but Zeus was not there. So she flew and flew and asked Poseidon to make a thick fog that would cover her. When Poseidon was done, Sparia flew away with her fog.

"Oh no!" Hera said in distress. "Look what you've done!"

"I didn't do it, you did!"

They are still arguing. Even today, Sparia sneaks over to Oklahoma and hits Hera and her gold chariot with a mighty blast of wind.

Nov. 22, 1633 - Cowes, England
Our journey is beginning today. Some catholic priests come and pray for a safe journey. People are saying good-bye and kissing and hugging. People are dancing and singing that the time for the trip has finally come. There really are islands.

Feb., 1634 - Chesapeake Bay
Some of us sailed farther then the rest. I went with the people who went to Virginia. I saw a part of the water which I did not know what to call. It the Chesapeake Bay. It was as big as the sea. There were many trees around the bay.

Objective: To create your own mythological creature and write a myth about that creature.
It was a beautiful spring day. The dogwoods were blooming and the sparrows were singing. In a giant tree there was a nest, and inside the nest there were three eggs, two of which were white and one was peach.