Giavanna B. 5M

First Cheer Competition  

   It was 7:15 in the morning on October 20, 2012 when I arrived at New Milford High School. That was the day of my first cheer competition. After sleeping with 55 curlers in my hair, I knew something lucky would happen.

      When everybody was waiting outside we went inside to check in. Eventually, they took us to the cafeteria to stretch, get ready for warm ups, and to put our bags away.

       When warm ups were over, it was time to go on. I could hear the crowd roaring from outside the gym doors. Finally it was time to go on. When the announcer called our team, I felt a chill running down my back. When the music started, I felt very nervous because our stunts were coming up and it was scary not knowing if we would succeed. After the stunt sequence, some of my nervousness went away. But the first pyramid, the cheer stunts, and the final pyramid were coming up soon and who knew if they would be successful.  When it was time to do the first pyramid, I had a feeling it would be okay because it was very simple. As we ended the first pyramid, our group threw our flyer up too late so the stunt was off count. As we started to transition to our cheer stunts, I knew they would go up at the same time because we went up on words not counts. As we started to end our dance, it was time for the final pyramid. After the final pyramid, we ran off the mat all excited that we hit everything. If we hadn’t performed so well, we could have gotten a lot of points taken off our final score.

             Finally, it was time for awards. When we sat down, my eyes were glued to the shiny, gold trophies. When they started to announce third place, the woman said, “In third place, the Monroe Lions.” When Monroe was wrapping up their excitement, the lady started to announce second place. “In seond place, the Aspetuck Wildcats!”  When I heard her announce our team, a burst of excitement went through me. It meant that we got to go to States and Regionals. When they handed us the trophy, my eyes went straight to it. The trophy was almost up to my hip it was so big.

October 20, 2012 was one of the most amazing days of my life! Not only did we win second place, but we also got to go to States and Regionals. I will always remember that day as my first cheer competition.

Andrew M. 5M

St. Martin Times

I Take JetBlue to get to St. Martin. Then I go to the casino and take the elevator, the elevator takes me up stairs to the hotel room on level 15. I go to St Martin with Dad, Mom, Luke. Teddy has to stay home.

I love to go into the ocean, I like to splash in the waves. Once at the beach I made a sand castle. It was a big castle. It took a long time but it was fun. I also like to go swimming in the pool there. I go swimming with Luke.

The weather while we are on St. Martin is always sunny and warm. I wear shorts and flip flops. I like to wear a hat in the sun.

While I am there, I like to go to the Rainforest Café. I always order a hamburger and I drink Sprite. I love getting dessert, especially vanilla ice cream.

One day we went on a boat. The boat is big and fast. There are other people on the boat too. On the boat I ate a hamburger for dinner.                                           

Mitchell W. 5M

Cooper’s Day of Play 

“Screech!” The screen door opened and my dog Cooper came sprinting at full speed out the door into the fresh, sunny day. Next, my friends Charlie and Brendan kicked the big red ball out the door and into the open. My dog loves the red ball! Charlie and Brendan came sprinting out the door too, but I walked because I had to close the door. I knew it was going to be a fun afternoon playing outside with Cooper!

I tossed up the red ball and Cooper leaped up into the air and made his jaws snatch at the ball, flinging the ball right back into my palms. I tossed the ball up into the air again, and this time, Cooper waited until the ball was 10 inches away from his head, then he growled and shook his head so fast that if I did that I would get dizzy.

After about 15 minutes of playing with the ball, it was time to start the chasing game. Charlie, Brendan, and I ran. Cooper ran. My friends and I darted for my dog, as he dashed around the yard. I love chasing my dog because he makes me trip and laugh. But I don’t think Cooper likes it because he would rather have me throw his toy.

My crocs brushed across the grass as I ran over to Cooper, but he was too fast. Then he got tired and sat down. That meant that he needed a 15 second break. Just the amount of time to implement my plan. I crawled up to Cooper and when he bit at his ball, I stopped in my tracks. He had noticed me. The plan now had a twist. I stood up and darted at him. But he had a good instinct. He stood up and raised his head. Then he slammed the ball into the ground. He turned away from the ball and ran because he thought I was going to throw the ball for him. But Brendan scooped up the ball. That ball flew once my friend threw it.

It felt like slow motion when Cooper hopped into the air. He tried to snatch the ball, but the ball bounced off his teeth and flew next to the electric fence. I had to scamper up to the ball and throw it because he was barking madly. We decided to get a drink before going into our next activity with Cooper. Our next activity was to play on the swings and talk while Cooper was relaxing in the sun. A play date always needs a time to relax.

After a long time playing with Cooper, we went inside to play some video games. Before we knew it, both my friends’ moms had arrived, and they had to leave. As Charlie and Brendan pulled out of the driveway, even Cooper looked sad. I pet Cooper and told him, “Don’t worry Cooper, they’ll be back soon for another day of play!”

Tom G. 5M

Marty

“Tom,” my mother called, “come here! My friend Kelly is going to Newport and Marty, her dog, is coming to stay with us for the week and they will be here any minute.”

I haven’t seen Kelly in years now. I knew that she had a dog though. The blazing hot sun was beating down on my back like a hammer whacking a nail. I couldn’t help but notice a maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee rolling into the driveway. Kelly shuffled out of the car and let Marty out. He charged straight into my arms and started to lick and smell me. “Awwwwwww,” I babied.

My mom opened the squeaky white front door and Marty ran into the house faster than a speeding bullet! Meanwhile, my 11 pound white bichon dog, Jack, growled with anger because Marty chased Jack trying to smell him. My annoying siblings crowded Marty like he had just been born. Jack ran behind the couch to hide from his so called “pal.”

Mom then fed the dogs. Marty eats special homemade wet food along with his kibble. As Marty addressed his food, Jack stared at Marty drilling holes into his black button eyes. As Marty began to eat his food, Jack managed to shove Marty away and Jack started eating Marty’s food. Especially the wet food.

Once they were done, my eye was drawn to the gleaming pink/orange/red/yellow sun coming down like a plane landing. I picked up my clarinet and started to play a song while Marty fell asleep on my lap. I knew he was tired. I stopped to get a glass of water. Thus, Marty woke up as fast as a light could turn on. Meanwhile, the vexatious dog ran to the bag of dog treats and ate every single one in the bag. I hustled upstairs and put Marty in bed. I thought, what else could happen? I sure was wrong though. I heard so much noise that I couldn't hear my clarinet music. I marched upstairs and saw that Marty had been eating my Fritos, which were hidden in my pillowcase. As I cleaned up his mess, I knew that there was only one person to blame. “Jack, you are in big trouble mister,” I yelled with ferocity.

“What happened?” Mom asked.

“Er…………uh…..Marty made a mess in my room,” I answered. “I admit that I keep a bag of Fritos in my room, and Marty found them. Then he tore up the bag and ate them. The leftovers are everywhere. I blamed Jack because he ate Marty’s food in the first place,” I explained.

Once I was done explaining to my mom, I gave Marty a bath. I put some soap onto a washcloth and scrubbed him down. He obviously did not like the feeling of being covered in wet, bubbly soap, and because of that he started jumping up and down and splashed water everywhere. I gazed at the walls and mirrors soaked with shiny reflective bubbles. I totally felt like jumping out of my skin. “Yaaaaaaah!” I yelled, causing Marty to get scared and run away. I started for the hallway and I slipped and fell flat on my back. It was so sore that I felt as if I was laying on a bed of needles. Soap, water, and bubbles ran down my t-shirt like waves on the beach. I managed to get myself back on my feet and cleaned up the bathroom. I knew that this was the final straw.

I trudged downstairs and my mom did not look happy. “This dog went to the bathroom in the house!” she yelled.

“Well congratulations mom, the job is all yours,” I teased. The rest of the week went with less commotion. Of all the things that Marty did, I realized one thing: it could have been worse.

Teddy G. 5M

The Funny Touchdown

          It was the day of the Super Bowl. I was happy because all my family members came over. My mom was making delightful food. She was making ham, turkey, corn, mash potatoes, and Greek salad. The 100 inch flat screen TV was ready for Super Bowl. The enormous speakers were on the side. The TV and speakers are shiny black. The TV was as big as the sun.  We watched the first half of the game. The first half of the game was awesome. I said, “Dad the first half was the best part so far!” My team was ahead and winning the game.

          When it became half time, my brother, Matthew, my cousin Tommy, my dad and I went outside to play football. The teams were: my dad and I versus my brother and cousin. We played two-hand touch, not tackle. My cousin Tommy kicked the ball to me and my dad. I returned the kickoff and started to run down the field until my brother Matt two-hand touched me. My dad and I were at half way. My dad was quarterback the first two times. It was my turn to be quarterback, and I threw it to my dad. He caught it and made a first down.

          Later in the game my dad got tired, so he became automatic quarterback and kicker for both teams while my older cousin Johnny became my teammate. My team was ahead by one touchdown. So my dad had to kick off to my brother’s team. My older cousin Johnny two-hand touched my cousin Tommy. My dad called hike and my brother Matthew and Cousin Tommy started to run down the field to catch the ball. Tommy caught it near the touchdown but he got tagged.

My dad called hike again and threw it to Matt. I leaped up in the air to intercept the ball. I caught it!  In a hurry I started to run down the field. I was as fast as a jet. Tommy and Matt started to come for me. My cousin Johnny grabbed me by my sides, picked me up, and started jogging with me in his arms. I laughed!  I went up and down as he ran. When Johnny picked me up, my brother stopped running after me. I still had the ball in my hands, and we ran all the way to the end zone.  My cousin dropped me, I landed on my feet, and we did a victory dance!  It was funny because my other cousin and brother said it wasn't a touchdown, but it was. Everyone was laughing. After I scored that touchdown, we went inside to watch the rest of the Super Bowl.

          Since it was still half-time, we hung out in the living room and ate chips and stuff. We talked about how school was and the things that we hated about Super Bowl. One thing that we hate is halftime because a real singer comes and sings and halftime takes forever. The other thing is the weird commercials.

I like Super Bowl because my family gets together. I remember how hard we all laughed at my funny touchdown.  

Teddy F. 5M

DROP OF DOOM

"Whoa, look at that ride!” said my sister. “Those people up there must be scareder than scared!” Suddenly, the ground shook as if there were an earthquake, and my sister said, “We have to go on it”

 I answered, “No way! I am adventurous, but not that adventurous! It says right here on the sign that you go down a 270 foot drop almost straight down, then you go over 3 loops in a row.”  

Apparently, I wasn’t very convincing. My sister persuaded me and the next thing I knew I was in the cart. Every time I heard the clicks of the cart going up, my heart beat a little more slowly. I felt the cart shaking, but it might have just been me that was shaking. All too soon, we were at the top. My heart stopped. I looked down at the sickening sight and hoped that this would be a smooth little drop, like an elevator. Every second up there got worse because every second was getting closer to my DROP OF DOOM!!  

I was scared to look down, but I had to because I was not going to see this view for a long time. I looked around at the other rides and none seemed as scary as this one.

Then, it happened! It was the longest ten seconds of my life but the ride was not nearly over. We still had three loops of dizziness to go. I wished there was a stop button, but there was not. If there had been, I would’ve pressed it. I was also hoping that the people who made this ride would say this is just a joke, we would never actually put real people on a ride like this, but that never happened either. We finally went over the giant loop and it was actually enjoyable! I think we still had momentum from that big drop.

Maybe the only reason I went on this ride was to be able to say that I went on this ride. As we unbuckled and got off, I was trembling with fright like a tower of cards that the slightest breeze could knock down. Even though we were off the ride, I was still stuck in the moment of the drop. It was all I could think about. I hated it, yet I enjoyed it. Maybe that is the point of roller coasters like this. I should've known that there was no smooth way down. I was surprised it was over because it seemed like it would never end. It seemed longer than the hour we waited in line and it seemed longer than the two hours it took to get here! Maybe that is  what was so special about this ride.  The Drop of Doom is certainly a ride I will never forget!                    

Sofia G. 5M

The Best Fourth of July

“Got you!” said my older brother, Alex.

“Cheater!” I screamed.  Alex and I and our cousins were in the middle of an intense game of tag in our swimming pool.

A squeaky chirp came from Catarina’s phone. Catarina is my 13-year-old sister; she wasn't swimming. Instead, she was just hanging out in a chair by the pool. I knew that the chirping sound mean another text which would lead to drama with my parents.  I decided I wasn't going to let any drama spoil Fourth of July fun with my family. I continued relaxing in the pool, hiding from my cousin who was “it.”

The sky was a midnight black, and it was completely filled with cold darkness.  Luckily, the stars came out to light it up.  How pretty, I thought to myself.

“You’re it!” said my cousin laughing.  She told me I was daydreaming and not paying attention.  I focused and dove under water, extending my arms to swim faster.  I couldn't see because my eyes were tightly shut.  I felt a leg and screamed, “I got you!”

“That’s impossible,” blurted my cousin, “We’re all the way on the other end!”

I opened my eyes and lifted the leg. I quickly realized my mistake since the leg was my own.  “Oops,” I mumbled quietly.

        “Fireworks!” screamed a friend.  “Let’s get a floatie and watch.” I heard a sizzling sound, as loud as a rocket ship, and knew they were going to set off a colorful bash of sparkly lights.  My dog, Izzy, ran in front of the fireworks and yelped with her loud dog voice.  I screamed at her to stay away from where the adults were setting off the fireworks.

“Awesome,” screamed one person in the audience. “Cool,” said another. “Wow!” I thought.  I looked at the trees’ leaves and thought how pretty they looked with the fireworks going off beneath them; they were filled with a multitude of colors: apricot, orange, pearly white, indigo, grassy green, glossy red, lavender purple, silver and bronze.  The sky was awesomely filled with colorful sparkles. 

“They are so beautiful,” I said to myself, as I climbed out of the pool to get a small, blue, squishy cupcake filled with warm caramel.  I had made the cupcakes in a flag formation earlier in the day.  The stars and stripes were a vibrant red, white and blue. I sighed and said softly, “This is going to be a great year.”

The last fireworks set off, and they were the biggest and brightest yet.  They made a loud popping, snapping and "kabosh" sound.  Everyone watched in silence. 

Izzy started barking like crazy again, as I hopelessly sank down into the pool trying to relax.  These are the little moments you treasure, I thought, and I have ever since.   

Sean D. 5M

Winter Essay

Winter……. White dots fall from the atmosphere, spreading a white blanket across the land. People might not like the cold, but winter features many holidays, good food, fun activities, and exquisite nature at its finest.

Who doesn’t love snow activities? One thing that’s fun to make is a snow-man. All you need is buttons, a scarf, a pipe, a broom (optional), a carrot, and snow. Another activity is building a snow-fort. They’re fun to play in and a good shelter from the wind. Plus, what’s better than a classic snow-ball fight? First, choose team captains. Next, pick teams. Then, build a snow-fort to protect your team. Finally, with no further a-do, throw some snow-balls! Last, but not least, sledding! Sledding is great for all ages. Make sure you know where a hill is before you try. What’s sledding without a hill and some snow?

Winter is home to many holidays. One of them is Christmas. What other holiday is full of traditions, food, and holiday cheer? One top tradition of Christmas is cutting down and decorating a Christmas tree. You can put anything on these trees. Lights, ornaments, beads, a star on top, or all of the above make a fine Christmas tree. Plus, who doesn’t love a gift-filled visit from our holiday hero, Santa Claus? Make sure that you leave milk and cookies, or Santa and his elves might skip your house on their route. Without mailing your list to Santa, a boy might end up with a doll under their tree. One last thing to remember: be good all year or you’ll end up with a lump of coal! Don’t be a Grinch, deck the halls with some Christmas decorations.  Some good decorations are: lights, garland, blow-up decorations, light-up deer, and wreaths. By now you can tell that it is easy to have a very merry Christmas!

Winter brings many specialty foods that are not common in the summer. Cooking is a great way to bring your family together. Why not let everyone pitch in to prepare a delicious meal? You can make hearty soups and stews, casseroles, and turkey with mashed potatoes. No one should eat “TV dinners”. Instead, try your hand at cooking a homemade meal! After a long day in the cold snow, everyone wants to come home to a fresh, hot meal. Here is a recipe for hot chocolate:

Ingredients:

1 packet hot chocolate mix

2 cups milk

1 pinch of nutmeg

First, pour mix into the cup. Then, add milk. Last, put in microwave for 1 min, 30 sec. Enjoy! As you can tell, food plays an important role in winter’s heritage.

In conclusion, these are the reasons people have winter as their favorite season. Always remember to enjoy this wonderful season while it lasts! Look forward to this winter!                                                                                

Rene I. 5M

My Island

There is an island just across from Marosakoa, Madagascar. The island of muchoch-loving goats, of shimmering crabs, of hovering sand, of jeweled waters. My island. I could see it from my tent where I woke and slept, from the beach where I played and explored, from the coconut trees that I climbed and drank water from. I asked Aba, my dad, if we could go there. He nodded his tanned, curly-haired head and we left.

 I stepped into the green kayak after it was pulled into the water. We both began to paddle. I watched the water for rising fish and eels, hoping for a meal. As we neared the island, the water became shallower and clearer, until we reached an underwater flatland only waist deep. We dragged the boat the rest of the way through the crystal water.

From the shore the island looked no more than a mile wide. The white sand covered the entire island, with no real soil to be seen. It was sparsely dotted with muchoch trees and palms. The sun shone in a cloudless sky. The ground beneath me was scattered with tiny towers of compressed sand, each no longer than three inches, topped with a tiny pastel striped clam. I walked carefully so as not to crush any. Finer grains of bleached sand flew a centimeter off the ground with the warm breezes. The shallow sea around me was patched with beautiful shades of green and blue, thanks to the branching mats of multicolored algae on the seafloor. Port-colored mussels and pink lace coral peeked from emerald, aquamarine, turquoise and the rare patch of exposed sand. Tiny sand crabs skittered behind rocks and other protection from the hovering sand that gently stung my feet. The ground glimmered with sunlight reflected from millions of their tiny amethyst bodies.

Pigeons cooed from the dead skirt of leaves of a palm, hidden from view along with the rats that occupied the same tree. This was an untouched paradise, almost extinct in such a busy world. The face of a baby black goat peeked at me from behind a muchoch tree, its eyes scanned my face, trying to figure whether I would kill it or give it a fruit. Smiling, I went for the latter. I reached for a muchoch with a pink-orange shell and broke it open. The sweet smell of vanilla and mangoes filled the air. I scooped out half of the orange ball of mush in the middle and gave the rest to Mr. Goat. As I ate my half of the muchoch, I headed toward the water and took high, wading steps through the water. Two mussel fishers, so far away they looked like ants, reached into the water and pulled out a silver net full of shells.

 I went back to shore to check on Aba. As I walked, my hair began to blow to one side of my face, the flying sand at my feet flowed faster. The sand crabs stopped moving and stuck their legs into the sand, studding the ground with living jewels. I would not be able to go back to Marosakoa in this wind. The gusts were warm, sparing my bare chest any cold. As I reached Aba, he spoke.

“The wind is too high to go back. Make an SOS for Michel to see.”

I nodded and began to carve the three giant letters into the sand. The mounds of earth I dug up were quickly blown away, grain by grain.  After I had finished carving my S, O, and S and filling each with sea lettuce for clarity, I lay by Aba and looked at the sky. The time hurried by and Michel’s boat came. As we boated away, I took one last look at my island before it was too tiny to see.

Olivia C. 5M

Winter

  Doesn’t everyone just love winter!! There are so many festive holiday traditions that never lose their joy. Not to mention all of the yummy food that you can’t wait to eat. And the endless activities that are always so much fun. Those are just a couple main ideas that you just might find in this piece.  

  In the winter many foods and beverages come into season. Hot coco is a very common beverage in the winter. Hot coco is normally a chocolate in a powder form, which you either make with boiling water or milk. A favorite thing to do with hot coco is add toppings. A few toppings are whipped cream, marsh mellows or simply just chocolate. Another tasty treat are candy canes. Candy canes come in many different colors, sizes and flavors. But normally candy canes are a small size, are white and red and taste like peppermint. It also is an after dinner treat that is quite tasty to a lot of people. Another after dinner treat is cookies and milk. There are endless kinds of cookies that you can either bake your selves or buy them at a bakery. Either way cookies are extremely luscious says Buddy Valastro former owner of Carlos’s bakeshop. They are even better with a tall glass of milk for dipping. I addition to all this tasty food during the winter people love to make and eat ginger bread houses. Some people wait to eat them on Christmas Day, eat them right away, or just don’t eat them at all and just make to admire. Making ginger bread house takes a bit longer to make but I think they are worth it because the end product comes out somewhat pretty.

 

  One main holiday in winter is Christmas. Christmas takes place in late December. But even before Christmas people get in the holiday spirit. They get into the spirit by getting Christmas trees, fake or real. Another thing people do is get gifts for friends and family members. By far the most common things to do around the holidays are putting up decorations on their houses. A Christmas tree is normally a green evergreen tree sometimes dyed silver that is a decoration: and in the morning on Christmas day if you had been good Santa will have given you presents. But if you have been bad you will not have received any presents from Santa. Did you know in the winter most decorators put out Christmas decorations? For example you can put wreaths on the door, shining light hanging on every inch of your house, and sometimes people put all sort of things on their front lawns. Can you imagine in addition to all the present’s kids get under the tree, kids often today open stockings? That is a lot of presents!! This is why in the month of December most parents say when you want something “Christmas is in a couple weeks you will get that then.” But it is often true an average kid gets 2-5 presents not including stocking presents. 

There are endless activities in the winter that are loads of fun. Unfortunately if I name all the activities this paragraph would never end. Ice-skating is one of many winter sports. Ice-skating is pretty self explanatory considering the name. You are skating on ice skates on a big sheet on ice. One of the great things about Ice-skating is that you don’t have to be great to enjoy it. Of course it is even better if you are somewhat good. You can skate indoors or out doors, professional or just for fun. Sledding people say is a very easy sport. Maybe to some people the easiest sport is sledding. Normally when it snows snow-lovers go outside and take a plastic or foam sled and slide down big hills. A great thing about sledding is you can sled just about anywhere. You don’t even need to sled on a big hill.  This activity is easy because just about anyone can sled. Any you don’t even have to go anywhere just in your backyard. But of course you can go sled some place but you don’t have to. But if you would like something a little more intense than sledding skiing would be a good sport for you. For skiing you will need a pair of skies along with a pair of poles. You also will need a helmet and goggles. One of the bad things about skiing is that it is really cold, so you have to bundle up so you don’t get sick. Most of the time people ski on a mountain. You can’t really ski anywhere else. Skiing is one of my favorite sports because you get to pick the level you are at on the mountain. Next to skiing is snowboarding. Snowboarding is a bit more intense then skiing. But it is basically the same thing but without the poles and skies. Instead you have a big board with place you put your feet in. Most people say you only snowboard if you are good at skiing. Well those are just a couple winter activities. So if 1 or2 of these activities sounded appealing to you; you should try it. And if you already do any of these sports I hope now you have more knowledge about it.

 So now you see why winter is one of my favorite seasons. There are endless activities, delicious foods, and a great holiday that sums the winter all up.