Both+Sides+of+the+Bay+p.5

 Acceptance Rachel Dunbar Magnet School - Grade 7

"I can't stand this!" Amber said to herself. She was alone in her bedroom reflecting on her day at school. She was a very beautiful girl, but she never could figure out why she was bullied. She was very smart and very kind. "Why can't I be normal like my friends?" she asked herself. Amber had an older brother and an older sister. She was the baby of the family. Amber was very talented. She was liked by many people but a group of girls did not like her. Sometimes she would feel hurt because of what they would say about her, but she would never show it. Her parents always told her that she shouldn't care what people thought of her and most of the time she didn't. The group of girls would talk about her because she was smart, which is crazy because it's good to be smart. She thought that there was a problem with her being smart, but she realized that there was a problem with the group of girls. Whenever the group of girls would make fun of her, she would still be nice to them. One day one of the girls asked Amber why she was nice to her and her friends when they made fun of her. Amber told her that she was nice to them because that was the way she would want to be treated. Amber grew up with the saying "Treat others the way you want to be treated."

 She couldn't break that habit so, she was always nice to people. The girl smiled when she said that, Amber felt the happiness in the girl. The other girl's name was Katy. Amber thought that Katy was mean spirited but she really wasn't, she was just trying to fit with a group that she thought was good. Katy told Amber that she was only trying to fit in and Katy burst into tears. She apologized to Amber for the way she had been treating her. The two of them started talking daily and became good friends! Amber realized a life lesson because of the relationship with Katy. The lesson was that she shouldn't judge a book by its cover and if people try to bring you down, prove them wrong and don't give up, do your best!   As I Look at a Photo of Myself Sonya Sierra Theodore High School - 12th Grade - Ms. Wagner The girl in the photo in front of me is a far cry from the girl I see in the mirror. The contrast of physical differences, like the lack of makeup rimming my eyes or the darker color and longer length of my hair, are obvious. The biggest variances, however, aren’t those apparent to the naked eye. The elementary aged version of me sits propped against my sister, smiling timidly at the camera, not knowing what changes time will bring. At that time, the thought of ever having a companionship greater than the one I shared with my sister never crossed my mind. The girl sitting beside me in the photo was and, if you had asked me then, would always be my very best friend. As we started middle school, however, we began to stray away from one another. With my sister being a year older, our social groups began to vary more and more with each year that passed. Her outgoing and opinionated personality began clashing with my shy, quiet one. By the time I reached the eighth grade, my sister and I couldn’t have been more different. The whole experience sounds like it should have been very negative, but that’s not how I recall it. The more distance that came between my sister and I, the more room I had to let others in. The friendships I made that year, for the most part, are the ones I still keep today. As my newly made friends and I enjoyed beach trips and roller blading together over the summer break, they also insisted that I join them at church. My first trip to the youth group was enough to keep me coming back. I loved the open, friendly environment and the welcoming people. As my attendance increased, my status shifted from a guest to a prominent member in the youth group. I began making new friendships and personal connections with the other youth. This is when I slowly began losing my meekness as my shy exterior began to strip away. As my relationship with Christ and the members of his church strengthened, I began to realize who I really was. If the small girl in the photo had seen me then, I’m almost positive she wouldn’t have recognized me. With the end of summer came the beginning of my freshman year. The relationships I’d formed within my youth group followed me into high school. The nervousness that comes with the implementation of something new went just as quickly as it came. The huge campus of the high school seemed significantly less frightening with familiar faces around every corner. My love for school grew and my grades reflected that accordingly. My newfound assurance in myself inspired me to get involved. I joined the Spanish Club, Art Club, Pep Club, East Coast Club, SWAT Team, and Scholar’s Bowl Team. It seems like a bit much now, but I was more than willing to dedicate the time to working alongside my friends. As a sophomore, after my friends encouraged me to try out, I was selected to be a member of the marching band’s flag corps. The following year, I was selected to serve as a member of the student council and the National Honor Society. Finding and falling into my place in high school came more naturally to me than the girl in the photo would ever be able to predict. The girl captured in the photo, the younger version of me, stares up with a meek smile and an unknowing glint in her eye. She’s so different from the person she will become that it’s hard to believe that they are connected to one another at all. Sure, they both share the same brown eyes and pallid complexion, but the girl in the photo isn’t me. The girl I am now, the one I see in the mirror, is a person that the girl in the photo will never know. She will never be me, and I wouldn’t go back to being her for anything.



  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Carolyn Little AMDG St. Ignatius School Poem <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> The Criminal!

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #4a86e8; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Once upon a __time,__

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">somebody committed a __crime__.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Somebody had stolen a teacher’s Sharpie __supply__!

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">And he was quick on the __fly__!

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">So it was up to me to solve the __mystery__.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I looked back at that day’s __history__.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Next I looked at the video __recorder__,

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #f90000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">And I knew then that the mystery was __over__.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #86fd70; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">You may find this hard to __see__,

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #b7b7b7; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">But the teacher’s Sharpie supply was stolen by __me__!!

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Still Painting <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> by Caroline Forbes – McGill-Toolen – 9th Grade

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">If a picture's worth a thousand words, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">let me paint one for you.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A little girl sits alone, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">a messy room <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">with lights that blink <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">out dark, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">and a window <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">where lightning <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">flashes bright.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Her hair tangled <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">and hands cold; <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">clothes crumpled <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">and her cheeks wet.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">No no <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">that's not quite right.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Add a dash of your darkest blue <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">there in the night sky, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">dab the purple black <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">there under her eyes.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Oh her eyes. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Lightning across her gaze- <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">a strike through the dark ring, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">glossy is what they are <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">with black and blue <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">that webs through, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">weaving a beautiful hue.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Simply blue, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">but no, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">there's not a color <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">for what they tell.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Maybe add a dash of white <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">make them wide <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">make them wonder.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">There now <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">see how she cries <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">with that awe alight in her eyes <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">sprinkle the stars too.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Paint her pale lips open, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">oh, just so; <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">enough to say <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">awe, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">enough to say <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">oh.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Hold out her hand, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">her cold hand <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">reaching for the sky <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">out the window <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">above her there.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">See that <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">can you see it

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">can you see the blues <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">can you see the dreams <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">can you see <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">the girl this painting brings?

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Smiling Faces <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Meghan <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">7th Grade - St. Ignatius Catholic School -Mrs. Goodwin

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">I love to see smiling faces <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">I love to see happy races <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Every day and all the time <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">I love to hear a funny rhyme <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">If I ever get glum <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">I will eat a purple plum <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">When it rains <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">I feel pains <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">but when I see the sun rise <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">The pains say their goodbyes

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Teacher Island <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Aysa – 7th Grade - Pillans Middle School

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> It was in the afternoon of school when my science teacher, Mrs. Eliza told me I was failing science. So right now I am in the library doing extra work to keep my grade up. My name is Sarah Williams. I was the most respected person in this school. Everybody knew me. I mean I wasn’t a bully or anything. I was until I was failing science. But, enough about me. Let’s go back to when I was in the library.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> While I was working I heard a noise coming from the hall. At first, I thought it was the janitor, but then I heard so many footsteps. If you knew me, you knew I was curious about everything, so I had to find out what that sound was. When I walked down the hallway, I heard people talking and loud music! Then I walked closer and I stopped in front of this door. At first I thought it was the teacher’s lounge. But why would music be coming from the lounge, I wondered. Then my curiousness took over me again and I opened the door. It was surprising! There were teachers of all shapes and sizes in bikinis and swimwear and they were on an island!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> All of the teachers from math teachers to P.E. teachers, and even my teachers, including Mrs. Eliza, were on that island. All of them were either swimming, dancing, resting on the beach. I was so amazed by all of this! Again, curiosity overcame me, and I walked to Mrs. Eliza. I had so many questions when I came up to her. And I noticed she had some, too.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> “Why are you here?” we both said.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">“How did you get in here?” Mrs. Eliza asked, and I responded, “I heard some noises and the door was unlocked.”

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">“How did you find this place? And, more importantly, how can you keep it a secret from the students?” I questioned.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">“This is our only relaxation time and a time to be wild. Please don’t tell any of the students,” she begged.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">“All right, on one condition….. I will keep this place a secret if you pass me in your class.”

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Mrs. Eliza hesitated for a moment, but finally she said, “Yes, but you’ve got to promise to keep this a secret.”

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">I said, “I promise.” As I left to go home, one of my friends asked me where I had been and I said, “I was in the teachers’ lounge.”

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The Land of 10,000 Voices <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Destiny – 7th Grade - Pillans Middle School

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">You’re this, you’re that, you’re too ugly, you’re too fat. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">You’re mean, you’re insane, you don’t mean a thing. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">You’re wrong when you’re right. You’re light will never shine bright! <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Says 10,000 voices in the land of being criticized.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">You’re a failure. You’re too yellow. You were really never really too humble. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">You’re stupid and dumb. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">You’re phony, you’re no fun! <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Says 10,000 voices in the land of being criticized.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">But she’s winning. She’s on top of her game. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Your words to her don’t mean a thing. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">She’s a warrior. She’s stronger than most of you will ever be. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">She’s much greater than what she’s heard. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The thing you have said, they didn’t hurt.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Because in the land of being criticized, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The defendant is wrong and the victim is right. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The defendant is less intelligent and the victim is wiser <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">In the land of 10,000 voices the defendant is jealous <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Because the victim has more power!!!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">My Trip to D.C <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Mary Alice <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">St. Ignatius

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Last month I went on a trip to Washington, D.C., with 10 other students from St. Ignatius for a leadership conference. While our trip surpassed my expectations, it did so in unconventional ways.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Our plane departed in Pensacola on a Thursday, the same week of the ice storm. The roads were still slippery, so we had to be careful driving to the airport. While we were driving, there was a fatal trucking accident. The traffic was backed up for 16 miles and roads were closed. We took a detour, and a 1 hour trip turned into a 2 ½ hour nightmare. I almost missed my flight! I was really lucky to be in Washington, D.C.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Visiting Washington, D.C., was an educational experience. We saw many sights including Ford’s Theater, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, two Smithsonian museums, the Capitol building, the National Archives and the Supreme Court. At the National Archives, we saw all the foundational documents of the United States. While the Declaration of Independence was so faded I could barely read it, the Magna Carta was in near perfect condition.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> One of the most interesting sites I saw during my trip was the Supreme Court. We visited the room where Supreme Court cases are heard. I learned many things I hadn’t previously known about the Supreme Court. For example, the most junior Supreme Court Justice has to make coffee for the other justices and take notes at all of their meetings. Also, the Supreme Court only hears about 80 cases a year.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Seeing important artifacts at the American History Museum helped me connect past history lessons to the real people who made our history happen. I saw many important American artifacts such as the Star Spangled Banner. It was sealed in an airtight case, so it would be preserved for generations to come. In the Popular Culture area, I saw an example of an early computer. It made me reflect on what life was like before the Internet and other technologies we depend upon today.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">At the Capitol we had the unexpected surprise of meeting some of our elected officials. We were able to meet Senator Jeff Sessions in the Rotunda. Later, we met Congressman Bradley Byrne at his office. Congressman Byrne discussed his day-to-day responsibilities as a U.S. congressman. We were honored to receive passes to see Congress in session. Later that evening, we were able to watch the Congress vote on a piece of security legislation. This experience was most definitely the highlight of the trip.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">On our day of departure, we encountered a series of surprises. Just as our flight was about to board, we learned it was canceled due to fog in Pensacola. Unfortunately, bad weather was also moving into Washington D.C., jeopardizing our chances of leaving that day. After another 3 hours of waiting, our chaperone miraculously got us a flight to New Orleans. The timing was perfect, because several of us had a Scholars’ Bowl tournament the next day which we could not miss (happily, our team won!). I arrived home at 1:00 in the morning. I was so tired after being the airport for 8 hours!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Despite the months of planning that went into our travels, we encountered many surprises--some fortuitous, others inconvenient. However, seeing the foundation of our country was a truly memorable experience.