A Dragon Story

Students were shown a picture of a very tiny dragon and asked to create a story around said image...


Drag

I breathlessly stumbled up the wizard's tower, tripping ever now and then.  If this map that I found fiver years ago would help me, then I was all in.  Finally, I reached the top of the never ending tower, and smacked my hand on the wall before knocking.  I knocked - and knocked - and knocked.  NO answer.  I slowly creaked open the door, observing the little cottage.  Little bottles of glowing slime lit up the cottage with an eerie glow.  I quickly scanned the small house for what I was looking for: A healing spell.  Suddenly, the door smacked open.  Another man stepped in.  A blue robed figure set his equipment aside, and carefully unraveled his identity.  "Frederick!" he bellowed, voice echoing trough the cabin.  "Thank goodness I found you!  I need to give you something, sit down."  I sat down on the rickety chair and waited.


A moment later, the wizard emerged with something in his hand.  It was a pocket sized, living, breathing thing.  "Dang it", I thought, "not a heal spell."  But he uncovered something else.  Something better.

I gasped at the tiny dragon placed in the wizard's wrinkly hands.  "Take this." He said.  I gleefully took the dragon into my palm.  Every now and then he blew a puff of smoke in his sleep.  "Now hurry home before the storm gets up again, because if he does, he will grow humongous and destroy cities.  Understand?"  Gleefully, I placed the small creature into my pocket carefully protecting him from the rain. 

I hurried home to my orphanage.  Well, kind of an orphanage.  My "house" was an abandoned shed, and I lived with 5 other people.  This kid/adult/teenager was really mean to me and I despised him.  As I approached my "house", I heard rustling inside.  When I opened the door, Stephan, the leader (the guy I hate) was searching for something.  "What's up?" I asked.  Stephan looked at me as if I were crazy.  "Oh great, the freak is home."  The younger kids scurried over to greet me. 


Picture: thedragonsliveon.webs.com
Artist: Janolie Hoek 

"Oh you really are the pits", I said. 
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."  I sat down in the rickety chair in the living room, exhausted from all of the adventure.  "Got any food," Stephan questioned.  I reached into my pocket and felt the tiny dragon scales.  I suddenly realized that I should NEVER, under any circumstance, show them my dragon.
"You idiot!" He suddenly screamed.  The younger kids bolted from the scene.  Stephan pulled out a sharp knife.  "what is with you?"  I choked.  I felt a hot trickle of blood down my neck.  Instantly John, a younger boy, chucked a baseball at Stephan's side. "Run!" He shrieked.  Stephan cursed and tried to grab by legs, but I was faster.  I screeched out of the shed, holding my pocket safely...

End Chapter One

                                                                                                                              By N.Z.

The Golden Wish by Leila

Painting: Mistaken Identity by Ken Wong

Mary McCoy was living in deep, painful despair for several years after her father's passing.  But after her mother passed, about a year ago, she honestly had no one.  The only thing Mary had was a prodigious estate that her parents once owned and, of course, a butler.

It was a fresh spring day and you could hear birds chirping.  The warm sun was pouring into Mary's room giving her white bedding a bright yellowish color.  But the instant Mary awoke and saw the sun and heard the birds, she summoned the butler to close the blinds and shut out the happiness.  
"Go fix me breakfast, Wilkins," Mary demanded.
"Yes, Miss McCoy," and he turned and walked away.
Mary dressed and tiptoed, elegantly, down the stairs to eat breakfast.
"What's this," Mary asked.
"Those are beloved fish," Wilkins said.
"They're beautiful," Mary said.
"They are for you."
Mary said "thanks" and ran upstairs.
"But you must not take them outside of the house!" 
I'll show him, thought Mary.  
In fact, Mary was spiteful that she stuck the bowl on her head.  "Take that, Wilkins," said Mary in a low whisper.  And she walked downstairs, proud of her dreadful work.
"Oh!  Miss McCoy," exclaimed Wilkins.  
"Too bad," said Mary.

Years and years went by and Mary's head was far too big to take the fish bowl off.  Each and every day Wilkins would let mary do a back bend so he could pour water into the bowl.  Just enough that she could breathe and the fish could, too.  Being in the presence of the fish eased the ache of being an orphan.

Now that Mary had friends, she talked often to Wilkins.  She talked about her parents.  I wish I could just see them again, thought Mary. Then one day she asked Wilkins about how her parents died.  
"I'd better not tell you, Miss McCoy."
Mary shook it off and carried on with her days.  After years and years, Mary seemed to be getting smaller and her skin was turning a bright sun-kissed orange.  
"What's happening to me," shouted Mary.  Sir Wilkins said nothing.  
Weeks passed.  Years passed.
Mary was now in her early twenties.  She was no more than four feet tall.  By her twenty fifth birthday she was about two feet tall.  She'd been to all the town's doctors.  And yet there was no diagnosis.  It was hopeless.

By the time Mary McCoy was thirty, she had endured a horrible transformation.  She resembled nothing more than a worthless goldfish.  And for the first time, in a long time, Mary was desperate.  Suddenly, Mary found herself choking... on air.

Wilkins quickly turned the bowl over so that Mary was in the water.  When she opened her eyes she was surrounded by the goldfish.

Mary ended up with her parents after all.  Even though they weren't human any longer, she still got her golden wish... to see them again.

Wilkins ended up with the estate.  Everything was perfect.

The Weekend by Chris

FIVE painful days then
fun times come.
You can sleep in or
play at the park.
But it eventually ends,
it's a short weekend.


Birthday by Jaiden

I wake up excited, waiting for presents
fun and games, with nothing lame
my friends all around, feeling happy and warm
I am glad there is not a storm
I can go outside and bathe all day 
in my non-chilly chillin' swimming pool
Eating cake with Stampy and friends
Oh look!  Presents!  A new phone, a new me!


Dragons by Kaya

They rule skies
in a mystic plain.
Thought to be fake,
but imagined real.
Breathe out scorching fire,
and puff ashy smoke.
They roam free,
in a land where dragons exist.


Minecraft by Brian

Mining gold and minerals
building houses the size of the ocean,
brewing and making potions.

Fighting exploding creepers,
surviving from the angry dead,
getting tired and going to bed.

Students watched a short animated film about a boy visiting a moon and the subsequent adventures that one has when visiting the unknown.  My amazing writers were asked to respond to the film by creating their own "moon" landing.

Blue Moon

There once was a girl who felt she didn't belong.  For no one cared about her.  She felt she was a speck in the air with everybody swooshing her away.  She had long, silky, black-as-coffee hair. Her skin was pale as could be.  She had puffy, soft lips that were tulip pink.  Her nose was perfectly shaped; almost like a doll's.  Her beautiful hazel eyes had twinkles in the top right corners and shimmered with the sun's rays touched them.  She wore the same thing every day.  A soft, black tank top that was dark as the empty sky and a short black skirt with overlapping cloth.  Everybody made fun of her for who she was.  But what they mainly teased her about was her obsession with the Blue Moon.  They all thought she was insane for loving this fake "Blue Moon".  The Blue Moon was her life.  She always dreamed of visiting this moon.  She always believed one day she would be the first to land on the "Blue Moon". Her name was Sarah.

Sarah was standing outside, barefoot, on the vibrant green grass; staring out into the blank sky.  "I know the blue moon's out there somewhere."  A single tear drop slid down the side of her cheek.  So go to the Blue Moon.  Spread out your arms as if your gaining powers.  Take me to the Blue Moon.  Let my imagination run wild.  Erase all the disappointments and let me soar to the sky, said a voice in the back of her mind.  

So she did.

She spread her arms out and said what her mind told her.  

Nothing happened.

Another single teardrop rolled down her cheek.  "Take me to the Blue Moon," she yelled.  She looked back and saw her feet lifting off the ground.  She was speechless.  She blasted off into the sky.  her hair went straight down.  She was flying through light, fluffy clouds; leaving holes through the middles of them.  her dazzling hazel eyes looked back behind her and she saw the unique cloudy, blue and green Earth.  Every second she flew faster and faster; blasting past Mars.  She looked ahead of her and saw the asteroid belt.  The home of the Blue Moon.  Millions and trillions of asteroids were surrounding her.  She stopped hastily and turned her head in every direction; searching for the Blue Moon.  

A single sunbeam nearly touched her.  She was very confused that only a single sunbeam reached her.  She moved out of the way, gleaming at the sunbeam.  It was pointing the direction.

She saw a strange blue object.  The Blue Moon.  "Thank you, Sunbeam," she announced as she raced off to the Blue Moon.  She smiled slightly as she got closer and closer.  Another teardrop went down her cheek.  But this wasn't a tear of sadness.  It was a tear of joy.   She finally reached the Blue Moon. 

                                                 ~Written by Jessica

My students LOVE poetry... and Haiku?  Well, it's like a poet's morsel of goodness!  Enjoy a few morsels from our classroom poets society!

The blinding Sun comes.
It hangs half the day shining
'til the moon comes back.
                                       ~ Christopher
The Moon in the sky
reflecting sunlight all night
shines in the night sky.
                                      ~ Brian
Fall leaves drifting down
crisp fall air blows through my hair
orange tree growing bare.
                                      ~ Heather

The Fiery Flames of Imagination...

burn bright in our classroom!

Today we started our creative writing adventure with a "warm up".  Students were asked to imagine themselves as glass blowers - in their minds they created a movie of themselves fashioning delicate works of art out of molten glass.  

An "M", my "M"

As I am creating blown glass I am pulling it into the shape of an "M".  It's cursive and aqua blue.  As I finish my "M" I see my reflection in it and I know it's for me.  I shall hang it up in my room over my bed, over my head.
Before I go to bed I will see that "M".  It's not just any "M" it's ME.

                                                                                                                      ~Madison

A unicorn 

Steam, red goo from a rusty sand box

Horn sparkly white,

Blue, soft-to-the-touch body

Sparkly, pink mane.

Purple tail.

Just groomed with a rainbow.

                                             ~Jessica

Onward Vikings, Onward!

As we study early exploration this quarter, we will also explore the motivations behind many a discoverer's "drive" to succeed.  We will also learn that discovery isn't always about finding a new land... it's also about new information, new ways of thinking, and new points of view!


A Viking's Wisdom

Oh ye, the land is young and we are old,
same with the stories others have told.
For land to sky, and sand to snow,
what are we mere beings bound to know?

                                                ~ /Sophie