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7th Grade Golden Apples 2011

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Contents

Nobody Knows By Haley B.

Page 6 The Two Best Things In Baseball By Sam D.

Page 7 Extra Help (carpe diem) By Carter K.

Page 8 Running By Coby G.

Page 9 Pa By Anna M.

Page 10 Dignity is Wealth By Nick W.

Page 11 Heroes By Ben G.

Page 12 Illogical Logic By Jonathan C.

Page 14 Summer Again By Naomi S.

Page 16

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To A Cow By Charlie G.

Page 17 The Squid Would Lurk By Forrest P.

Page 18 Rain By Sophia H.

Page 19

Music By Allyson W.

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Hero Essay By Rachel G.

Page 22 Hero Essay By Julio J.

Page 25 Fog By Nate H.

Page 28 Winter By Will F.

Page 29

Snare Drum (Blitz) By Luke C

Page 31 Martha's Vineyard By Gwen R.

Page 3

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Peach By Piper H.

Page 34 My Hero By Jordan R.

Page 35 Spring By Connor S.

Page 37 Facebook Essay By Jack T.

Page 38 This is Love By Emi S.

Page 40 Self of Steam By Katherine H.

Page 41 ABC The Ocean By Christian B.

Page 42 My Hero By Chase D.

Page 43 Hero Essay By Ben C.

Page 45 Ballet By Abby M.

Page 47

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Mondays By Sam G.

Page 48 Fog By Michaela N.

Page 49

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Nobody Knows

By Haley B.

Wind whistles Wind blows

What is it saying? Nobody knows.

Through the trees Through the seas Where is it going? Nobody knows.

With cheer With sorrow

Will it still be here tomorrow?

I wish I could see What the wind would be

But really Nobody knows.

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The Two Best Things In Baseball

By Sam D. Pitching Fun, threatening Throw, push off, stretch Felix Hernandez, mound, Albert Pujols, batting gloves Swing, step forward, pivot back foot Amazing, pressuring Batting

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Extra Help (carpe diem)

By Carter K.

This is the last class, it’s extra help I glance at my planner and give a yelp I have baseball tonight for two hours But my school books are piled in five towers I must be productive right now I have to get this done somehow I take out my pencil, open my book I take a deep breath and dare to look This is much easier than I thought I am no longer deeply distraught I finish my homework with five minutes to spare I grab my books and run up the stairs I pack my bags, through the hall I soar Then down the stairs to art mentor

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Running

By Coby G.

Every morning a cool island gust Then onto the dirt paths, through

The trees of the west end Past Gosnald monument

Through the long dry sea of grass Along beaches and past houses Passing blackberry bushes and

Over clay cliffs Always surrounded by the ocean

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Pa

By Anna M.

He is like a lamp shedding light on me but instead he is an angel in heaven,

shining down on us. Every day I think of him,

if there had been just one more day, a few more memories.

If I had known, I would have appreciated him more. When someone you love is gone,

a piece of you is lost. A piece of your family is missing.

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Dignity is Wealth

By Nick W.

A group of refugees Fled to America

Coming from Africa Hungry Thirsty Tired

Through the countryside

A kind benefactor they met Food and drink he supplied

Young man refused. Asking instead for work Benefactor impressed

Knowing the wealth of the young man is dignity

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Heroes

By Ben G.

A hero. What is a hero? Well a hero to me is someone who you

look up to and who is a role model for you. This person should inspire

you. For me, my hero is someone who shares the same hobby and

interest as me. He has got me interested in the subject that we share.

And we both embark out to the edge to get the perfect shot. This hobby

is photography.

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies. My hero who shares it

with me is Peter Lik. He has a show on the Weather Channel called On the

Edge. Whenever I can, I catch this show. The only bad part is that it is

usually on at eleven o’clock at night, so sometimes I catch it on the

weekend. When I first started watching Peter Lik, I was so excited. It

looked like a cool show, plus I was a big photographer and photography

fan. He helped me to appreciate photography even more. But not all

photographers think of photography in the same way. Photography

cannot be done in a cursory manner. One exception though is non-serious

photographers just snapping away at everything they see and not taking

the proper time composing their photograph.

Peter Lik was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. His parents

moved from the Czech Republic to Australia when his mother knew she

was going to have Peter. His first camera was a brownie Kodak camera.

The first camera I had I shared with my mom. He and I are quite alike in

that we both love nature and that we both will do almost anything to get

the perfect photograph. He goes literally on the edge to get his picture.

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Whether it’s going almost to the edge of a live volcano to hiking in the

Amazon River, you name it, he has a picture.

One photograph that really hit me that he took was a picture of the

sky. Not just any sky, but a sky above the clouds. A sky picture that

was taken from one of the largest telescope plateaus in the world. The

biggest digital camera in the world. The Hawaiian telescope. This picture

depicts a scene from one of the highest points in the world.

With my photography, he taught me to endeavor to compose my

photograph before snapping it. Peter Lik is a very good artisan when it

comes to photography. When Peter does his work he asks for no

humdrum so he can concentrate and I respect that. He is a partial

tycoon, but I can assure you that he is not as snotty as you might think.

His legacy will live in me forever. He is very conscientious about his work

and that is what I am trying to work on as a photographer. He is not a

very affluent photographer in that I personally have not really seen any of

his work in museums or in shops. I guess he is just popular on television

and he is not audacious.

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Illogical Logic

By Jonathan C.

Some call it common sense, others, reason. Einstein knows it as a

collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. Anybody can call it

anything they want, but they all mean the same thing. Logic, it’s the

reason we humans exist today. When we were cold, we built a fire. When

we were hungry, we killed something and roasted it on that fire. And

when we played the violin we deduced relativity (see Einstein's bio for

clarification). Unfortunately now, we humans cannot be said to be

creatures of logic, but creatures of habit. Now, when we’re cold we crank

the heat up. But we don’t think if maybe doing that could be slowly killing

our planet, or us? But I really couldn’t care less about how high

someone’s electric bill gets (well maybe I do, seeing how it’s slowly killing

the planet, but that’s beside the point). Anyway, moving on, to explain

the illogical reasoning behind human logic I’ve composed three simple

laws. They are logically, The First, Second, and Third Laws of Human

Logic.

The First Law describes Human nature itself: Humans are afraid. FDR

may have said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” but he was

wrong. But don't tell him I said that because it's precisely what he's afraid

of. So when helplessly cornered in an argument, a frightened human’s

fight or flight instinct takes over. The fight instinct causes them to

quickly alter the circumstances so they are in-fact right (a.k.a. lie), while

the flight instinct causes them to rush to a nearby bathroom never to

return again. These events are both disastrous because a) they’re still

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wrong, and b) it solves nothing (unless you happen to be a lawyer, of

course).

Since the First Law got humanity absolutely nowhere, the fabled

Second Law now kicks in. It clearly says: A human will always be right.

Now what this means, is that whenever possible, a human will arrive at the

answer he/she wants. Unfortunately they technically are right assuming

that their first line of reasoning is true. This means that his conclusion

would also have to be true. The answer could be the result of a bunch of

coincidences lining up (as in sticky calculator button+ pumpkin pie

+H.A.L.O.= gravity doesn’t exist) or just human stupidity playing its part

in life (rated M for mature), though it’s often both. The problem often

starts when somebody takes a line of reasoning, determines it to be

correct, declares victory, and moves on. But unfortunately they don’t

notice the small rip in the bio-hazard that is logic. Unfortunately, the more

they use this suit the larger the rip grows and the more likely that the

wrongitude will come pouring in. That brings us to the other problem that

arises. If somebody reaches a conclusion that would mean they were

wrong, then the wrongness would gush in, at which point The First Law

intervenes and they go back to the drawing board. Now the Second Law

states that they will arrive at a favorable conclusion, since that doesn’t

exist, logic tells us that they must either accept defeat (which the First

law forbids), or torture and mutilate their argument until it's correct

(stitching up the bio-hazard suit).

The Third Law is very simple. It says that if neither of the first two

laws apply to the argument, then the participants are not human.

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Summer Again By Naomi S.

The tall corn stalks sway in the balmy breeze, Reflecting the sun off their sides from the thick orange horizon. The cattle graze peacefully without a care in the world. It is peaceful, this farm in the sunset. The sky is purely clear, which means it’s going to be a good, starry night. The stars will sparkle and shimmer like diamonds against the endless black sky, Slowly fading into nothingness and unknown infinity when the morning breaks. The farmer sits contently in his paint- chipped, worn in rocking chair. His favorite poetry is propped up in his hands. He glances up for a moment, taking in the sunset. He smiles to himself and his dirt baked face wrinkles up tightly. He reminds himself of how wonderful it is to be summer again.

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To A Cow By Charlie G.

How a cow must think it strange when it is out grazing on the range To see a light bright and near suddenly out of the night appear with a sound of thunder the cow must wonder What is this?

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The Squid Would Lurk By Forrest P.

The squid would lurk In the murk Often ducking behind rocks Trying to avoid fish swimming in flocks Then “bang!” the whales hit He tries to flit But the whale has a grip That causes him to flip But soon his friends come to his aid Punches and kicks they trade And the whales are caught in the tentacly grasp The whales yell and rasp But no others come Soon they go numb And the squid feast that night On the fruits of their fight

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Rain

By Sophia H.

Splash The rain falls Out of the sky from where it slept Waiting to emerge Washing away color Making the world grey Washing away pain and memories Creating a blank page For new ideas to follow

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Music By Allyson W.

Music is very important to me, as it is to many other musicians.

Why is music important? Music is a way to express yourself. It has the

power to share with the world what you’re feeling, whether it is writing

lyrics, or composing the type of music similar to Mozart’s music.

Musicians are people that I look up to for their amazing work and how

they have nothing holding them back from sharing with the world what

they feel, fear, or what happened last night with their friend who said bad

things about them. The two musicians that I look up to because of their

amazing talent and ability to share with people what they feel are Tim

LaRoche and Taylor Swift.

I look up to Taylor Swift because every body thought she was just

another girl. She is, but she had an amazing talent, and still does. She has

the ability to share her thoughts and stories with music. When she was

younger, about twelve to thirteen years old, she went to little fairs and

gatherings with her karaoke machine. Then one day her family had a cable

guy come and fix their TV and he ended up teaching Taylor how to play

guitar. She started singing and playing guitar, and got asked to a record

deal. She denied it because, although music is important to her, she didn’t

feel right accepting this record deal. But later on she accepted a different

one. She did this because she loved music so much. She now is very

famous and does what she loves all at the same time.

I look up to Tim LaRoche. He literally taught me skills on writing

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songs; he also taught me to play guitar. He said to me, my first lesson

with him, “ A wise musician once said ‘All you need is three chords and

the truth.’” He was right. Look at Taylor Swift, she is one of the top

known musicians. And she’s really young. All she had to do was tell the

truth and play a few chords along with it. He may not be a multi-

millionaire like Taylor Swift. Does that even matter? It’s doing what you

love. But he does have the desire and motivation to become a well-known

musician. He was on Nashville Star. He didn’t win, but he kept moving on

because music is so important to him. He’s not giving up anytime soon.

I love music. Music is my passion. When I play my guitar I feel like

I’m in a totally different world. I can make anything up depending on my

mood, I can make the chords form into a song, I can do anything. I love

the way it feels to have a guitar in my lap, my left hand’s fingers gliding

across the frets, while my right hand diligently plucks the strings. I can

write about people that are mean to me, a bad day, or just life in general.

It’s like my private journal that nobody can read unless I play it for them. I

believe that music is the best hobby to have because of these reasons.

You do what you love, and you can get somewhere, you can please others

with your music, or help someone along with your story. I hope that I will

be as strong as Tim Laroche or Taylor Swift because they don’t care what

other people think, they do what they love.

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Hero Essay By Rachel G.

“Hero” means so many different things to so many different people.

To me, a hero is someone to look up to, someone who sacrifices things

for others, and someone who does their best to keep people safe. With

the given criteria, one person comes to mind.

When I was about six years old, I had to go into surgery to have my

tonsils and adenoids removed. I was so nervous and scared. I was wheeled

into a room filled with scary knives and tools with people I don’t know

that I just entrusted my life to. But he was also there. It made me feel

safe, knowing that he trusted these people. And if he trusted them, then

why shouldn’t I? He stayed with me while the cherry-flavored anesthesia

was administered. To this day, the last thing I remember before I went

unconscious was him talking with the doctor about the best place to get

ice cream.

When I was in third grade, I went to a Girl Scout Father-Daughter

Dance. I was running around and not looking where I was going. I ran into

a girl and fell, hitting my head on the floor. I was out cold for several

minutes. When I woke up, there were a number of unfamiliar faces around

me, and I was scared and confused. But of the faces surrounding me, his

was the only one that brought comfort. I was put in a neck brace and I

was brought in a stretcher to the ambulance. During the ride, he stayed

with me. He inspired me to be brave with his mettle. In the hospital he

was there.

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When I was ten, we had a cat named Tiger. She had the disposition

of a mountain lion and all the cuddliness of a teddy bear. After nights of

her scratching at our door, we decided to take her in. We had her for a

year and a half. Then one day, the unthinkable happened. She died. When

my sister and I got home from school, the news was broken to us. She

was dead. I cried for hours, and he just sat there with an arm around my

shoulder until I had finished wringing out my grief over the calamity that

had just occurred. If he hadn’t been there, I don’t know what I would have

done.

When I was in fifth grade, he lost his job. He kept looking for a job

near home so we wouldn’t have to move. Unfortunately, there aren’t

many of those. So he decided to take a temporary job until a better one

came along. So he found a temporary job. However, it wasn’t around here.

It was in Vermont. For six months he lived in an apartment in Vermont

during the week. Every weekend, he made the three hour journey back to

Townsend, only to drive the three hours back to Vermont every Sunday

night. It was hard for everyone, but he remained resilient, and did it to be

with us.

Now, he works at a job much closer, in Clinton. But he doesn’t like it

although he is adept at it. He works at a job he doesn’t like, with people

that are irksome, for hours he doesn’t have. It doesn’t sound fun, does it?

He doesn’t think so either. However, this doesn’t seem to bother him,

because work isn’t about fun, it’s about what puts food on the table. He

does it for my family.

Through tumult and turmoil, he has been someone who exemplifies

a hero to me. He instills good values in my sister and I. What is the name

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of this anonymous hero? His name doesn’t matter, because my father

knows it’s him.

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Hero Essay By Julio J.

My definition of a hero isn’t someone you see on TV fighting crimes

or sticking to walls with their spider sense tingling. My hero is my mom.

My mom is my hero because my definition of a true hero is someone that

I can look up to and know that what they are doing is right, someone who

is considerate to other people, and someone who I can trust to teach me

right from wrong. A hero to me is someone who can truly exemplify all of

Applewild’s core values. This is my mother. My mother shows and teaches

me all of these characteristics, so that I can one day act like her.

My mom has taught me many things, one of them being what is

wrong in life and what is right in life. My mom has taught me the values

needed in a person for them to be benign. My mom was a teacher so she

learned a lot before she adopted me. As soon as she adopted me she

taught me everything she had been taught and everything that she had

taught others. My mother is my hero because she is someone that I would

hope to emulate in her kindness and her never-ending patience. My

mother has also taught me to be an avid reader and to endeavor in

everything even if I thought the work was difficult or excruciating. My

mother is not a sage, but I would put my trust in her even if things

weren’t looking pretty. I remember my mom saying to me one day when I

was being home-schooled in 2nd grade, “If you’re ever having trouble and

need my help then come to me, even if I’m busy.” This is why my mom is

my hero.

My mom is my hero because she is a person that knows how to

have fun in the world. My mom isn’t one of those people who likes to sit

on the couch watching shows all day. My mom isn’t a humdrum kind of

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person. My mom likes to play games. In the past my mom has taught me

several different games. She taught me Rummy, she taught me Slapjack,

and she’s taught me games like Boggle. When I was little and my mom

taught me a game for the first time I would make a mistake, and she

would just act serene and teach it to me again even if I was being

stubborn. In second grade my mom taught me a handful of things that

helped me later when I went to Applewild. She taught me arithmetic and

spelling. My mom kept with the program and started teaching me my

multiplication facts. She’d make me memorize them and then repeat them

to her with a five second wait before I would have to answer or move on

to the next one. This is why my mom is my hero.

My mom is my hero because she is considerate to other people. My

mom listens to other people’s opinions or troubles with interest. She

doesn’t scoff at their opinions or wander off to planet Pluto. My mom

listens to people even if the subject they are talking about is extremely

boring. My mom is considerate to other people because she offers her

own opinions or helpful advice to the person she is talking to, and doesn’t

just walk away and feel relieved that the talk is finally over. I know this for

a fact because my mother has done it with me. Sometimes when I am

having trouble I will go to her and ask her for her help. My mom likes

helping people. She will listen to me and then help me with my problem. If

my mom doesn’t know the answer she’ll tell me to go see someone that

knows how to do something. She won’t just say that I have to do it on my

own.

My mom is my hero for many reasons. She is my hero because I

look up to her, she is someone who knows the right from the wrong, and

she is a considerate person that could represent the core values of

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Applewild. My mom is definitely my hero because without her I would not

have a dad. Without my mom I would probably still be in the adoption

center waiting and hoping that someone would soon fall in love with me

and adopt me. Without my mom I wouldn’t be writing this essay and so I

have to say that my mom is my hero.

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Fog

By Nate H.

The fog in the woods is extremely dense, Plant life drenched in an eerie silence. Shadows loom from behind the veil

Goosebumps rise at the sound of an animal's wail.

A twig snaps and you swivel your head, And your heart is filled with unimaginable dread. A shrouded form approaches through the trees,

Navigating the damp forest with ease.

You start to sprint and you let out a shriek, Plunging head-first into a nearby creek. You lie on your back on the forest floor,

Realizing that the shape was only the dog from next-door.

You stand up and follow the beast. Leading you home, traveling east.

The world knows but will always hog All the mysteries of the fog.

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Winter

By Will F.

I really like winter. It is a season of enjoyment, delight, and hot

cocoa. Winter is my favorite season because there is lots to do: skiing,

sledding, skating. And Christmas is in the winter.

Winter is my favorite season because there is so much going on.

Christmas is a big deal at our house, and it keeps us busy. Mostly we’re

busy with baking and eating. We make and decorate cookies on Christmas

Eve, which is a family tradition in our house. We also bake treats like

brownies and 7 layer bars, and give them to friends and family. I also like

buying and decorating our Christmas tree. Every year we go to a place

called Honey Pot Hill and find our tree. We always haggle with each other

over the best tree, and when we think we have the perfect one, we come

home to realize that we don’t have eight foot ceilings, and end up

trimming the excess height. We travel often, and wherever we go, we buy

a Christmas ornament from there, so we always have interesting

ornaments. We also set up lights on the tree and it looks really nice. One

of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to shop for presents. I

like finding presents that I know people will like.

Most people have memorable holiday stories. One of mine has to do

with our dog Jojo and her ability to eat just about everything. One year,

while we were out, Jojo ate a Santa ornament made out of an actual

starfish. We came home to find only the plastic head on the floor.

Another year, she devoured an entire bowl of miniature Reese’s peanut

butter cups, wrappers and all.

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Another thing I like about winter is that there’s so much to do

outside. There’s a sledding hill down the street from my house, and a

pond around the corner for ice-skating. Of all of the winter sports, skiing

is my favorite. I love to ski, and I do it every winter. We’ve skied at a

bunch of different places, and at each one, I’ve really liked watching all

the people. Each skier has his own style, like calm and collected, or the

let’s-see-how-fast-I-can-go-without-killing-myself style. I prefer the calm

and collected method. My sister once tried the let’s-see-how-fast-I-can-go

method and ended up skiing into a tree. (Neither she nor the tree were

injured.) I also love to have hot cocoa after skiing because it’s warm and

refreshing after skiing on the mountain all day.

While some things about winter stink, like shoveling snow and being

cold, it is still my favorite season because there is lots to do like sled, ski,

skate, and eat 40 pounds of Christmas cookies.

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Snare Drum (Blitz) By Luke C.

Hit with left Hit with right Right hand bounce Right and left hand roll Roll starts quiet Roll grows loud Loud playing Loud stressed hit Hit the snare Hit the snare again Again a hit Again a bounce Bounce with left Bounce after many hits Hits go on Hits go on for hours Hours the drummer practices Hours the drummer plays Plays on a classic snare drum Plays to later perform Perform and practice marching Perform in a marching band Band still marching Band still practicing Practicing with and without the rest of the band Practicing to become a master Master the snare Master the rhythm Rhythm goes on Rhythm is played Played with skill Played with confidence Confidence is the key to playing the snare Confidence is needed for drummers Drummers play together Drummers play other drums with snare Snare drums lead the band

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Snare drums take the show Show with drums on the drum set Show as part of the drum set Set with the drum set Set next to other drums Drums on the drum set take away importance of the snare Drums on the drum set make the snare played less Less snare drum Less practice being used Used less because of other drums Used less and almost forgotten Forgotten Drums

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Martha's Vineyard By Gwen R.

We walk down the beach as if there are no ends. Go in the ocean, as if sharks are our friends. The tickle on our feet from the crabs torments us. The peaceful sounds of the ocean’s breaking waves, and the loud outcry of "I found a tickle bug, come see!" I could sit and listen all day. Now approaching home and then out to dinner, couldn't get any better. After a long, amusing day of fun in the sun, bed couldn't sound any better. Sleeping like a rock and waking up may just be the best feeling. Going out to breakfast, at the smallest and greatest diner, makes your day start out incomparable. The candy store is down the road, waiting for us to buy every single piece they have. Relaxing at the dock, watching boats leave, reminds me of home. But we still have a long time in this place. Until we say our goodbyes. We could shop all day if we wanted, but we can do that at home. Our number one priority is the beach, and nothing else. Summer doesn't last forever, nothing ever will. So take the time that you have, and waste it wisely.

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Peach By Piper H.

The humid summer air hangs heavily among the field One young peach tree stands hopelessly alone Few peaches hang delicately from the rough skinny branches Their crimson color blending in with the now-orange sky Take a reach and grab one of the soft sweet spheres Their fleshy cold middle hot from the long summer day The scent lingers among every corner of the field This beautiful scene forever frozen in time Never to grow up and change

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My Hero By Jordan R.

My hero is the person who was deployed to neutralize Osama Bin

Laden. Although this solider and the team are anonymous, they are still

my hero. Once the information was derived, they had to corroborate for

months. The steps were not done with cursory. A hero to me is someone

who helps people even if they have to put their own life at risk. This

person is my hero because this person was very brave, saved who knows

how many people, and was able to execute the mission without any

casualties, minus the enemy.

This person was very brave and audacious because he put himself in

danger by carrying out the mission. The mission had many risks like the

place being a trap, but they went in anyway. The person had to have been

willing to give his life for the greater good.

That is why I think he is very brave.

The person who killed Osama Bin Laden was able to carry out the

mission without any teammates dying, which I think is great. This person

and their team had to be elite to be able to do this mission with such

precision. The plan was also affected at the last minute because of a

problem with one of the Black Hawks. I think that with this happening, and

still being able to do it without any consequences took an incredible

amount of skill. This is one of the biggest reasons this person is my hero.

The Special Forces soldier is my hero because he saved maybe

thousands of people. For all we know, Bin Laden could have been planning

another attack on people. Even though Al Qaeda will still exist, and there

will be legacies of him, Osama was a crucial part of all the plans. We do

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not know if they are resilient enough to carry on much longer. This person

saved many people and that is the biggest reason he is my hero.

The person who neutralized Osama Bin Laden is my hero because

he is brave, carried out the mission without any friendly units dying, and

because he saved thousands of people. This person brought justice to a

man who killed thousands of people. Some of these people were even

killed in America. The 9/11 terrorist attack headed by Osama will still

haunt people, but now they can have closure on the moment. I am

grateful for the whole team who completed the mission and I think they

are all heroes to many people all around the world.

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Spring By Connor S.

There’s no better season than Spring

Winter is over and Summer is on its way Frankly this season is my kind of thing

I love the flowers and the color they bring

The teachers are trying to keep homework at bay There’s no better season than Spring

The birds have come back and are starting to sing

The green leaves are bright after winter’s gray Frankly this season is my kind of thing

In just a few months no school bells will ring

I’m raring to go for some outdoor play There’s no better season than Spring

I’m warming up my arm for the baseballs I’ll fling

The warmth and fragrant flowers make me feel gay Frankly this season is my kind of thing

The snow is all gone, winter’s losing its cling

There’s not much left to say There’s no better season than Spring Frankly this season is my kind of thing

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Facebook Essay By Jack T.

The real purpose of Facebook is just another way to socialize with

friends and family. This is an online tool to find out instantly what your

friends are up to. You can also send pictures and videos along with

writing about yourself. I am opposed to Facebook because it is a time

waster, it’s not appropriate for kids, and it can invade people’s privacy.

I think Facebook is not appropriate for my age because other

people can post inappropriate things on your page. Once you send

something you can never get it back, and colleges also look at your

Facebook page now to see what you’re like. Anything you say will always

be out there and anybody can see it, so you have to be careful what to

say. You should also never say something online that you wouldn’t say to

the person’s face, because even though you might be kidding they could

take you seriously and could be hurt. People often do that.

Facebook is also a way of people invading your privacy and you

invading their privacy even if you don’t want to. For instance if you type

in anybody’s name who is on Facebook you can see what they look like

and who they’re friends with and what their friends look like. If you are

friends with a person you can look at everything they post, what they

have been saying to their friends and pretty much anything on their page.

If you are friends with someone on Facebook that you haven’t really met,

they can still read your page and see what you’re like. To me that is

invading someone else’s privacy.

Facebook to me is just another time waster. I will probably never

acquire a Facebook account in my life. I am also opposed to it because

instead of Facebook you can email someone, or call him or her, or send

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him or her a letter. All we really need to transmit are phones. We don’t

need email, Facebook, Twitter, and especially texting, although almost

everybody has at least one of those. There is proof that we don’t need it

because in the old days we didn’t have any of these things and yet we

still subsisted. There are so many things in this world that we don’t need

to live and Facebook is definitely one of them.

I am opposed to Facebook because it is a time waster, it’s not

appropriate for kids, and it can raid people’s privacy. Since you cannot

monitor who is on Facebook kids can get on and some things are

inappropriate and bad for them. A person’s future could also be affected

by something they said on Facebook. This is a scary thought. Invading

someone’s privacy can affect him or her even if you don’t know it. By the

design of Facebook you can easily invade one’s privacy. Today, time is

our most valuable thing. It is a time waster because its main purpose is a

socializing network. Facebook is an unnecessary waste of time.

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This is Love By Emi S.

Hand in hand

We stroll down The sandy shore,

We carve our names in the Sparkling sand and let

The sapphire water Fade the words

Away This is love

We lie together and Stare at the

Vibrant colored Sky

This is love Sitting around the camp fire and swimming in the dark. Our eyes meeting again

and again. This is love.

A faint smile filled with love. This is love.

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Self of Steam By Katherine H.

Your self-esteem is like the teacup

That, when you trip and fall, it breaks, But this only happens if you are careless. Self-esteem is like the tree: Takes years to grow, to come to full bloom But can be cut down with a single chop. But this only happens if you allow the ax To penetrate your slowly thickened bark.

Self-esteem is like the steam on a window That dissipates slowly, and can be wiped away with a single blow,

With no care to the fact that every water particle had to form, with no care to the time it took to happen.

But this only happens if you stop putting steam on the window, If you stop trying to feed the flames If you start smashing teacups against a wall. It takes time to build it up Seconds to knock it down But having it

Matters.

Self Esteem. Believe in you. No matter what.

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ABC The Ocean

By Christian B.

A boy walks outside Beach is in front of him and so were his friends

Connected by the ocean Dark blue water before him now and everybody is having fun

Except the boy Forever he will remember that he

Got that little red bucket He lost that red bucket that day Insane he was after that event

Just two days later his mother cheered him up Knot in his throat he cried still

Losing that bucket out into the ocean still haunted him Most of all he remembered the ocean laughing at him Nothing else mattered to the boy except that bucket

Over the course of the next summer he is back here again Partly he didn't want to go, partly he did

Questioning himself to do so, he stepped on the beach and held his breath Running was no longer an option now

Sand in between his toes now Talking to himself you can do this

Unforgiving he said to himself Very nervelessly he walked over to the ocean and stared at it

With a quick glace he saw something X-ray vision couldn't even help him then but there it was he thought

Yellow bucket was on the shore right there Zigzagging over to the bucket he realized that the bucket was red

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My Hero By Chase D.

To me, a hero is someone that others look up to, a person that

exemplifies qualities that others strive to achieve. A hero is a role model and improves everyone else around him. My hero is Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins because he plays with class all of the time, he gives back to the community whenever he's able, and he is resilient and very determined.

On the ice, Patrice is an excellent leader, and he is the assistant captain of the Bruins. I really enjoy watching him on television because he always plays with class, whatever the situation. He also plays the game cleanly and honestly. In addition, he is an adept playmaker and has a profusion of skills. When I grow up, I would be very happy with myself if I am even as close to as skilled as he is.

Patrice is a very philanthropic person as well. For example, Patrice's Pals is an organization founded by Patrice dedicated to underprivileged children in Massachusetts. He is very conscientious about helping his community and giving back to his fans. This is one reason that he won the John Bucyk award for outstanding dedication to the community. This is a true testament to the fact that he is a very benign person.

Another reason that I lionize Patrice is that he is extremely resilient and can fight through the toughest adversity. In 2009, Patrice suffered two excruciating concussions back to back. Many people, including me, thought that if he ever did come back to the ice, he would never be the same. However, nine months later, he was back and better than ever. He rebuffed the critics by working endlessly to return to his former self. And he didn't seem to lose any of his sageness from both of the massive brain injuries he acquired. Presently, he is the leading point-getter in the

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playoffs for the Bruins and is second in plus-minus with a plus-7 rating, only behind his line mate Brad Marchand.

Even though Patrice Bergeron is not the captain of the Bruins, I believe he very well could be. This is because he is a great hockey player, he always gives back to his community, and his determination is superb.

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Hero Essay By Ben C.

My hero is Dan Dawson, the captain for the Boston Blazers, a box

lacrosse team. He is one of the major forces on the team. A hero is

someone to look up to because of their personal achievements, positive

impact on their community, and their ability to influence others in

constructive way.

The reason I chose Dan Dawson, who is an adept lacrosse player, as

my hero is because, as an avid lacrosse fan, he is a role model for me. I

endeavor to follow in his footsteps as a player and emulate his career in

lacrosse. I look up to him because of what he does on and off the field.

In addition to being a pivotal member of the professional lacrosse

community, he is a fire fighter in Ontario, Canada. Fire fighting is Dan’s

first love. His dedication to helping others exemplifies his commitment to

serve the community. Instead of being totally immersed in his lacrosse

career, Dan has had to play lacrosse sporadically in order to allot time to

his fire fighting responsibilities. He flies in on the weekend to play lacrosse

while conscientiously working as a firefighter during the week.

Dan plays for a number of different types of teams, which means

that he has to work harder than most players because the skills required

are different for each team. One type, a box lacrosse team, is a team that

plays indoors and during the winter. He plays for the Boston Blazers, our

local box lacrosse team. He also plays for the Brampton Excelsiors, a

Canadian box team. The box teams are in the National Lacrosse League.

The other, a field team, is a team that plays outdoors during summer and

part of spring. The field team Dan plays for is the Hamilton Nationals,

which is in the Men’s Lacrosse League. Dan started his NLL career when

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selected first overall in the dispersal draft by the Portland LumberJax.

This is why Dan is my hero. He has had many accomplishments, he

serves his community as a firefighter, and has great skill as a lacrosse

player which will be hard to follow, but I hope to try.

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Ballet By Abby M.

Misconceptions- tutus and leaps

skinny girls and nothing else splits give them the creeps

Truth - hard work

being exactly on tempo there is nothing you can shirk

Flexibility takes years

we make it look effortless when we really could be in tears

It is very stressful - being on stage

it takes years of practice you can only dance until a certain age

But there is always a rush of joy

when things go as planned when your hard work isn't treated as a toy

Ballerinas are unique

they are one of a kind and they have fantastic technique

Ballet is tough

it may not look it but, it sure is rough

So when you talk of ballet

don't think of tutus and leaps think of what a ballerina would say

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Mondays By Sam G.

Here lies my weekend

He has been torn and shattered, On this day my freedom will end

Because on this day school begins. The weekend was good to me And this is how we repay him?

He brought me happiness He gave what he could give But what he gave killed him

No matter what we do to bring him back The beast of the present holds him above

Its fierce talons restrict We all gather here this morning to remember this hero

But it was on this day he was over.

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Fog By Michaela N.

Surrounded by an impenetrable cloud Enveloped by the mist Clothed in a silky shroud Searching desperately in this cyst The trap is sprung Now all begins to fade Lost with many songs unsung Movement forbade The golden sun Slices through the captor Blades of orange and crimson Illuminate the alder Fog has been banished Revealing all that vanished