Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Friday, November 6, 2020
POEMS
Beauty is but a flower
with wrinkles will devour
time changes every hour.
In the morning
I mix my eggs in flour.
At work
I fixed a control tower
and,
after work
I took a shower.
by De'Zyiah
I am…..11 years old
I am….. Good at basketball
I am….. A great big sister
I am….. A Gamer
I am….. Sneaker head
I am….. Great a 2k as a girl
I am….. A great student
I am….. A youtuber
I am….. A good friend
I am…… In Toby Farms middle school
I am…… a kid
I am……. A leader not an follower
by AT
Monday, October 26, 2020
Dear Bully
Dear Bully,
Do you remember the time when you bullied me in fourth grade? You used to talk about me, pick on me etc. I got over you. You would never know what I went through with you bullying me. I realized my life has more purpose than to waste on you. So I got new friends that make me feel like myself, and I love them for that. One thing you will never know about me is that words can't hurt me. I will always come back no matter what people think about me.
Sincerely,
AJ
Friday, October 23, 2020
316 Buzzbuzz Buzziam, BE 20198 October 20, 2020
Dear Buzy,
Remember when me and you explored Saint Buzz Museum and we saw the huge statue of president Buzziam? It was cool wasn’t it? It even talked. Oh, and do you remember last year when we went to the haunted house on Buzz St? It was really scary but we weren't scared that much. And did you know that they are having another one this year too? I hope you’ll be there.
Sincerely,
Buzitrice
Open Letter
Dear Criminals,
Do you think it's fair? Are you proud of what you do? I don’t like what you're doing to the City of Chester. Knowing that anyone could get shot over some dumb fight or argument it’s just ridiculous. Kids can’t even play outside because their parents are afraid of their children getting shot.
It’s just not cool because my brother was outside before the shooting and if he was who knows what could have happened he could have been the one who got shot. It’s not cool to shoot people because you have your own personal problems because all it does is take people’s life.
That was someone’s grandmother who got shot the other day and I feel terrible about what happened. It’s not fair to the people who just wanna live their life then get shot for no reason.
I’m scared everyday because of shooting it to the point where I don’t even feel safe in my own home. It’s really sad just the thought of me losing someone over the drama that happens everyday. I'm crying right now writing this because it’s just not fair to people around us because all they wanna do is live their life.
Even kidnappers, it's just not fair that they are taking children away from their families and the mother and the father are wondering if their child is even alive because they just give up hope that they will never find their child again and I know that it scares them.
So message to all criminals stop and think about what you’re doing and see how it affects the people around you. Thanks for listening. I hope this inspires you to change or do better!
Friday, October 9, 2020
The Great Mask Debate - The Art of Persuasion
Should We Wear A Mask?
Should we wear a mask? This is our question. Let's review both sides of the argument.
Some people debate whether or not we should wear a mask. Some people think you shouldn’t wear a mask because it’s not necessary. Some people protest for it to prove a point. People protest against it.
Others believe that we should wear masks because they keep you safe. But did you know that unless you wear an n95 mask, then you’re not keeping yourself safe and others safe?
Yes, you should wear a mask because you should want to keep others safe and yourself.
Where's your mask? You don’t wanna get sick do you? I think that we should wear a mask. One reason to support that is that we are going into flu season because it’s going to get really cold soon. If you don’t wear a mask you could get “covid” or the flu or both so that’s why we need to wear a mask. So we don’t get “covid” because it’s very dangerous and they don’t have a cure for it yet. So it brings your chances up to getting “covid” so if you don’t want covid wear a mask.
Another reason why you should wear a mask is it prevents other germs from getting into your mask because people sneeze and cough without covering their mouth. The particles can spread and you could get sick without even knowing. But if you wear a mask you don’t have to worry about getting sick. But if you don’t have a mask on then you're taking a huge risk of getting sick.
People don’t want to get other people sick by not wearing masks as I explained in my other paragraph. Germs can spread. If you are around a person without a mask on, they can be a carrier and they can give you a virus.This is why you should wear a mask to protect yourself from getting the virus. So these are all the reasons why we should wear masks.
Melanine
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Covid Thoughts from Sixth Grade
Life without covid 19 would be awesome because life wouldn’t be on pause. People can go places without face masks/coverings and water parks and beaches would be open to the public. Life would be better also because small business owners won’t have to close down. Also we can see our family when covid 19 is over and if you have a family member in the hospital you can see them. Life without covid19 would mean that society can go back to normal.
by Nevaeh 6-2
Saturday, August 29, 2020
RIP Black, Panther.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-08-28/chadwick-boseman-dies-reactions-tributes
A person of character. Educated at Howard University. A fighter until the end.
Thursday, August 20, 2020
August 19, 2020: Philadelphia President Obama Delivers Speech During 2020 Democratic National Convention (PLEASE READ; Writing to Persuade - Masterful
Good evening, everybody. As you’ve seen by now, this isn’t a normal convention. It’s not a normal time. So tonight, I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election. Because what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come.
I’m in Philadelphia, where our Constitution was drafted and signed. It wasn’t a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women — and even men who didn’t own property — the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would guide future generations; a system of representative government — a democracy — through which we could better realize our highest ideals. Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who’d once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and more free.
The one Constitutional office elected by all of the people is the presidency. So at minimum, we should expect a president to feel a sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us — regardless of what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have — or who we voted for.
But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for; fought for and died for.
I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care.
But he never did. For close to four years now, he’s shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.
Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.
Now, I know that in times as polarized as these, most of you have already made up your mind. But maybe you’re still not sure which candidate you’ll vote for — or whether you’ll vote at all. Maybe you’re tired of the direction we’re headed, but you can’t see a better path yet, or you just don’t know enough about the person who wants to lead us there.
So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden.
Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe’s a man who learned — early on — to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: “No one’s better than you, Joe, but you’re better than nobody.”
That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts — that’s who Joe is.
When he talks with someone who’s lost her job, Joe remembers the night his father sat him down to say that he’d lost his.
When Joe listens to a parent who’s trying to hold it all together right now, he does it as the single dad who took the train back to Wilmington each and every night so he could tuck his kids into bed.
When he meets with military families who’ve lost their hero, he does it as a kindred spirit; the parent of an American soldier; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is.
For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president — and he’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country.
And in my friend Kamala Harris, he’s chosen an ideal partner who’s more than prepared for the job; someone who knows what it’s like to overcome barriers and who’s made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream.
Along with the experience needed to get things done, Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into reality.
They’ll get this pandemic under control, like Joe did when he helped me manage H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores.
They’ll expand health care to more Americans, like Joe and I did ten years ago when he helped craft the Affordable Care Act and nail down the votes to make it the law.
They’ll rescue the economy, like Joe helped me do after the Great Recession. I asked him to manage the Recovery Act, which jump-started the longest stretch of job growth in history. And he sees this moment now not as a chance to get back to where we were, but to make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody — whether it’s the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own, or the shift worker always on the edge of getting laid off, or the student figuring out how to pay for next semester’s classes.
Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world — and as we’ve learned from this pandemic, that matters. Joe knows the world, and the world knows him. He knows that our true strength comes from setting an example the world wants to follow. A nation that stands with democracy, not dictators. A nation that can inspire and mobilize others to overcome threats like climate change, terrorism, poverty, and disease.
But more than anything, what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American. And they care deeply about this democracy.
They believe that in a democracy, the right to vote is sacred, and we should be making it easier for people to cast their ballot, not harder.
They believe that no one — including the president — is above the law, and that no public official — including the president — should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.
They understand that in this democracy, the Commander-in-Chief doesn’t use the men and women of our military, who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation, as political props to deploy against peaceful protesters on our own soil. They understand that political opponents aren’t “un-American” just because they disagree with you; that a free press isn’t the “enemy” but the way we hold officials accountable; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up.
None of this should be controversial. These shouldn’t be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They’re American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don’t believe in these things.
Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala’s ability to lead this country out of these dark times and build it back better. But here’s the thing: no single American can fix this country alone. Not even a president. Democracy was never meant to be transactional — you give me your vote; I make everything better. It requires an active and informed citizenry. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability — to embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure.
Because that’s what at stake right now. Our democracy.
Look, I understand why many Americans are down on government. The way the rules have been set up and abused in Congress make it easy for special interests to stop progress. Believe me, I know. I understand why a white factory worker who’s seen his wages cut or his job shipped overseas might feel like the government no longer looks out for him, and why a Black mother might feel like it never looked out for her at all. I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether there’s still a place for him here; why a young person might look at politics right now, the circus of it all, the meanness and the lies and crazy conspiracy theories and think, what’s the point?
Well, here’s the point: this president and those in power — those who benefit from keeping things the way they are — they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.
We can’t let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you’re going to get involved and vote. Do it as early as you can and tell your family and friends how they can vote too. Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this — all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice.
Last month, we lost a giant of American democracy in John Lewis. Some years ago, I sat down with John and the few remaining leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement. One of them told me he never imagined he’d walk into the White House and see a president who looked like his grandson. Then he told me that he’d looked it up, and it turned out that on the very day that I was born, he was marching into a jail cell, trying to end Jim Crow segregation in the South.
What we do echoes through the generations.
Whatever our backgrounds, we’re all the children of Americans who fought the good fight. Great grandparents working in firetraps and sweatshops without rights or representation. Farmers losing their dreams to dust. Irish and Italians and Asians and Latinos told to go back where they came from. Jews and Catholics, Muslims and Sikhs, made to feel suspect for the way they worshipped. Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged. Spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters. Beaten for trying to vote.
If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work, and could not work, it was those Americans. Our ancestors. They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short all their lives. They knew how far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth. And yet, instead of giving up, they joined together and said somehow, some way, we are going to make this work. We are going to bring those words, in our founding documents, to life.
I’ve seen that same spirit rising these past few years. Folks of every age and background who packed city centers and airports and rural roads so that families wouldn’t be separated. So that another classroom wouldn’t get shot up. So that our kids won’t grow up on an uninhabitable planet. Americans of all races joining together to declare, in the face of injustice and brutality at the hands of the state, that Black Lives Matter, no more, but no less, so that no child in this country feels the continuing sting of racism.
To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better — in so many ways, you are this country’s dreams fulfilled. Earlier generations had to be persuaded that everyone has equal worth. For you, it’s a given — a conviction. And what I want you to know is that for all its messiness and frustrations, your system of self-government can be harnessed to help you realize those convictions.
You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You’re the missing ingredient — the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.
That work will continue long after this election. But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up — by pouring all our effort into these 76 days, and by voting like never before — for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for — today and for all our days to come.
Stay safe. God bless.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
RIP John Lewis
You may have first learned about the man John Lewis from the movie Selma. We saw the movie a few years ago as a field trip. Mr. Lewis was the civil rights leader who had his skull fractured as he led a march over the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama. The event became known as "Bloody Sunday".
A few of you borrowed his trilogy books, March, from my personal library in our classroom. I highly recommend them. They tell the story of the march, in graphic novel form.
John Lewis was a congressman in the United States Congress. He passed today. A prominent historian this morning referred to him as a modern day saint.
Please go to the link below to see more about his legacy:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/18/rep-john-lewis-barack-obamas-medal-freedom-speech/5464160002/
Friday, July 3, 2020
Monday, June 22, 2020
Friday, June 5, 2020
Thursday, June 4, 2020
James Baldwin
https://www.biography.com/writer/james-baldwin
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
1619 Project - Pulitzer Prize for Journalism
Monday, May 11, 2020
Swerving Skaters
Friday, May 8, 2020
4 Wheel Free for All: Persuasive Essay:
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
The Quarantine Days
Quarantine Story
but still getting to have some fun time with family, watching
movies, playing games, challenges and so much more, but my
mother has been so stressed with two jobs and I still try hard
to help her with so much more.
I might not get anything for my birthday because of COVID-19,
not even a cake sadly. Before all of this COVID-19 , I thought to
myself and said that this will be the greatest birthday year for me,
but it’s not because all the stores are shut down and all the malls
are closed and it’s really sad.
surprising part, but my school, Toby Farms, gave all the
students a huge folder full of assignments to complete, but
I’m completing most of them step by step and other things,
but I have been reading a lot of books lately. I miss my teachers,
but I really hope we go back to school soon.
We Real Cool
Monday, May 4, 2020
Quarantine Story
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Fast Break
Fast Break
hangs there, helplessly, but doesn’t drop,
boxes out his man and times his jump
from the air like a cherished possession