KIDZ AT WORK
Interpreting the Nutcracker: Students preview their holiday ballet
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When the Imagination Soars...
Students find creativity in all artistic avenues
Bridge the Gap
By: Haley Young, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
A while ago I fought with my friend
With lots of mean words and tears, I thought there was no end
I went home that day very distraught
She was in my every thought
The whole world seemed to have shattered
To me, nothing else mattered
I felt sick and sad
No one could help me, not even my mom or dad
I needed my friend back that was the only cure
But how to bridge the gap I wasn’t sure
I wanted to talk to her when I saw her at school
But the looks she gave me were so cruel
I called her every day and night
Trying to get her back, trying with all my might
Then one day I saw her in tears
And it brought back memories from all those years
I decided to give it one last shot
And show her I missed her, I gave it all I got
We cried and talked and cried some more
Then I walked arm in arm with her, out the door
And we never again wandered astray
Bridge to Success
By: Bonnie Hu, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
I’m always amazed at how massive the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is each time I ride across it. It was built inch by inch and supported with steel and cement pillars. The bridge is 969 meters long and has 33 meters of movable span. Two lanes each way allowed travelers to cross the bridge quickly. I imagine that there must have been a celebration when the bridge was finally completed. It made travel across the river easy and convenient. Ambulances can rush to provide medical help to the ones in need. Firetrucks can speed across the bridge to put out fires. Police can respond to calls to resolve disputes or catch criminals. The bridge helps everyone to cross the river and make it to their destination.
Education is a bridge for students to realize their dreams. It starts as early as with infants and lasts through college. Along the way, teachers, parents, authors, and other helpers are important pillars for education. Teachers plan ahead of class and grades homework after class to make sure students are learning. Parents wake up early each morning to prepare their children for the day. Authors write interesting books for students to accumulate their knowledge of reading and writing.
Bridges allow people to get to their destination. It is the bridge of education that will make doctors, teachers, lawyers, architects, construction workers, business people, politicians, and many other people of different professions.
We were inseparable, once again, from then on
A new chapter in my life began to dawn
I finally bridged the gap that day.
A Bridge to Writing
By: Campbell Cooper, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
I stand in front of a narrow swaggering bridge of writing. My mind won’t let me cross. A novel concept forms. The perfectionist that dwells deep inside me can’t scale the wall that blocks my ability to write. The task of persuading my mind to think in a different manner is difficult, but I take my first step. My teacher and I discuss strategy after strategy. The bridge is shaking and my knuckles are white, but I am determined. We continue on this path but I get nowhere. I look down at the treacherous waters and halt. My class gathers in a circle to discuss how some people’s minds create while others critique. After studying this concept, the idea sinks deep within me. Gradually, I inch past the shaking and rotten planks. The class begins to write as I sit watching their genius thoughts being scribbled down into beautiful, poignant stories. I am envious, but suddenly have an epiphany. Words begin to spill from my mind onto the paper. I am mesmerized. In a trance, I focus on only the story. I am almost disappointed when I have to stop writing and my teacher is thrilled by this phenomenal event. My eyes are now fixed on the grassy land just a few feet ahead. The butterflies in my stomach are calm. Time passes, as writing becomes an enjoyable hobby. I step across the last plank and dive for the sacred land. I melt into the warm landscape relieved. The wall lifts and my thoughts soar through. I look back and the bridge is gone.
Bridging Haikus
By: Nathanial Hanson, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
Tons of steadiness
Towering metal giants
Outlasting us all
Over the terrain
Bleak and completely lifeless
Staring down the world
Hot in the summer
Freezing in the cold winter
Log of the seasons
Worn out over time
Rust in all of its places
A very old sight
Made of the strong steel
Or of the slightly weaker wood
Holding the cars up
Ships go under it
Airplanes fly high over it
Cars will drive on it
It is very high
But it is not all scary
It is your best friend
Bridges will guide you
Over the cliffs and valleys
And the huge rivers
Tresses and cables
Suspension and large pillars
They all hold the weight
Small or gigantic
Old wood or modern metal
These are the bridges
The Historical Bridge
By: Oliver Telusma, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
This historical bridge
Old and rustic
It has been eternally carved into history.
From the dawn of age,
It has been here,
From the first people to walk the face of the earth,
It was new, made special for the greats and legends to walk on.
To the time where knights, dragons, maidens and damsels in distress were the talk of the day,
The great knights walked the bridge of hardships,
They did it for honor,
They did it for respect,
They did it for glory,
Often pushing themselves to new limits,
To prove that they were good enough to get respect.
To the Revolutionary War,
The battle of the redcoats and patriots,
One would stand, one would fall,
As the patriots fought for their right for their place on this earth,
They walked the bridge of sacrifice and suffering,
They risked their lives of themselves and their comrades,
They sacrificed their time with their family,
For the freedom of this nation.
To the Gold Rush of the nineteenth century,
When the American soul was ambitious to find the key to wealth,
Traveling the bridge of hardships and hard work,
They sacrificed their time,
While many of them failed,
Some of them succeeded.
To the wars of the twentieth century,
The World Wars,
The Vietnam War,
The Cold War,
And the Gulf War,
Our soldiers walked the bridge of war and patriotism,
Sacrificing their lives of the good of the U.S.
And finally today,
From the bombings of September eleventh,
To declaring war,
To the sinking economy,
We are walking the bridge of war and hardships,
Looking for a way out,
We search in hope.
Now the bridge waits for the people that’ll change the world,
It waits and hopes.
The stars start glittering
By: Lucy Li, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
Now do you see
The truth of your fear?
After you’ve past it
There is nothing bad here
Losing Bridges
By: Sebastian Irby, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
Things you once depended on, gone forever
Collapsing under the weight of the world
A friend leaving you to fend for your self
A relationship destroyed
Someone going to a “better place,” leaving you to endure the pain
Losses make us stronger, we learn to overcome ourselves
Becoming better people
What will we do when these bridges are destroyed?
Who will we be? What will we do? How will we react?
Will we be the same as if nothing has changed?
Or change completely?
Can we deal with the pain and pick up the pieces for a new bridge?
Or will we drown in self pity while struggling to gather the remains
What will happen to the ones that leave us?
Do they leave us or do we leave them as well?
Do they watch us when they’re gone?
If gone forever do they find a way to keep us close?
Are we lost to them, or do we still exist inside them
Do they build new bridges or lose themselves in the past
Will these new bridges be affected by the destruction of the past?
Can we work together to pull through?
Can we continue to lie our lives?
Will we change?
For better or for worse?
The promises we once made, now under the bridge
Calm water becomes a white water rapid
You struggle to keep up with your words...
The current pulls us under, overwhelms us, confuses us
The strength it takes to prevail is immense; two lightens the load
We are strong; we will get over our past
These new bridges will endure the storm
They’ll protect us from the pain we once experienced
We will learn to help others, to fight our own battles
We will climb aboard and ride this white water rollercoaster
Crossing Over
By: Ashley Pallang, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
I entered the world as a bundle of joy,
To everyone’s surprise I was not a boy,
Sleeping was how I spent my day,
Not yet old enough to sit and play.
Eventually I began to move around,
And I tried to make a lot of sound,
Every day was a new surprise,
With lots of smiles and fewer cries.
Soon I began to run and play,
And had so much I wanted to say,
My mom took very good care of me,
From runny noses to skinned up knees.
Every day I continued to grow,
And had so many things I wanted to know,
I wanted to count and learn to read,
School was the place I needed to be.
I met many teachers along the way,
Who taught me what to do and say,
They taught me that I had to share
Even though I didn’t think it was fair.
Harder lessons were on the way,
With more and more homework every day,
Getting older was not much fun,
As I found my learning was never done.
The older I got the more I could see,
That having good friends mattered to me,
They would stick with me through good and bad,
And be the best friends that I ever had.
Life is a journey with much to see,
But there’s no place I’d rather be,
There are bridges to cross along the way,
To see and enjoy every wonderful day.
Bridge to Your Heart/Mind
By: McKenzie Bongiorno, grade 7
Roland Grise Middle School
If you never conquer a fear then how can
you become your best?
Fear is just the mind talking and trying to
persuade you
Allowing either your mind or heart by themselves
to persuade you
will only lead to negative consequences
Your mind alone cannot decide something for you
It just overpowers the human body with obstacles
The heart and the mind have to come to a conclusion
They have a connection
But at times are like two boxers in a boxing ring fighting
but the loser will give in
and then they will both work together so they both win
They are teaching you wrong from right
Your mind and your heart are like those two people
Who sit on each shoulder and tell
You what you should and shouldn’t do
They are always around just like fear
The most common thing that happens
with fear is that it cannot hide
It will stay by your side
But if you confront your fear
Then it will not taunt you like a bully anymore
Having fear is like being on a continuous bridge
You never know when it’s going to be sturdy or come crashing down
When a bridge falls you lose your confidence
And then your heart and mind have to give you
A boost to stand back up again
To me the word fear is a direct relationship with the word bridge
Your heart comforts you and tells you that if you walk on that bridge
You are going to be alright
The bridge is actually you and you have to trust yourself
To be strong
The Other Side
Anonymous
Roland Grise Middle School
Here we go
Just taking a chance
One step at a time
Get out of your trance
Get ready to climb
Over a mountain of fears
Be true to yourself
Don’t burst into tears
“Why are we doing this?”
You reluctantly ask
“Get on with your life,
Get over the past.”
We are crossing the bridge
To somewhere unknown
Someplace where you
Never wanted to go
You should cease your fear
We are very near
Put on some of that
Good old cheer
Almost there
Just hold on tight
Stop your spazzing
It will be alright
We now see something
In the distance
Hues of color
With no resistance
Our senses awaken
To a whole new realm
Just enter cautiously;
Get rid of that frown
A heavenly warmth
Spreads within our souls
Confidence and determination
Becomes one whole
See the real truth
Just look swiftly around
Things are at peace
Hear the wonderful sound
The flowers are blooming
And the birds are twittering
When it is night
Haunted House
By: Riley Gibson, age 7, grade 2
Carolina Beach Elementary School
One day, I got off at my friend’s bus stop. Then we went to his house. I was shocked when I saw his house. Just then Tommy disappeared! I went in his house. I was scared! I walked slowly...”Ahhhh!” I fell down through a trap door! I felt myself getting sucked into something. It was quicksand! My feet touched the floor. I saw a ladder. Very slowly I walked up over and climbed up. Then I saw Tommy again. “Riley, Riley, come into the house!” Tommy shouted.
I went in the house and Tommy was riding his giant frog! I saw a vampire bat outside his window! We went into another room. “Boo, boo!” his dad screamed. His dad was Frankenstein! I couldn’t breathe for a second. I realized Tommy was a ghost. This was really a haunted house! I walked to the fence but I could not get out when I realized the key hole! Then Tommy came running over to me. I asked him nicely to give me the keys and he said, “Have dinner with me.” I was hungry so I went in! They had black cat cookies and skeleton stew! I ate a black cat cookie then I turned into a black cat! Then I ate a bowl of skeleton stew and I turned into a skeleton. I asked Tommy to give me the keys again but he didn’t give them to met.
Just then I remembered the cat, I could jump the fence! But when I ate another cookie, it would not work so I slept at his house. I slept all day until dinner so I ate the cookie and turned into a cat! I ran outside and jumped the fence.