8th-grader Ryan Brown received first place for his sonnet "Sea Salt," which appeared in the fall issue of Illinois English Bulletin, published by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English.  Here is his poem:

 

Sea Salt

By Ryan Brown

 

I hear waves crash against the shore.

I can taste the salt in the air.

I stare into the distance, evermore.

The breeze blows and musses my hair.

With the occasional call of a seagull or bird,

The beach is smooth with the soft sand.

 

I hear not a single word.

I just let time slip through my hand.

Sitting and just thinking,

Ideas come to mind.

My only movements are breathing and blinking.

I never experience relaxation of this kind.

 

The problems of the world seem to halt,

As I sit and feel the cool sea salt.

 

First Graders used Kidspicks to create snowmen on the computer.  This example is by Max Barr.

 

Advent wreath by Melanie Vo, Grade 7.            

 

 

As God made a covenant with Abraham, so did our 4th graders.  Here is an example by Yasmeen Celaya.

 

Below is a story to illustrate the use of foreshadowing.

Omar Carrillo, 7th Grade 

                                                                                                                        

            Once there was a boy named Pablo. Pablo wasn’t the richest kids in town, in fact, he had to work at the

 

 age of 12 to support his family. He loved school, but didn’t finish because he was always working to put food

 

 in his familys’ mouths. They appreciated everything that Pablo did, especially because Pablo always brought food

 

and money. They never questioned Pablo, because he always seemed to know what he was doing. But one day his

 

 life changed for ever.

            Pablo was on his way home, when he suddenly realized that there was the most precious sunset he had seen in his entire life. The sun looked like it was so close that it looked liked it rested in the hills. Pablo couldn’t believe his eyes, he didn’t notice how precious life was until he noticed this. The reason he didn’t notice it was because he was always working. Today, he realized that his life was going to be better from now on. So he continued walking home, singing to a familiar tune.

            The next day Pablo walked to pick big fresh strawberries from the patch and noticed something red and yellow. It was a mega-million card with the winning lotto numbers from the night before. Pablo couldn’t believe this was really happening. He pinched himself just to make sure. Pablo rushed home to tell his parents. When he got there, he told his family, and they all raced down to collect their money. When they got the money it changed their lives forever. This was all thanks to a hardworking boy Pablo, who always supported his family, and this is what he deserved.