WFS 2018 2019 Yearbook

Student
Yearbook

Academic Year
2018-2019

This yearbook contains the results of the diligent labor of the Write for Success students. Their
varied approaches and unique styles applied to each assignment supply impressive and imaginative
reading. I hope you will peruse the pages and marvel at each individual masterpiece. Enjoy!

ELEMENTARY

Austin H.

My name is Austin and I live in Colorado. I have one sister and no brothers. I like to build
and program robots, which then do what I coded them to do. I also play piano. Absolutely,
some of my favorite foods are sushi, pizza, and spaghetti with meatballs. Throughout the year, I
also enjoy occasionally going to amusement parks to pilot go-carts. In the summer, I hope to
ride my bike and go to summer camps. My favorite composition I wrote this year was the essay
about pets because pets are so cute.

My Pet that I Would Like to Have

I have a bunny named Captain Nibbles, who is extremely cute. I have had him for one
year. I got him from my neighbor, and he lives in his comfy pen. He is the size of a shoebox, and
he is very energetic. I supply him with food when he is hungry, because he is ALWAYS ravenous.

My bunny is cute. Keeping him warm, his white and fluffy fur covers him like a blanket.
Intently, his blue eyes and long ears are always searching for food. As he hops around, his tail,
which is the size of a cotton ball, twitches every so often. He loves to hop! After his powerful
legs help him jump, he starts to hungrily search for food, because his body needs more energy.
BO-ING, BO-ING!!! If anyone saw my bunny, they would say he was cute.

Feeding Captain Nibbles is enjoyable. His food is rich in fiber and low in protein.
Chomping on carrots and celery makes him happy. While he is waiting for carrots and celery,
he happily munches on strawberries, raspberries, bananas, and pineapples, which are his
dessert. He loves to feast! As he cannot have food with pesticides, he must consume organic
foods, since he would otherwise get sick. YUM! He also cannot have pasta or carbs. It is always
enjoyable to watch Captain Nibbles munch.

Playing with Captain Nibbles is fun. Absolutely, he loves to jump on my marbles, which
then go everywhere. Except for when he is in his pen, he is always peppily bouncing and sniffing
where there is food. He goes everywhere! When he is being petted, he does not want you to
stop. Anyone would want to play with him, because he is cute.

Captain nibbles is totally cute. He needs all vegetables, and he is very energetic, which
is a good thing. He loves to gobble, because food is yummy.

Dave Malley

My name is Dave. I'm 11 years old and I live in Batavia, Illinois. I was adopted from Haiti
when I was 2 years old. I have three siblings in Haiti and two siblings in Batavia. My siblings in
Haiti are Kervins, Kahuna, and Mara. My siblings here are Mac and Jack. Mac, my big sister, is
the oldest. She is currently a junior at Villanova University. She is majoring in accounting and is
going to New York for an internship. Jack, my big brother, is a junior at Marmion High School. I
delight in playing outside with my friends and going to the park with them. I also like playing
video games, going swimming, and playing with Jack. My favorite foods are cheeseburgers,
brownies, ice cream, and lasagna. I wish to go to Haiti to see my family when I am older. I would
also appreciate to go to Spain and Disney World. When I grow up, I want to be an MLB player
and play on the Cubs. I'll have a huge house with a beautiful wife and lots of kids. I especially
enjoyed writing about Jupiter for IEW because I could research so much information.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet. It was named after the Roman god, Jupiter, which was the
king of their gods. Fortunately, Jupiter can be observed from Earth without any special
equipment since it is so massive. This colossal planet is larger than 1 ½ of all planets combined.
If Jupiter was hollow, surprisingly more than 1,300 planet Earths could fit inside of the largest
planet.

If you look at Jupiter that great large red spot is really a storm like a hurricane that
travels around the planet. Astronomers have seen it since at least 1665. The great large red
spot is 2 times the size of Earth. It has turned dull pink or become bright red, but it has always
kept its oval shape so we still see the great large red spot.

Eight spacecrafts have flown past Jupiter since 1973. A spacecraft voyager made the
exciting discovery that Jupiter has a thin ring circling the planet. These spacecrafts have taken
pictures of Jupiter. Sending out a probe into Jupiter’s atmosphere, Galileo was able to gather up
information to send to Earth. The probe went 150 kilometers into Jupiter’s atmosphere before
it got crushed by gas pressure. But somehow eight spacecrafts have flown past the biggest
planet in the galaxy.

Edris S.

Hi! My name is Edris and I live in central California. I am the middle child of three boys.
My hobbies are reading books, playing table tennis, and riding my bicycle. My most-liked meal
is nachos with cheese, beans, and guacamole. I also like lasagna. The places I want to visit are
Lake Tahoe and Oroville. This coming summer, I am visiting Tunisia, which is a North African
country. My favorite composition that I wrote this year is Only One Woof, because I like the
story.

Will He Ever Bark!

Although Only One Woof is a realistic fiction story, it is originally thirty pages long. The
author’s pen name is James Herriot, while his real name is James Alfred Wight. He is the
narrator of the story, which is written in the first-person point of view. Interestingly, James
Herriot is a British veterinary surgeon. Illustrating the book, Peter Barrett is known for his
delightful artwork illustrated this story. It is published, by St. Martins Griffins on March 15,
1993. It’s a cliff-hanging story.

In the countryside, the story opens when Mr. Wilkin calls the competent country vet to
come briskly to check the animals that are on the Wilkin’s farm. Entering the gate, the vet notices
something that engages his attention. He spots two sheepdogs wrestling. The first one is Sweep
who is black, and white smart, and energetic. While the other dog’s name is Gyp, who has a
black, white, and brown fur, but he looks weird because one of his ears is lying on his head, and
the other one has a hilarious lop-sided look. Amazingly, the vet looks surprised, when Sweep and
Gyp start to round ducklings.

After a while, Mr. Wilkins finally states, ‘’ There is only one problem; Gyp has never
barked since he was born.’’ Coughing, the vet clears his throat and answers, ‘’He has never
barked?’’ A week before Christmas, George Crossley, who is one of Mr. Wilkins’ old friends,
says he wants to buy a dog because his dog has died. Mr. Wilkins soon sells Sweep. The next
year, the vet meets Mr. Wilkin at the trial, and he brings his dog Gyp. After some time, the vet
and the farmer glimpse Sweep with his owner. The vet thinks Gyp won't recognize Sweep, his
brother. When Gyp spots Sweep, he does not react or do anything. Eventually, Sweep begins
to herd the sheep, and he gets close to putting them in the pen.

Surprisingly, Gyp lifts his head and gives a single “Woof.‘’ Holding their breath, the Wilkins
and the vet stared at him in astonishment. “That is unbelievable,” they cry. After a few
minutes, George Crossley comes with Sweep. Gyp and Sweep begin to roll and chew playfully
like they used to do when they were pups. Everyone assumes that Gyp, which barked once, will
bark from that day on. Six years later the vet comes to the Wilkins’ farm. When he asks Mrs.

Wilkin if he ever barked again, and she says, “I never hear him bark since the day of the trial,
and he probably will never bark again.”

The novel “Only One Woof “will keep people interested and hooked to it. Readers wait
to see if Gyp will bark in the novel. After he barks once, the readers can’t wait to know if he will
bark again. Although Gyp is separated from his brother Sweep, he has a good life. The moral
this novel presents is individualism. Even though Gyp was different from other dogs, he is able
to perform tasks like other sheepdogs.

Evan J.

My name is Evan. I am ten years old and in the fifth grade. I live in the northeast part of
Kansas. My older brother is fourteen. Playing with Legos is one of my favorite pastimes. I built
a whole Lego Minecraft setup. My favorite food is pizza, but I also like Chick-fil-a chicken. This
summer I am excited about attending a cartoon camp. My favorite composition that I wrote
this year is the essay about my brother’s hamster because I know him so well and he is so cute.

A Friend to Me

Continually, Leo, my brother’s hamster, roams through two connected cages which are
in his room. For 1 ½ years, he has been with us although it seems like much longer. He is so
cute! My brother feeds him diligently, but sometimes I play with him.

Leo, who resembles a cute ball-of-fur, looks adorable. Since he is about the size of an
egg, he easily fits into small places. Expectantly, his tiny nose twitches when you come nearby.
His tail is stubby. Through his shiny, gray fur, his irresistible black eyes sparkle. Like a fluffy
cotton ball, Leo is cuddly.

It is not very difficult to feed my brother’s hamster. Leo loves to eat. The main thing he
consumes is Oxbow hamster food, which is shaped like Cheerios. In his dish, he also nibbles a
mix of seeds, grains, and vitamin pellets. Unfortunately, Leo ignores his healthy vitamins.
Sometimes we give him sunflower seeds for a treat since those are his favorite food. Leo has a
big blue bottle which he drinks from. Although he usually stores the food in his cheeks, he also
hides the food in the corner of his cage. Providing food for Leo, we complete this simple task.

With anticipation, Leo looks forward to his daily play time. Leo loves to play in a
cardboard box, which is full of paper towel tubes. Sometimes we let him run in a see-through,
plastic hamster ball when he starts gnawing on the bars of the cage. Leo can sprint for hours.
Unfortunately, his ball can get stuck in thick carpet or doorways. As the days go by, Leo loves to
run and play.

Being so cute and cuddly, Leo is irresistible. While he enjoys eating most seeds,
sunflower seeds remain his favorite. Daily, Leo loves to run for hours. I love to play with Leo
since he is a friend to me.

Gabriella A.

My name is Gabriella. Living in southern Colorado, I enjoy many exciting things to do in
the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In my family, I have two loving parents, three sisters and
two wonderful pet parakeets. Currently participating in soccer, I also enjoy reading and
dancing. My favorite foods to eat include, Chili and juicy watermelon. If I had to pick two of my
favorite places to visit they would include inspiring Illinois and awesome Arizona. When I grow
up I would like to be an interior designer. My favorite composition that I wrote this year is Joy
and Jake’s Winter Adventure because it was an exciting quest that I eagerly enjoyed.

White Winter Snow

Waking up to a white winter day, Joy gazed out her window to find snow everywhere.
“Jake! Jake! Come on its snowing,” squealed Joy, who had skipped into her older brother’s
bedroom just a few minutes before. In disbelief, Jake slowly opened his eyes while he crawled
to the window. Suddenly, they rushed out of the room, hurriedly dashed downstairs, and put
on their winter clothes. Because it was Christmas break, the kids were free to-do what they
pleased. “You can’t go outside unless. . .bang!” Before Joy and Jake’s mother even finished
speaking, they were already outside playing in the snow. Their mother just laughed for there
was wonderful white winter snow gently falling outside.

Joy and Jake hurried outside to play in the fluffy snow. When they reached the front
yard, they started to argue and disagreed about what to play. Fortunately, Joy and Jake
decided to join the neighborhood children as they were having a snowman building
competition. Kids happily joined the contest as the winner would receive a trophy. “Ready, set,
go!” yelled one of the kids. With Joy’s marvelous attention to detail and Jake’s sculpture skills,
they won the competition, which gave them thrills. Joy and Jake were exceedingly happy as
they went outside and played in the fluffy snow.

With hot cocoa warming on the stove and continuous sugar cookies being pulled out of
the oven the party would be perfect. Joy and Jake's mother called them inside to assist with
the cleaning. Wrapping gifts, Joy and Jake, who were happy to be secret Santa’s hoped their
receiver of the gift would enjoy the present. Since it was a Christmas party, Joy Jake put on
their ugly sweaters and rapidly raced rambunctiously downstairs. Neat and tidy after a short
clean up, the house appeared exceedingly acceptable. “Ding Dong!” “They’re here!”, running to
the door a surprise awaited them as there stood not only friends but joy and Jakes
grandparents! Filled with happiness Joy and Jake had the most wonderful party for while they
drank hot cocoa, they sat with their grandparents the whole night through. A new memory was
made hot cocoa, grandparents, the most brilliant party and white winter snow.

Julia R.

My name is Julia, and I enjoy riding horses. I live in the outskirts of Pennsylvania. We have a
dog, chickens, a bunny rabbit, and two cats. I recently was involved in two drama productions
at my school. I made many friends and had a very fun time. I enjoy acting, singing, and, or
course, riding horses! My favorite thing I wrote this year through IEW was the George
Washington Carver essay because he helped our country so much.

George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver, who loved plants, helped our country. After slavery was
abolished, George started being interested in growing plants and was interested in animals and
the Bible. He helped his country by teaching because he taught farmers about crops. Willingly,
he helped farmers and the U.S.A. George helped the country a lot.

George Washington Carver taught as a wonderful professor. At the Tuskegee College,
George was the manager of the agricultural department. He lovingly and sweetly cared about
soil. Teaching thoughtfully, he taught ways to carefully improve crops. He sold and handed out
pamphlets for farmers. He taught at conferences, which had many people, and travelling
exhibits and demonstrations because Carver was a great professor. Undeniably, Carver was a
wonderful professor.

George Washington Carver, who skillfully and lovingly started crop rotation, helped the
country with improved farming. Crop rotation helped the healthy soil keep its nutrients. It
helped create healthier crops, so the farmers could be more successful because they had what
they needed which was more crops to sell. Crop rotation helped. Make sure to change crops
yearly because crop rotation is necessary.

George Washington Carver, who was naturally wise, found uses for peanuts. The
problem was the boll weevil. This insect would destroy cotton, which was a main crop in the
South. Carver discovered the naughty boll weevil doesn’t gobble peanuts, so he gave the
farmers the idea to grow peanuts. But the farmers weren’t sure they could make a living off
that. So, Carver came up with many things to make with peanuts like fuel for cars, dyes, and
plastic. It ended up being more profitable for the farmers because they got more crops.

George Washington Carver, who was a professor, helped farmers and the country. He
taught crop rotation and how to have better crops. Carver told farmers about peanuts which
had more income. The most important, though, was he helped farmers with his ideas, which
was more money and better crops for them.

Madilynn A.

My name is Madilynn and I am ten years old and in 5th grade. I own two parakeets
named Kiwi and Stanley and I have three wonderful sisters. Living in colorful Colorado, my
parents manage eighty acres. I love to play outside. When I grow up, I want to be a
veterinarian, who takes care of animals, a rancher, and a very famous soccer player. My
favorite composition that I wrote this year is Pecos Bill, and I enjoyed it, because he was the
craziest cowboy ever.

The Gigantic Tornado

Pecos Bill, who was a bronco rider, lived way out in the wild west. He was one of the
most outstanding cowboys ever. One the day the sky turned black and green, and the wind
started to whistle and whirl. Bill thought this was the largest tornado he ever spotted. Pecos
Bill, the Bronco rider, decided to ride the massive tornado. The roaring of the gigantic tornado
incredibly awoke people in China.

The angry tornado tried its best to buck Pecos Bill off his rough back. The tornado tossed
and turned all the way to Texas because he was annoyed with Bill. Turning around and round
the tornado tied rivers into knots and smashed green forests. The calm Pecos Bill jabbed his
shiny spurs consistently into the tornado. Once again, the twister decided to throw Bill off his
back, and they headed west all the way to California.

The tornado, who became extremely exhausted, rained itself out. Because the tired
tornado produced so much rain, it created the Grand Canyon. The tornado plunged down to
practically nothing, and Pecos Bill tumbled off. He hit the solid ground so hard that it formed
Death Valley. That’s specifically how the rodeo started.

Noah H.

My name is Noah and I live in Glen Rose, TX. I have nine siblings including me. I love to play outside
on the trampoline. Also, I play Basketball. I like ice cream, pizza, and a Vietnamese noodle soup
called pho. I enjoy riding go karts and swimming in the pool! My favorite writing assignment I
wrote this year is the long essay about my state, because I got to share it in class.

All About Texas
Texas has been a state since December 29th, 1845. Located south of Kansas, and
bordering Mexico, it has a population of 27.4 million. Texas has famous attractions and
interesting people.
There are many attractions in Texas, which are sprinkled throughout the state. You can
study the history, look at fascinating architecture, and explore. These are some of Texas' top
attractions. In the Houston Space Center you can curiously explore, in the Alamo you can study
the architecture, and at the historic Texas Capitol Building you can study the amazing history.
One famous Texas attraction is the Houston Space Center. It first opened in 1992. The
center is one of the top attractions for international tourists. It has over 17 million visitors. You
can see real moon rocks. If you what an amazing experience there are weekly opportunities to
see real astronauts. The Houston Space Center is just one of the amazing attractions in Texas.
Another great attraction in Texas is the Alamo. The Alamo, which was a church in the
1700s has nearly a million visitors a year. It is a bloody battle ground. The Alamo has fascinating
architecture. You can learn of its rich history. The Alamo is an attraction you will never forget!
can learn of its rich history. The Alamo is an attraction you will never forget!
Another great attraction that I find interesting is the Texas Capitol Building. It stands 308
feet tall, which is taller than the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. It is nearly 30
feet taller than The US capitol. In fact, it is the sixth tallest Capitol Building in the United States.
There are many things to explore since you can take a tour of the building, look at portraits of
leaders and many other paintings. This amazing building has many activities.
There are many famous things to do in the state of Texas. If you want to have fun and
explore, there is the Houston Space Center. If you like studying amazing architecture and Texas
history, the Alamo is the place for you. Also, the Texas Capitol Building has lots of history. Texas
is a fun and educational state. It makes Texas a fun state to live in.
There are many famous people from the state of Texas. There is a variety of people.
There is athletes and even presidents. Nolan Ryan was a baseball player, Shaquille O'Neal was a
famous basketball player, and George W. Bush was a United States president.
One famous person in Texas is Nolan Ryan. He was born on January 31st 1947. He was an

amazing pitcher for the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and the California
Angels. At age 46 he topped 300 wins as a member of the Texas Rangers. Nolan Ryan was one
of the best baseball pitchers ever.

Another great athlete that is extremely interesting is Shaquille O'Neal. Shaquille O'Neal
was born in New Jersey, March 6th 1972. When he was still young him and his parents moved to
San Antonio, Texas in 1987. He grew up in Texas and went to Louisiana State University. After
playing or LSU, he went to The NBA and triumphed four Championships. He helped The United
States Olympic team win an Olympic Gold. Shaquille O'Neal was considered one of the greatest
athletes ever.

George W. Bush is another fascinating person from Texas. Bush served as the 43rd
president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He also was the 46th governor of Texas from
1995 to 2000. George W. Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Texas.

There are many famous people in Texas. Nolan Ryan was a great baseball player. Shaquille
O'Neal was one of the best basketball players in the NBA. And finally, George W. Bush was a
president and governor. They are all apart of Texas. That’s what makes Texas a Famous state.

There are lots of famous places to visit and people from Texas. That’s what makes Texas
great state.

Bibliography

Biography.com Editors. “Shaquille O'Neal Biography.” Biography.com, A&E Television Networks,
25 Jan. 2019, https://www.biography.com/people/shaquille-oneal-9542515.

“Nolan Ryan.” National Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/ryan-nolan.
“Texas Top 10 Attractions.” Attractions of America, Attractions of America.com, 2012-2017,

www.attractionsofamerica.com/attractions/texas.php.

Peter T.

My name is Peter A. Tardugno and I am twelve years old. In am finishing grade seven this year
and I am nearly five feet two inches tall. I have a total of ten people in my family, they are:
Catherine, John, Maria, Natalie, Joseph, Stephen, Gemma and my parents. In a large family at
times it can be totally impossible to get along. The things I enjoy doing are, playing games and
watching movies. The most important thing in this school year for me was growing closer to
God. I am glad this school year is ending and I am looking forward to relaxing and enjoying my
summer break.

Loons

Loons have a very elegant appearance. These very beautiful birds have feathers that
have sparkling spots. Loons are really handsome divers. These loons have white bands that
look like a sparkly necklace. They have glittering black feathers that are beautiful. They even
have a really long black and white neck. And the loons are very elegant. Through all of this,
you know the loon is very elegant.

The loon is a great wonder in water. The loon is absolutely faster than most fish. Very
rarely the pray escapes the fast loon. As soon as the prey is in good sight, the loon swiftly and
vigorously catches it. The loon splashes and goes underwater with little resistance. The loon
performs marvelously underwater. Now you know how the loon performs in water.

The loon calls are totally interesting. The loon can yell and scream and have several
calls. The loon is apparently one of the best singers. Their calls may be very frightening. These
birds are especially talkative at night. Hoots vividly track the other loons, and their yodels warn
others. Through this you may learn about the loon calls.

Scarlett R.

Konnichiwa, I’m Scarlett. I love animals, games and anime! I also like Japanese culture a lot! I
love sketching and drawing. Creating is super fun! I love hanging around friends and food!

Lion
Soft fluffy fur that covers Lion’s body like the ocean with very elegant beautiful stripes
like a tiger. He pads around on puffy coffee brown paws and scans with his emerald and golden
focused eyes. With a light grey tummy like a storm cloud, this fluff ball is the best one yet!

This elegant lion needs two types of food to satisfy his taste buds! He’ll get fed
whenever we feast. He’s a very slow eater like a snail. As a snack, he hops on the table and
noms on his cat grass just for him! Water and sometimes milk as white as pearls are his favorite
drinks! This lion is very royal!

Lion is a beautiful and adorable cat! It’s very important to feed him because he loves
food! He's a little feisty but loving. The main point is that he’s loving. Why? Because he’s the
best cat ever!

INTERMEDIATE

Abigail K.

My name is Abigail. I am 15 years old, and I am finishing my freshman year of high
school. I live in northern California. I’m the 5th and youngest child of my family. My favorite
pastimes have been traveling and spending time with family. My favorite food happens to be
ice cream. I know it isn’t an actual food, but I consider it food! When I grow up, I would like to
go to either cosmetology school or be a dietician. I enjoyed writing about the temperaments of
golden retrievers and golden doodles and the story about the opposite girls because I could use
my creativity.

The Road Less Traveled

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to do school in any setting or location? Envision
doing school anywhere in the world, how wondrous would that be? Homeschool gives exactly
that and more! It also has given me freedom to do many interesting things, that I couldn’t have
done without making this decision. Homeschool has taught me many lessons about life and
perseverance. This has open doors for me to start college earlier than most kids. Being
homeschooled has given me many opportunities to do things that has helped me to grow.

I realized home school is best for me this year, because it is convenient, and I get to do
things that school kids mainly don’t have time to do. Homeschool has allowed me to continue
my gymnastics lessons which I highly enjoy. Also, a flexible schedule is well needed for travel,
and things my family plans this winter. Being at home with some of my family and my dog is
great for spending time with them, one on one. Over all, homeschool has been the best for me
this year.

Being homeschooled will make it possible for me to do some college classes while I’m
still in high school. It also makes an associate’s degree in college achievable, since I can
graduate with one at the same time high school graduation rolls around. This route can also be
cheaper with many course options available online. This is a highly efficient way to get ahead in
education. Unfortunately, this is mainly within reach of homeschoolers, because of the time
demands of attending a school. Homeschool can make conditions possible for me to do many
things.

Homeschooling in high school also taught me to take school more seriously. Even
though I feel pressure to do well, some certain people encouraged me to care about my grades
and to care about studying. I realized my grades in high school will be recorded and it will be
overlooked by colleges that I may want to attend one day. These past few years I have learned
how to study hard for tests and try to soak up tremendous amounts of information.
Unfortunately, school gives me a lot of stress, so I am highly happy when summer rolls around. I

strive to do the best I can for God. Even though school may be difficult sometimes, I try to take
school more seriously.

Through the years homeschool has helped me grow stronger intellectually, and has
taught me many things including home management. I have gotten the opportunity to learn
how to bake at an early age. Studying different topics has gotten me interested in many
different subjects. History has been a favorite for since I was younger. I especially loved to study
US Presidents. Last year General science was definitely a favorite because I enjoyed learning
about the human body and its complexity. Through homeschooling I have grown intellectually
and have developed interests to become a more interesting person.

Homeschooling has been a wonderful source for me to grow in countless ways.
Homeschooling has given me an opportunity to start college early and to get an associate
degree during high school. Through this experience it has taught me to take school more
seriously. Most importantly It has made it possible for me get closer to family. The flexible
schedule and getting to be at home all day has allowed the family to take more trips or just
hang out together. Last but definitely not least it has helped me grow spiritually too!
Homeschool helped me grow stronger in many ways.

Annabelle M.

My name is Annabelle; I am 14 years old and in 8th grade. I live in southeastern
Pennsylvania. I am the second child out of seven. I have two adorable younger brothers and
four beautiful sisters. Two of my favorite things to do are act and sing, which this summer I
will get to do both, because I am going to be a part of a musical. I am overly excited to be in
it. My favorite foods include delicious ice cream, and almost all seafood! Every summer I
look forward to swimming at the beach with my family and hanging out with my friends. I
exceedingly enjoyed writing the essay about my favorite Christmas memory, because it was
wonderful time and was an extremely happy time with my friends!

The Special Message

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when I participated in the Souderton Christmas
Parade, it was exciting and very fun! On a brisk Saturday morning at ten, my friends and I all got ready
for the parade at Emmanuel Leidy’s Church. While we were waiting for the parade to start, we got hot
coca and cookies. Slowly, we handed out candy canes to a bunch of kids, who looked awfully joyous.

The parade was going to start soon, and my friends and I were all getting ready. Joyfully, we
picked out our costumes I chose to wear a vibrant head scarf and a red tunic. Aside from Clinton, all my
other friends, Sarah, Calvin, Ruth, and Peter dressed up in colorful tunics, as well. When we all left to go
to the parade, which was at ten in the morning, we went in my family's huge 15 passengers van. Getting
ready for the parade was extremely fun!

We all were waiting for the parade to start and because it was taking an exceedingly long we
decide to put some more decorations on the float. Stupidly, I forgot my coat, so while we were waiting,
I was extremely cold. We were all given cookies and hot coco, which made me a little less cold. It was
supposed to start at 10:30 but because not all the floats were there it didn’t start until later. When
everyone was finally there we started getting in line. Because of the long wait everyone was very cold,
but ecstatic for the parade to start.

Finally, the parade was going to start, and we were all bubbling with excitement! We walked
next to the float and handed out candy canes to every kid we saw, while trying to keep up with the float.
Along with the candy cane we handed out a little piece of paper with a message about Jesus’s birth and
how much He loves us. After handing out all those candy canes, which took a long time, my hands were
extremely freezing. After the parade we climbed back into the toasty-warm car, and went back to
church. While at the parade we had an awfully fun.

Before the parade started, we all had fun picking out costumes and getting ready to go! Waiting
was probably my least favorite part, because it was extremely cold. Finally, we were able to go through
the parade and hand out the candy canes, which was a lot of fun and we had a message about our Lord
and Savior. I loved being able to see the kid's cute little faces light up when they saw the candy canes.
When seeing their joy in the smallest thing, it reminded of all the countless things we have to be
thankful for.

Audrey H.

My name is Audrey, and I have been enrolled in IEW classes for four years, including this
year. I am one of two children in my family and have a younger brother. When I am not
occupied with school work, I enjoy playing the piano, drawing, reading, dancing, and helping
with the younger kids at church. My favorite composition piece that I worked on this year is The
Amazing Rescue Mission, as we were allowed to create our own story. I especially appreciated
the process of revision and editing, which led to it be the most exciting piece I worked on this
year. I love IEW, and Mrs. Empfield has helped me grow in my writing abilities. Thank you all for
a wonderful 2018 – 19 school year.

The Amazing Rescue Mission

“Alright, Ivy,” Mother said as she gathered the last of Ivy’s things from her room. “I’ll
miss you,” Mother said with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry Mother,” said Ivy. “You have been training me all along for this
moment where I go out into the world by myself. But I will miss you too.” Ivy hugged her
Mother with a seemingly endless hug as she tried to stifle her sniffles.

“When you were younger, college seemed so far away, maybe to the extent that it was
a completely different world. Yet now, you’re leaving. For college!” exclaimed Mother.

“That’s the same way I feel,” said Ivy, trying to portray a smile of encouragement and
confidence through her tears.

“I imagine you’ll be fine, but I just want you to be sure your fine,” stated Mother. She
reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny Bible. “Here,” she said, handing Ivy the Bible.
“You’ll want this.” Ivy gasped at the small, beautifully engraved, leather - bound book she held
between her hands.

“Thank you, Mother!” exclaimed Ivy. “I’ll you pray for you every day, and I’ll visit at
every opportunity that I can.”

“And remember your study habits!” called Mother as Ivy hopped into the car, started
the engine, and pulled out of the driveway. The smell of exhaust flew into Mother’s nostrils, yet
she didn’t care one bit.

“I will, Mother! Goodbye!” Ivy shouted back. Mother waved until Ivy was so far down
the road that she couldn’t see her. Suddenly, the roar of the engines on the quiet street starting
getting louder and louder. Mother could see the car heading in reverse back towards the house.
“Ivy! What are you doing!”

“I just wanted to tell you something, that’s all,” explained Ivy, clinging to the hope that
Mother wasn’t mad at her. “You know those dolls that I have in my bedroom? All the ones I
have been collecting in my room since I was 4?”

“Well, yes,” said Mother, with a hint of uncertainty in her tone. “What about them?”

“Well, I would like to keep them in my room, and my stuffed animals as well. I would
prefer you not to donate them. Is that ok? Please?” asked Ivy hopefully.

“Sure, of course,” Mother replied, letting the awkwardness of the question slide away.
“I will leave them alone and not handle them until you ask me to. Do you have anything else
you wanted to say?”

“No, except goodbye again!” exclaimed Ivy, as she backed out of the driveway for a
second time. Once more, Mother waved until Ivy was out of sight.

“Now with Ivy gone off to college in Idaho, and me back in my little house in the middle
of Wyoming, whatever am I going to do?” she said as she started back into the house. As she
contemplated new hobbies to discover, she padded tenderly up the staircase and into Ivy’s
room. She carefully locked the door and closed it so that no one could get in without having to
pick it open. She went to the couch to sit and relax, while she thought about what life would be
like without her Ivy. After a while, Mother was becoming tired. She quickly ate a simple dinner,
and then decided that she wanted to retire for the night. However, she first checked to make
sure that Ivy’s room door was locked, and she determined to do that every night. She slept a
good and hearty sleep, and then continued the same routine every day, for week after week,
month after month, and year after year of Ivy’s time in college. Ivy came to visit frequently, but
not as often as either of them might have hoped.

But what Mother didn’t know, day after day, week after week, etc., was that, inside Ivy’s
room, the dolls had become alive. They knew that Ivy would be gone for a long time, and they

wanted to play to their hearts delight. The dolls were all “females” – if dolls had gender - and
they all wore the fanciest dresses that were similar in style. In addition, they each had very
unique hairdos. Their names were Violet, Michelle, Flora, Crystal, Amelia, Cora, and Helen. Ivy
had many dolls because, as she had reminded Mother, she had been collecting dolls for a very
long amount of time. So, now that she was gone, she had an abundance of dolls in her room at
the same time. In addition to her dolls was her stuffed animal. It was a stuffed Orca whale doll
that Ivy had plainly called Orca. The thing that scared the dolls about Orca was that he had a
mouth with mock teeth that appeared very sharp, and so even the sight of them frightened the
dolls. Orca also had an actual hole in his body which was thick plastic, but could fit a small
turkey with legs and all, since Ivy wanted the biggest stuffed Orca she could get. This scared the
dolls so much that they moved every possession that they had from one side of Ivy’s room to
the other side of her room so as not to have to set their eyes upon Orca. And so, the dolls
started having tea parties every day with every one of them taking turns serving the other dolls.
During Ivy’s absences, they continued this practice. But one day that all changed.

One day, the dolls were having a normal start to their day.

“Can we start our tea party a little later today?” asked Violet with a yawn. “I want to
snooze some more.”

“You’ve been dozing for 11 hours. I think your fine,” answered Flora. “Besides, we
always start the tea party at around 9:15, and right now, it is 9:10.”

“Flora’s right,” Crystal chimed in.

“I agree,” said all the other dolls. “Let’s get ready!”

“By the way, do you guys know where Michelle is?” asked Amelia. When Ivy was very
young, she and Michelle had been given to her on the same day. Thus, they were BFF’s. “It is
her turn to serve us, and her mat isn’t usually empty this early in the morning.”

“That’s right,” commented Crystal. “We usually have to wake her up. Oh! Remember
yesterday when we woke her up? Remember?” Being one of the “younger” dolls, Crystal was
extremely loquacious.

“Let’s not get into that off – topic, bunny trail, tangent, crazy - ugh! Just stop!” Flora
groaned, with her typical annoyed morning look.

“Flora! Calm down! What did you see again, Amelia?” asked Helen.

“I asked if you guys knew where Michelle was,” retorted Amelia. Putting her hands on
her hips, she acted as if she couldn’t handle impatience from others.

“No, I haven’t…” said Helen, looking around the room. “Thank you for pointing that
out.”

“I think she’ll turn up somewhere,” said Violet. “Let’s just get started with today, and
then if she still isn’t there when she needs to start getting things ready for us, then there’s a
problem.” All the dolls quietly sneaked to the tea table as to not awaken Orca with accidental
noises, yet they went under the bed so as not to gaze at him. Then they sat down in their chairs
and waited for Michelle to arrive. She never did.

“What is taking her so long?” asked Cora. “She loves serving us! Why would she delay?”

“Something has to be awfully wrong here,” exclaimed Amelia. “We should adjourn the
tea party for the moment and start searching for Michelle.”

“I agree…” said Helen, already starting to pace. And they all started carefully searching
for any sign which could lead them to their fellow friend, Michelle.

“Do you see any obvious tracks, Helen?” asked Violet as she silently crawled along the
floor, looking for tracks herself.

“In a way, yes,” said Helen. “Except, they’re not the tracks I was hoping for.” She kept
searching, while her facial agitation grew and grew.

“What do you mean?” worried Amelia. As Michelle’s closest friend, this occurrence
could be shattering.

“I mean that I don’t see a doll’s footprints. Since she would be so weightless anyway,
her feet wouldn’t make any marks,” continued Helen. “Did anybody notice anything strange in
the course of the past few days?”

“Well, I was getting up while you guys were sleeping last night, and I heard a slithering
noise,” Flora responded, trying to act like it was a big deal, but at the same time not a big deal.
“However, since it was 1:00 in the morning, it was pitch black and I couldn’t see very well. And,
I didn’t take notice of Michelle’s place on the floor, but it might have been empty. I don’t
know.”

“Thanks…” said Helen. “Wait a second.” Her whole body jerked with a sudden
movement that one does when they notice something they hadn’t thought of before.

“Yes?” said Flora.
“You said you heard a slithering noise?” asked Helen suspiciously. For a doll, she was
pretty intelligent.
“Well, I think so,” asked Flora.
“Oh look, Helen!” exclaimed Crystal. “There’s a path that marks where something might
have slithered! This could be it!”
“You’re right,” added Cora.
“Orca slithers, doesn’t he?” asked Violet, with a dawning expression of horror.
“Orca?” questioned Helen. Suddenly, the immensity of the situation hit her like a stack
of bricks. “ORCA!! NO! Michelle can’t have been eaten. We have to go find her now!” screamed
Helen. All the dolls followed the slither paths until they reached Orca’s “hideout.” It was a
cardboard tunnel that Ivy had covered with beanbags when she was younger. During the dolls’

life time, however, it looked more like a cave. They frantically searched around for a light that
could guide them. They soon found a stray finger light on the ground, which might have been
left accidentally years ago. They creeped down the passage until they reached Orca’s pallet. But
when they arrived…

“He’s gone!” gasped Amelia, drawing her hands up to her mouth in astonishment.
“And that means Michelle is gone too!” exclaimed Flora, staggering backwards under
the weight of the situation.
“We need to follow the slither marks, and then we can locate Michelle,” stated Helen,
trying to stay calm. Patiently, she led the group back the way they came, yet the tracks
appeared to end at the door.
“How do we open the door that Orca opened and relocked?” questioned Violet. “He’s
too crafty.”
“I have an idea!” Crystal exclaimed with a grin.
“Doesn’t Ivy have purses hanging from her bed post?” asked Crystal.
“She did. Does she still have them now?” questioned Cora.
“Well, let’s go look,” answered Crystal. “I was hoping that we could climb up the
shoulder straps of her purses, and then jump onto the bed. Then, we stride across the bed,
vault onto her nightstand, and then we jump onto the door handle and unlock the door.”
“But that’s risky!” remarked Helen. “I mean, one of us could fall along the way.” Since
she loved mysterious events, she was used to logical thinking.
“We’re solid enough,” said Violet. “And, the floor is carpet. We can’t get hurt too badly,”
carefully examining the floor under her feet.
“Well, I guess it could work…” pondered Helen. “Ok. We’ll give it a try.” And so, they did.
One by one, they carefully climbed up the shoulder straps of Ivy’s old purses that were hanging
on her bedposts. Then, they jumped from the shoulder straps onto Ivy’s bed, which received
them like a trampoline. Next, they scurried across her bed, tripping occasionally over loose

strings from years past. After that, they jumped from the bed to the nightstand. Flora almost
fell down, but Helen caught her by her arm.

“Thanks,” Flora panted, with apparent gratification.
“No biggy!” smiled Helen. They continued carefully across the wobbly nightstand. At this
point, Helen said: “Why don’t we jump onto the doorknob in the following order: Me, Violet,
Amelia, Flora, Crystal, and then Cora will jump last. As you’re leaping onto the handle, grab on
tight. Next, attempt to unlock the door. If and when you pass that point, then try and open the
door. When you open the door, everyone still waiting will jump down. If you fall down at any
point in time, climb back up to the nightstand as quickly as possible. Let’s get started!” Helen
leaped onto the doorknob and grabbed on tight. She hugged the handle with her whole body
while using her feet to unlock it. Eventually, they all heard a ‘click’.
“Yay! You did it!” shouted Cora. “Now try and open it!”
“Ok!” returned Helen. She carefully tried to open the door. But as she did so, her soft
doll hands slid so much that she fell face first onto the carpet.”
“Helen!” screamed Amelia dramatically. She felt the urge to jump off and go help her,
but she knew Helen depended on her to stay in line. So, that is what she did.
“I’m alright, just a little shaken,” called Helen, as she carefully smoothed her dress.
“Violet, you’re up next!”
“But I’m scared!” called Violet hesitantly. “I don’t want to fall!”
“You’ll be fine, Violet. Just –“ started Helen. But, before she could finish her sentence,
they heard a scratching noise against the door.
“Orca!” whispered Amelia. “He’s trying to open the door too!”
“Well, we can’t let him in here,” Crystal stated, matter – of – factly. “We need to stop him from
opening the door.”

“But then we can’t follow his tracks to find Michelle. And, what if Michelle is inside that
metal cavern? She’s going to starve in there! We have to get her out!” cried Helen, losing all
logical sense in her panic.

“But what if Orca eats us too?” stated Flora. “You didn’t think of that, did you?”
“BE QUIET!!” yelled Helen. She was, at this point, slightly wounded, aggravated, tired, and
panicked. “We’re NOT going to argue over how to rescue Michelle. Please! Just follow my
requests, and hopefully, we will reunite with her shortly. But, I need your cooperation.
Otherwise, she will starve.”

“Why don’t you pack some food?” stated Cora.
“Ok,” said Helen. She scurried to the table to search for supplies “Violet! Jump!” she
hissed.
“Fine…” Violet jumped and tried to turn the knob. “I need some help!” Amelia also
jumped onto the handle and they tried together.
“Everyone except me should jump onto the doorknob in your order,” exclaimed Helen
as she was carefully packing victuals into a gunny sack. And, that is exactly what they did. They
were finally able to effectively turn the knob before Orca did. They shoved the wall with their
shoes and the door opened. Then they all jumped down and started to push the door so it
would open. Suddenly, Orca slithered into the room at his top speed. All the dolls screamed!
But then, they all rushed past him twice as fast.
“It’s too dark, yet I can feel the slither tracks under my feet. Let’s continue!” Flora
shouted. But, Orca, hot on their trail, raced to catch them and eat them all. He hissed:
“You’ll never find Michelle!” They instantly knew that Michelle wasn’t in Orca’s inner
cavern, but she was somewhere else. They frantically raced to find her, although Orca was
chasing them to the finish line. The race was on.
“Hurry up!” Flora said impatiently as she took the lead. She was the fastest runner, yet
the most impatient doll of the bunch.

“Do you think he slithered downstairs?” panted Violet trying to keep up.
“I don’t know,” pondered Helen. “But I might have an idea.”
“What is it??” asked Crystal.
“Hold your horses, for goodness sake! On the count of 3, we shout at the top of our
lungs ‘Michelle! Where are you?’ Then, she will most likely respond,” explained Helen.
“Ok,” said Cora. “We’ll wait for the signal,” she joked.
“Cora! Where did you hear that!” exclaimed Amelia.
“Oh, somewhere,” smiled Cora.
“Fine,” said Helen. “1…” Orca slithered closer. “2…” They reached the staircase. “3!
Michelle! Where are you?” All the dolls stopped and shouted in chorus with each other. At first,
they heard silence.
“Should we try again?” asked Amelia, with hope draining from her face.
“Be quiet!” Helen whispered. “I think I heard something.” All at once, they heard a faint
voice that said “Here! Here!”
“That’s her!” exclaimed Violet. “Michelle! Shout louder!!” And so, she did.
“Here!! I’m over here!!” Michelle called more distinctly.
“Which floor?” shouted Amelia straining her voice. She stole a look behind her.
“Quickly! Orca will eat us all!” she screamed frantically.
“Um… Um… Uh… upstairs!” Michelle stammered, obviously feeling rushed.
“Where?” exclaimed Flora. Panicked as they were, she was trying to stay calm.

“Near the bookshelf!” she returned. All of a sudden Orca reached them. He opened his
jaws very wide and tried to chomp down on one of them.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Helen screamed. They raced as fast as they could to the bottom of the
bookshelf. But as soon as they arrived, Orca reached them. They all scurried behind the trash
can to where Michelle had been placed.

“You know you’re trapped, right?” Orca chuckled to himself. The dolls had never heard
him talk, yet his voice was the most hideous sound they had ever heard. “You can’t move a
muscle. You’re clearly paralyzed with fear, yet squished so tightly.” Again, he looked like the
master of all. The dolls were so fearful, they couldn’t speak. They were trying to revive Michelle
when they heard footsteps on the stairs.

“Time for me to check Ivy’s room,” Mother said aloud as she climbed up the steps.
When she reached the top, she gasped. Orca was right in the middle of the floor, and Ivy’s door
was wide open, streaming light into the hallway. “O my goodness! How did this happen!” The
dolls stayed silent as Mother searched the hallway for any other stray toys. “And all the dolls! O
dear me… I hope nothing got stolen.” She picked up Orca first, carried him into his cavern, and
then placed him onto his pallet. Then, she picked up the bundle of dolls, gently laying them on
their respectful sleeping pallet. She then locked the door, and stuffed a pillow between the
door and the carpet, so no one could open it again. “There! That should do it!” And it never
continued again.

Bradley M.

My name is Bradley, I am 14 years old and I live in Victoria, Australia. I am the eldest and
have two siblings. I love performing on stage in theatre and playing piano and trombone in my
spare-time as well. Assuredly, my favourite foods are definitely chocolate and zucchini slice since
Mum makes an amazing zucchini slice. When I am older I want to have a career in touring the
world and singing with our Church, Planetshakers. Seeing and hanging together with friends is
something I also enjoy. Regarding the writing we did, my favourite composition that I wrote this
year was the essay about George Washington because he was such a humble and respectful
leader, which is why he was such a remarkable president.

A Sincere President - George Washington Shaped the USA
George Washington considerably helped shape the USA into the country it is today. He
has been given the nickname “Father of the Country” because he was such a good leader. Being
called Washington D.C., the nation’s capital was titled after him. While he did become an
amazing president of the nation, George Washington was a selfless and humble commander of
the Continental Army who considered himself no more important than his troops. Because of
him being so good at what he does, he then became the president of the Constitutional
Convention. Finally, George Washington took the reins of the country as a whole and became
the first president of the United States.
George Washington was a selfless, humble and modest commander in the Continental
Army. In the end, after wanting to avoid wars with England, war arrived. George Washington
showed no desire to become a leader of any sort in the Continental Army as he did not consider
himself worthy. Although it was offered, he did not want any of his $500 monthly salary which
was not paid to him except to cover expenses. Evidently, George Washington was searching for
no selfish gain. Putting up with the same burden and conditions as his troops, he did not consider
himself more important than anyone so he roughly slept on the ground in tents that were
provided for everyone in the war. George Washington therefore showed that he was a selfless
and humble commander.
George Washington was an extremely prudent and humble president for the
Constitutional Convention. Concerning the country of America in a national meeting, George
Washington stated, “We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion.” Towards disaster for the
country, this clearly was a message stating that there needed to be a change to make the country
flow and run better. Obviously, he recognised that America needed a helpful plan which was to
start the Constitutional Convention. While George Washington was the president of the
Constitutional Convention though, he never made an input into debates but rather was there to
hold it all together. The focus of the Constitutional Convention was to reach an agreement on
what was to happen, which ended up being the Constitution of the United States. When George
Washington approved of these documents taking place, the people were convinced by him doing
so to support the Constitution because he was known for being a prudent and humble president.

George Washington was an amazingly sincere president of the U.S. Being wise, he sensed
that fulfilling this duty meant the best for the USA while it being what everyone else wanted as
well. George Washington head to New York to be officially announced as President but on the
way stopped in every town, demonstrating his kindness to the people, therefore making the trip
take eight days. When he recognised that there would be no example for him to follow when
being President he decided to be the example. Despite not knowing what was to happen, he
would lead the way and show future presidents what the job should look like. George
Washington made sure that being President didn’t include influencing the laws of the Congress.
Appropriately, he only disapproved of unneeded laws. George Washington, who was a great
man, made sure that being a sincere president of the U.S. included having lots of advisors to help
him make good decisions.

Humbly, George Washington was instrumental in forming the country. Selflessly, as a
commander of the Continental Army he suffered the same pain as his troops. George
Washington carefully held the Constitutional Convention together without entering into debates.
Since he was such an excellent president to set the standard for future presidents for the great
country, America turned out the way it did. Helping the country’s growth, George Washington
started a government to run the USA that shaped what the country is today which has made the
nation so much better. Whereas if he hadn’t been the first president of the United States, there
might well not have been a country like there is today.

Bibliography
Blassingame, Wyatt. The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents. Revised ed., Random House, 1993.
Philander, Chase D. World Book Multimedia. 2013 ed., Software MacKiev, 2013.

Caden G.
My name is Caden, and I am 14 years old and have three siblings who are older than me.
My favorite food is Mexican. My favorite hobbies are sports which include baseball and soccer. I
hope to be a pro soccer goalie when I grow up. One of my favorite things to do in my free time
is to have sleepovers with my friends. The two places I would like to visit most are Hawaii and
France. I especially enjoy writing because of the critique about the “The King and His Hawk”
which was very interesting and entertaining.

The King and His Hawk
According to the descriptive story, “The King and His Hawk,” is a half-legendary tale. Telling
a tale, the story tells about a famous person in history. Because the real author is unknown,
the story is repeated by James Baldwin. “The King and His Hawk” which happens to be a part of
Fifty Famous Stories Retold has a lot of action. It contains about 200 pages. It introduces
children to figures. Interestingly, the tale was originally published in the year 1896, although,
it’s republished by Yesterday’s Classics on November 2005.

In this story, Genghis Khan is a fierce warrior king, which holds an honorable definition.
According to the story, he brings his favorite hawk hunting one time. Because his hunting
happens in summer, most of the brooks are dried out. Traveling the terrain, Genghis Khan
realizes it is very rocky and also has mountains. He desperately searches for water. Finally, he
finds water drops from a tiny stream and starts to fill up a cup because there is no other choice.

Unfortunately, Genghis Khan struggles with anger, which becomes a problem. Finally,
he fills the cup. According to the story, his hawk swoops and dives down, which then knocks
the cup over. Filling the cup up, Genghis Khan prepares once again to take a drink. Because
the hawk again swoops down eagerly, it tips the cup over. He then fills the cup for the third
time and draws his shining sword because he has had enough.

According to the story, it tells that the hawk hits over the cup, which unfortunately,
makes Genghis Khan strike with his sword! The disruptive hawk is dead. Ferociously, he then
climbs up the mountain to find a drink from the real source because he has no more patients
left. Little does he know that there is a dead poisonous snake lying in the water source.
Because Genghis Khan realizes that his hawk had saved his life, he is grateful. Learning never to
do anything in anger, he realizes how bad it can affect you and the people around you.

The tale was a good story. The author included much needed action and conflict that
belongs to a good story. The setting includes descriptive words to make you realize how thirsty
he is. The protagonist in this story realizes never to do anything in anger. He realizes to think
twice before doing something important. Unfortunately, he doesn’t control his anger and things
get messy.

David N.
My name is David. I am fifteen years old, and I live Pennsylvania with my parents, two
little brothers, and two older sisters. I enjoy riding my bike, hanging out with friends,
snowboarding, and playing sports. I have been playing for a Christian school basketball team for
four years and soccer for one year. A couple of my favorite things are my cat, Hot Wheels cars
that I collect, and my bike.

My favorite story I wrote is, “A Slippery Situation.” It took a couple weeks to write it,
and I’m happy with the way it turned out.

A Slippery Situation

Wind splashed in Bills face, lips cracked and dry. His nostrils were filled with the
delightful sent of burning wood that came from a cozy, blazing, fire that rose from the bottom
of the steep, windy, snow hill. “It’s very cold up on the mountain today,” said Bill, as he zipped
his coat higher.

“Yeah it is; now let’s ride Cannonball,” exclaimed Jordon in excitement.

“No, it’s too bumpy right now. Let’s ride Boomer,” Bill replied as he felt the last strap on
his board tighten around his foot.

Jordon looked over his shoulder to the shortest of the three. “Well, what do you think,
John?”

John looked up from strapping in to his board, “I heard Boomer is icy, so let’s
take Cannonball.

How come no one ever agrees with me, questioned Bill.

“Sorry, Bill, maybe you can pick the next hill,” Jordon said with a chuckle.

“Ok are we ready?” Questioned John.

“Yeah, let’s go,” replied Bill.

Covering their eyes from the fierce wind with the yellow shield of their snow goggles,
they headed down the hill. “Yikes, this hill is bumpy,” John exclaimed extremely loud, since it’s
hard to hear things riding down a hill.

“Too late to change your mind now,” Jordon yelled as he started picking up speed.

“I guess it’s not that bad,” Bill screamed, very focused on avoiding the bumps.

“How do these hills even get so bumpy?” John asked extremely loud.

“It’s when people kick up snow on their way down and the snow freezes making little ice
chunks all over,” Jordon yelled back.

“I bet I could beat you all to the bottom,” challenged Bill.

“Game on,” replied the other two.

Peering through the corner of his eye, Bill noticed a narrow pathway leading from the
hill they were on, to Boomer, the hill he wanted to ride. “Hey, boys, I’m going to take this
pathway to Boomer,” he screamed, “and I’ll meet you guys at the bottom.”

“Ok,” just don’t take forever,” yelled Jordon as he sped his way down the hill. “Ok,” Bill
replied, digging his board into the snow and jolting towards the skinny path.

As he emerged from that path, his eyes widened, and he swallowed hard, “Oh, no,”
slipped out of his mouth in a worried tone. The steepest part of the hill was a sheet of clear,
slippery, ice. “I can’t ride on that! I won’t be able to control myself, and I could fall and get hurt!
I should have just stuck with the guys.”

“I hate ice, I can never stay up on it,” Bill mumbled to himself. He stopped right before
the ice, “How am I going to do this? Well, maybe I could go through the woods along the side of
the hill. But that’s even harder with all the rocks hidden under the snow.” Turning his head
from left to right, Bill couldn’t view any better way to go down the hill than on the ice. “All
right, let’s do this,” he said to himself, feeling his face mask hug tighter as he tugged on the
strap. Shivering all around, squinting from the sun, wind pushing on his body, he started
moving.

Inch by inch the ice grew closer and closer. Eyes locked on the ice, “Here we go,” Bill
whispered to himself. “Woah,” he muttered as his board made contact with the ice. “I got this,”
exclaimed Bill watching the ice disappear behind him. “Oh no, yikes,” he screamed as he felt
the cold, hard ground on his body. “That stupid ice chunk I hit made me fall,” he said in an
angry tone as he attempted to get up. Flinging his board around, pushing with all his might, he
found himself standing once again. Feeling the wind on his face, he kept a steady pace the rest
of the way down. Suddenly, he felt the ice leave from under his board, “I guess that wasn’t so
bad.”