Check out students' end-of-the-year personal narrative writing.Each student wrote a story about an experience from their lives focusing on vivid details and using figurative language. You can compare students' work with what they wrote in the beginning of the school year to see how much they improved in their writing abilities. Enjoy the stories!

My Bay State Baseball team had been selected to play in Trophy Weekend, which is a tournament for the four best teams in Massachusetts. I was so excited; my heart raced like a NASCAR driver was driving it. We were in the top four teams in Massachusetts!

The day of the first game, our team was ready to play. It wasn’t the best day. It was one of those dull, grey light days, where all you want to do is stay in bed and sleep. It also was fairly cold. Some kids were wearing long sleeve shirts. Jacob Hayward pitched to start the game, and I played shortstop.

Warm ups started at 1:30, but the game did not start until 2:15. Boy, can opposite teams’ coaches argue about the dumbest things before the game!

“Your pitcher threw 25 pitches last game,” my coach says very calmly.
The other coach says angrily, his face redder than a tomato. “No, he threw 24!”
 “25!” my coach repeated, looking embarrassed that they made a huge scene.
“24!” the other coach boomed like a protective lion, defending its cubs. Just the excitement and drama of the game I guess!

Finally, the game started. Jacob Hayward did a great job in the first three innings, only letting the other team score two runs. But we scored five runs. I hit a single, and another single. So I was two for two. I was up twice and got a hit both times. It got to the top of the sixth inning; their last at-bats. The score was still 5 for Medford, 2 for Malden. Then, the Malden batter hit a rocket between the center and left fielder, and he was running to second when the left fielder finally got the ball. He threw it to me, and the runner was not at second base yet! I ran as fast as I could, to try to tag the runner out, but he ran back toward first base, I threw it to the first baseman, but he dropped the ball! The runner slid into first base. He was safe by a mile. The next pitch was a ground ball to the second baseman. I felt like I had a giant, heavy, boulder, resting on my shoulders. I could make a great play, but I could also mess everything up. Oh god, I thought, I always cave under pressure! The second baseman fielded the ball, tossed it to me who was covering second base. I caught it, tagged second base, jumped over the runner who was trying to take my ankles out, and threw it to first. “Out!” said the first ump.

“Out the other ump screamed in a high pitched voice. A double play! Now we were one out away from playing in the championship. I got lucky there, I thought. The next batter hit a high line drive that was sailing over my head. I had a very slim chance of catching that ball. I timed my jump, leaped like a kangaroo, and felt the hard ball fall into my glove. “Out!” the ump yelled. That was the end of the game. We are moving on to the championship!

It was the nicest game I had ever played in. the weather was 85 degrees, but it felt like 180. The game was in Framingham, but we were playing Weston, and I was pitching. Darn, I thought, another pressure situation. I pitched a bad first inning. My first pitch of the game was a ground ball right to the second baseman. But it went right through his legs! He looked as embarrassed as if his pants had just fallen down in front of the whole crowd. The next pitch was one of my best pitches, my curveball. Right when I threw the pitch I knew I shouldn’t have. I was desperately hoping that he would miss it, but he was their best hitter. CLANG! Was the sound when the bat hit the ball. The ball was sailing deeper and deeper, I hoped that the ball would hit the wall, but I knew it wouldn’t when it sailed right over the wall. A home run! Oh no, two pitches, two runs. At that point I didn’t even want to be on the mound anymore. The kid’s dad went bananas like he just won the lottery. He started criticizing our team. “looks like this one is already over,” he said. I saw my brother sneak him a mean look. I smiled. My brother knew this game was far from over.

“I CAN’T WAIT,” I yelled uncontrollably.  My family and I were on our way to Skyzone for my birthday party and I was bouncing like I was already on a trampoline, hopping in my car seat.  Skyzone is an indoor trampoline park with stuff like trampoline dodge ball, basketball, bounce and of course birthday parties.  I was so happy that it was my birthday and even happier that I was literally going to jump for joy.

When we got to Skyzone, there was one person who was already there.  The other guests came one by one.  The guests were my friends Chase, Paul, Sean, Tyler, Michael, Gavin, Aidan and Andrew.  My sister Allie also came and brought her friend Lia.

Now that you know who was in the story, let’s get to the dodge ball!  The teams were me, Sean, Andrew, Gavin, Aidan and Allie against Paul, Chase, Tyler, Michael and Lia.  Now that the teams are set, LET’S DO THIS!

It started well.  I bounced all over the place dodging balls as if they were bullets, dodging left and right.  Every once in a while, I caught a ball and got the thrower out while getting a teammate back in at the same time.  Once I made a catch so good, my team said that I should be MVP (most valuable player).  Here is the story of that.  There was a rough game and each team had one person left, on my team it was me and on the other team it was Paul.  Paul is a good thrower, like he was a professional baseball pitcher, never missing a throw.  He threw the ball in his hands at me and all of the sudden, I was in the zone.  The out of nowhere I caught the ball.  Every one including me was surprised.  My team cheered and called me MVP of the team and I liked it.  I felt like I was on top of the world!!

The rest of the day was pretty normal.  I got presents cake and pizza.  I went home.  I have to say it was the best party ever.

It was an endlessly boring Saturday, you know, the way no girl wants to spend it. I was moaning on my bed like a dog in despair wondering what to do. My dad was online researching places to take me.

Shortly my dad bombed out, “Want to go to Sky Zone?”

I yelled, “Yes,” and ran downstairs as fast as lightning to put my shoes on.

Meanwhile, when we were approaching sky zone, I wanted to turn around and go back home.  Sky Zone looked like a big old warehouse.  I wondered what it looked like inside, a dirty old room with trampolines inside?

When we parked the car and went inside I realized by looking inside the place that I shouldn’t have wanted to turn around and go back home.  It looked so fun inside.  There was a huge sign that said Sky Zone with lights all around it.  I looked on the left side of the warehouse and that was where all the trampolines were.  All of them together looked like a floor with trampoline tiles.  The trampolines that everybody was jumping on were squares.  I couldn’t wait to jump.

We paid for everything and now it was time to jump.

I entered the trampoline court and I was in shock.  I have never seen so many trampolines in my life. 

I quickly ran over to the foam pit.  The foam pit was basically a huge pit filled with huge cubes made out of foam with trampolines in front of it to jump in the foam.  The worker brought me over to one of the trampolines and explained the rules to me.  When he was done explaining the rules, I jumped on the trampoline in front of the foam, higher, higher, higher and BOOM right into the foam!  I struggled getting out of the foam.  There were foam cubes all around me.  When I finally got out and when I stepped on the regular ground, my legs felt like Jello.  It was weird walking on the ground instead of the trampoline. 

Next, I walked over to the main trampoline court.  The best part about it was the trampoline walls.  You could even bounce off the walls!  I started off bouncing like a spring in the middle of my trampoline square. I felt like I was going to go through the ceiling like a rocket. I went very high. I was bouncing on my butt by jumping up and falling on my butt and going back on my feet.

Then I want over to the long trampoline. It was meant for gymnastics. 

After doing cartwheels, handstands and somersaults, I got off the trampoline to take a rest and quick drink of water.  By the time I was done with my drink, a man bombed out on the speaker, “Everybody that paid for 1 hour of jumping, your time is up.  Please exit the court room.  Thank you for jumping at Sky Zone.  Please come again!”

I left the court with my dad and starting bugging him asking him when we could come back. 

That was the time I was flying through the sky at Sky Zone!

Slam went the door; I was scared as a deer running across the highway. And excited as a little girl on Christmas morning. I had never done archery before. I had to walk over and get a bow. Next I had to learn how to hold the bow, and place the arrow. Finally I pulled back the bouncy band, and released. It slid through the grass like a plane landing on the cement runway. I did not give up. I tried again; it hit the target like a fist hitting a punching bag! Once I kept hitting it. So I thought to myself ‘Want to try something harder’. So I aimed for a fake foam turkey.

   I pulled back the bouncy band Again; it slid through the grass once again. It did not bring me down. But finally I hit it! Then I knew this would be a new hobby.   

 This year in fifth grade we are doing a Christopher Columbus play. We are sitting on the rug figuring out roles for the play. My teacher, Ms. Moll is calling out the parts for Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. She called out “Queen Isabella,” my hand shot up as fast as a rocket at blast off.  But I wasn’t the only one; my friend Olivia also wanted it too. I wanted that part so so badly. But Olivia got the part. I was happy for her but also disappointed for me. The next part that Ms. Moll is going to call out is King Ferdinand. I also shot my hand up for that part. I really wanted that part badly too. . I basically just wanted to be a part of royalty. It was me against my classmate Almir. I am just waiting for her to call my name, saying to myself “I want this part,” repeatedly in my head. “Izzy” said Ms. Moll. Everyone started giggling, you know because King Ferdinand is a man and I was a 10 year girl. But I wasn’t offended I laughed with them. I was proud of myself for getting that part.

 We started rehearsing a little bit later. Ms. Moll started with the main characters first because they started the play. Then after a good half an hour went by I heard Ms. Moll say I need the king and queen to the stage. The reason it took so long is because the kids needed to figure out what they wanted to say and make it make sense, plus there was four of them. Anyway, back to the king and queen. When i heard her call the king and queen you would have thought I was a three year old about to get a new toy I was jumping up and down. As soon as Olivia and I got to the stage Ms. Moll explained to us what we need to do.

• Come up with lines not memorize them
  
• Figure out what we want to say (obviously)
  
• Stay in character (most important)                                                                                                                                                                                                   

   I was really excited that we didn’t have to have a script in front of us to memorize because if we forget a line we wont be embarresed and look like a goof infront of the audience.                          

I sat, taking my books and IPad out of my carry-on bag. Then, I put on my seat belt. I adjust the strap on my waist like adjusting the straps on my back pack. The plane doesn’t have comfortable seats. I begin to get comfortable when I hear the pilots voice boom out of the speaker above my head.

“Good afternoon,” he said in a chirpy voice. “I am your pilot I hope we have a great flight,” he continued. “Please, prepare yourself for take-off and turn of any electronics,” boomed out of the speaker above my head.

I CAN’T WAIT! The plane started moving on the runway like a little boy rolling his toy car; fast and slightly out of control. The plane makes a huge jolt that made my stomach twist and knot up. The plane started speeding up, getting faster by the second.  Then, we start flying! I looked out the window; we were off the run way and hovering over the ground. Slowly, the plane got higher and higher and higher into the air like a bird taking off from land. Outside, the buildings looked like doll houses, I could barely make out the windows on the houses. Outside I saw the clouds that looked like white cotton candy, fluffy and soft looking.

I have sat here in this stiff uncomfortable air plane chair for such a long time. I knew you had to sit in a plane for a long time. But not this long. My legs are stiff as metal rods. My mouth as dry as a dessert. My arms limp like spaghetti by my sides. I am sitting on this plane for so many hours that I just can’t stop myself from asking:

“Ugh, mom when are we going to get off this plane?” I moaned like a wounded animal.
“Soon Maya,” my mom said in a soothing voice.
That’s what you said 1 hour ago I think. I am reading a book and waiting to get off this plane. Hope rises in me as I hear the pilot’s voice crackle to life on the speaker.
“Hello, it is 4:30 here in Guatemala, 75 degrees,” the pilot informs us. “Please get ready to land, turn off all electronics and pack up all your things,” the pilot said in a stern voice.  “Make sure you don’t leave anything behind” He continued.

Yay! I think. Finally, I will be off this plane and with my family. All the way in Guatemala. Far away from home.

I love going to San Diego. San Diego is in California. My family usually goes there to see my dad’s old college friend, Brad. He has two kids, a two year-old named Jack and a five year-old named Amelia, and his wife Beth. And we had an awesome time there last summer. . .

I felt as if I would spew throw up over everybody on the plane like a garden hose as the plane violently shook with the wind. When the plane landed in the San Diego airport I walked off the plane after the six hour long ride, with legs made of Jell-O. I wished I could just fall over into icy cold water because it was so hot in San Diego. It felt like five hundred degrees outside the airport because I wasn’t not used to the California heat.

One day when me and my family where walking through San Diego’s “Mexico City,” we walked into a little souvenir shop and I got a little shiny bull. The bull glimmered when the sun’s rays hit the shiny little reflector plates. The reflector plates are rainbow colored. That bull will help me remember San Diego.

When I went to Sea World I really wanted to feed the rays. I fed the rays little pieces of herring. The herring was squishy and slimy. The rays’ backs feel like slick glass, with frog slime poured all over it. I also got to feel an Atlantic Sturgeon’s back. A sturgeon is a big fish. The sturgeon’s back felt like a two hundred year-old, somewhat-spiny shield, rough as sandpaper.

And when we went to the San Diego Zoo, we saw a million different kinds of animals. The rhinos’ skin looked too big for their bodies, baggy and wrinkly. And the mountain goats’ horns were hard like hundred year-old bones, that weren’t preserved very well. The horns were yellowish and brownish.

On the plane ride back to Boston, there was a guy next to me who was sleeping. He snored like a troll with a stuffy nose, full of mucus. He was snoring the entire plane ride back to Boston. But when the plane finally landed and we got off I couldn’t believe that we were back home. The Hancock Building was the sign that we were in Boston. I think everyone should go to San Diego.     

It was a cool summer night in Vermont. A luminescent moon shined in the sky for everyone to see. My brother, my mom and I were sitting on the stone seats by the flickering fire in the fire pit. A waiter comes by holding two plates filled with, gram crackers, Hershey’s chocolate and marshmallows.  He lays one of the plates next to my brother, Ethan and the other plate next to me. For desert we decided to have s’mores.

The fire blazed up like a hand reaching out to grab something. The fire casted vivid light on my body as if an artist painted my body a fiery orange. A few people are still swimming in the heated pool to the left of the fire pit. A gentle breeze whips by. The smoke from the fire burns my eyes. I grab a stick off the plate and stab the tines through the middle of the marshmallow. I hang it over the tips of the flames, careful not to drop it into the fire. I slowly turned it over thinking it has to be perfect! Nice and steady… My brother, Ethan has already finished lots of s’mores. I haven’t even finished one! With my free hand, I grab a piece of chocolate and enclose it with my fingers.

Finally my s’more turned a perfect golden brown; just how I like it! I smack my now gooey, golden brown marshmallow on a gram cracker. I can hear muffled conversations in the restaurant. I open my hand. The chocolate is smeared across my hand like butter on bread. I grab a new piece of chocolate and lay it on the golden marshmallow. To top off my s’more, I put another gram cracker on the top. With the corner of my eye I sneak a peek at my brother. His mouth is rimmed with Hershey’s chocolate. He pops his last few pieces of chocolate in his mouth. He plate is empty; unlike mine.

I chomp at a corner. Whoa! This tastes amazing!!! I haven’t had a s’more this good since three years ago! MMM MMMMM… “Uuuuuh! I’m soooooooo fuuuuuullll!” my brother moans shattering my thought bubble. I devour the rest of the s’more as if I were a vacuum. A bomb of sugar explodes in my mouth! “I want another”, I declare.

That night, I ate 3 s’mores. I was stuffed after that. We went back to our fancy hotel room with two queen beds and a flat screen TV. Besides dinner, making s’mores by the fire is our only family bonding time. My brother, Ethan is playing in the game room 24/7 and Mom is knitting by the pool. Making s’mores is something we all enjoy; not something we’re forced to do.    

Go! Go! Go!  I heard my coach holler as he almost trampled off the bench.  I took a large gulp of water after a long and tiring shift. I was about to go back on the ice with three minutes left in the championship game with a score of 2-2.

My team was dominating towards the end of the game. When I stepped foot on the ice I felt like no one could stop me. I was relentless that whole entire shift. Finally I got the puck and skated as fast as I could. I felt like I was moving at the velocity of a Bugatti sports car going it’s fastest. I zoomed around four people, launched my arms back and rocketed a shot toward the net. The power of my shot dented the crossbar but it wasn’t enough for it to go in. Dang! I could have just won the championship for my team. I needed to get it back. There was almost one minute left in the game, the other team got the puck and had a breakaway but my goalie made an unbelievable save which put our team in a great position!

I got back on the ice and got the puck and I was cutting edges around people like I was a downhill skier. There was half a minute left in the championship game and I went straight to the net skating like a deer running it’s fastest with the puck and sniped top corner, my team won the championship!!! We all through our sticks and gloves and helmets everywhere and went crazy!! We all dove into a pile of limbs. I felt great after scoring that goal and I felt like a winner. 

I was up in main, my brother and sister was fishing. They were fighting each other with the fishing hooks, swinging the lines like lassos. They were making so muck noise that it was like one of those baby toys, every time it moved it cried. The squeals were so bad that it was like it was like the toy was in a car going on a rocky road. While my siblings where making a racket, I was swimming and my siblings where making a lot of noise. I dove under and opened my eyes threw the glimmering water; I saw something red like blood under the water half buried under the sand. I touched it, suddenly what looked like a rock floated to the top.

 While I was swooping to the surface, I searched for the red I found it floating like a dead fish in the water. I picked it up and it wasn’t a rock, a little head popped out and then the feet came out one by one. It was a baby turtle! It crawled slowly on my hand.  I took it up to our cottage and made him a little house in a bucket and with some rocks in it.

Throughout the day, I checked on him and fed him tine pieces of bred. He ate them lazily.

After I went to bed that night woke up to some splashing, I went in the living room and remembered my bucket, and I saw the little turtle swimming in the bucket. My dad said I could keep him but I couldn’t stand him in the little space. I opened the back door facing the lake and started walking 10 minutes later I was walking back and walked up to the house and went into bed and then stared at the dark sealing in till I fell asleep.

I was running full speed towards the nurse’s office at Crane Lake Overnight camp. My councilor was with me. As we got within a meter, my breakfast made its way up my digestive system and into my throat. The nurse hurried out with a bucket probably not intended for me.  i grabbed it, leaned over, and regurgitated my food into it. I felt like a kangaroo  with a broken leg. I was so exhausted, and I felt awful.

Inside the nurses office was air conditioned so I felt relieved.  There was so much heat outside, it felt like lava. The nurse grabbed a thermometer, took my temperature, and told me I had the stomach bug going around.

“You’ll have to stay at the nurse’s office overnight.” The nurse told me. She made me drink some Gatorade but when I swallowed it, I puked it right back out again. 

“Hmmmm…Well, you won’t be able to eat lunch or dinner so I guess I should take you to the room you’ll be staying in for however long it takes you to mend.” The nurse told me.

I was put in room two. That room was designated to people with stomach bugs. There were two bunk beds, and four trash cans. I went to the left lower bunk. In the opposite bed there was another camper. He was from the oldest group. I was in the youngest group. The other camper was passed out. I was drowsier than a guy with no sleep of 52 hours. I fell asleep.

I awoke to find my councilor Ari bringing me my pillow and book. I was grateful. The mattresses were harder than a rhinoceros horn. As soon as he left I leaned over and threw up into the trash can. Then it happened again… and again… and again.  When throw up finally stopped coming, I fell asleep.

“PAM” screamed my ‘roommate’. I almost fell off my bed. The nurse came in.
“Oh dear,” said the nurse when she came in. “Di-ow did a little boy like you throw up all of this?”
“ I don’t kno- GLORPPFF. I had puked again.

When she came back with new trash bags, I was just dozing off.
“Wake up,” she snapped. “We have to feed you.” When I snapped back to reality, I saw it was a different nurse. No wonder she was impatient. I was given some water and a bagel. I tried to drink some of the water. It went down, but it hurt to swallow. Then I tried to eat the bagel. When I tried to swallow, the water and the bagel came up and I regurgitated them into the trash bag. She put her thumb and fore finger to her chin.
“Well, we can’t feed you, so you should get some sleep.

As I awoke from a fitful slumber, the main nurse was on the phone saying, “…can’t swallow anything. If he can’t eat anything in the morning we’ll have to move him to the hospital. No, don’t worry, Stefan only has a stomach bug not an infection. Yes. Thank you, goodnight.” I leaned over the side of my bunk and barfed.

I  threw up five more times that night. It hurt. A lot. To top it all off, I had nothing to eat or drink! It was probably for the better. If I tried to swallow, I would have thrown it back out again. By around six (I couldn’t tell because there was no clock), the throw up bucket was filled to the brim. I felt like I had a migraine. My head hurt so much and my stomach felt as though it weighed a ton. The camper next to me was on his iPod touch. We weren’t supposed to bring those to camp but because he was older he probably got more privileges. He turned it off and fell asleep.

At some point I must have dozed off too because I woke to hear people splashing in the pool outside. The nurse was in the room cleaning the barf buckets.

“You need to take a shower.” She told me. “You’re leaving soon.” All I managed was a weak, “Yay.”

After my shower, I started walking in the wrong direction instead of to my room. Then I crashed into the doorway. The nurse finally found me and took me outside to my bunk. They were just leaving for lunch.

“We’re glad to have you back Stefan.” said my counselor.  
“I’m glad to be back,” I replied 

This is about the time I played crazy craft for the first time. One day I was board so I went on sky’s channel on YouTube and saw “Crazy Craft Episode 1!” I watched it and I’m like I need this in my life.

I got on Minecraft forge (the minecraft mod pack downloader) and got the mod pack. It finally loaded about 3 hours later I got a bunch of stuff and started to kill bosses.

Then came BIGBIRTHA then I said “wait!..i can duel wield that!!!”. Then I press R then BABABABABABABAAAAAAAA!!! I killed every boss in one hit then I killed the king! I couldn’t believe I won, and that was the time I played Crazy craft.

I was at the park called Carr Park with two of my friends, Conner and Jared. Conner is medium height with a Bruins hat, always. Jared is tall and has brown hair.  I like Conner more than Jared from my point of view. They are both really good friends though.

I had my basketball there, and Jared and Conner both love basketball. I asked them if they wanted to play a game of pick-up on the bone-dry concrete. They both said yes simultaneously like two birds mating. As a group of three, we walked to the basketball courts. Well if you count running as fast as a tiger walking.

I started with the ball because it was me against them. I didn’t think that it was unfair because I was two times better than them. I dribbled the ball up to the foul line. Both of them were on me like eagles on a mouse. I had to use my special move called the toss and run. I toss the ball high in the air so it would distract them. Then I run around them and catch the ball. After that, I shoot. This time when I shot, it rolled around on the rim and swiveled in. Yes, 2 to nothing. Like stealing candy from a baby!

They had the ball and they played a pass play perfectly. Conner dribbled up and swiftly passed to Jared. Being the ball hog he is, shot the ball. Of course it swished right into the net, 2 to 2. I sunk in displeasure. I thought to myself “That ball hog Jared” though I was proud of him.

The game went on for an hour and a half like this. The score was 46 to 48, I was winning. We promised that this would be the last play. Conner and Jared drove up with the ball. I was thinking “This is it.” I played the best defense I ever had in my life. When of course Jared shot it, I jumped as high as a bunny and stopped the shot. I had a silent celebration in my head before I went back to my last drive.” I hope I score,” I thought.

 I ran up to the net, jumped so high. And BANG, I dunked the ball to win the game. Jared got a little mad but not too mad, and Conner didn’t seem mad. They both shook my hand and told me good game. Even though that I knew that Jared didn’t really mean that it was a good game. After that, Jared and Conner went home, So did I.

That basketball game was pretty fun. Even though Jared didn’t think that it was, or so I thought. I got home and had to go to bed. When I was lying down, I thought “This has been the best day of my life. I got to play basketball with my friends, and I had fun.”

I was on the sand waiting for the 9:00am deep water swim with the dolphin. I was impatient as a three year old waiting for a chocolate bar. I had remembered that I could see dolphins jumping, twisting, turning, shaking hands and waving goodbye, from my porch in the Bahamas. Now I get to experience it myself.  

“9:00am deep water dolphin swims.” I hear from a lady behind the counter. I walked into the room where we had to get our special suits on. I tried really hard getting it on. After a 5 minute battle with a wet slippery suit, I finally got it on. The zipper that went up my back was obviously behind me so I was spinning around trying to zip up the zipper; I looked like a complete idiot. Then my trainer asked me if I wanted help. I said “sure thanks.” As if I just ran a 2 mile run and was out of breath. Then we had to sit in a unique orientation which was kind of cool for about 7 minutes. Then it was time, time to swim with the dolphins.

I walked out into the pool, I was so excited, I was about to burst out screaming. My perky young trainer asked me my name, I said “savvy.” I followed my group out into to the beach like pool. There was an inside room where you get your suits on (also the same room as the orientation) then right outside the room, there was a long isle of sand, then there was ALL water. It was really cool. My trainer handed me my snorkel as I was in the water. I didn’t need one at first, so I said “I don’t need one.”

I swam really fast into the deep zone. Then a dolphin named Cosmo came out of nowhere. I was the first one to pet him. Thought were running in and out of my head “does he like me? Will I get to ride on him?” but I kept my face cool like I’ve done it 1,000 times. But that was my first time.

“Would you like to feed him a fish?” my trainer asked me. “Uhh….sure” I said looking puzzled. I had to touch a small slimy 6 inch fish with my bare hands. Cosmo came swimming like a bullet over to me. I wasn’t scared; I’ve seen this kind of stuff on TV before. I didn’t know what trick to make him do. So I shot my hand straight up in the air. Next thing I knew he was standing on his flipper and put on of his fins out. I immediately knew he was trying to shake my hand, so I shook his hand. He opened his mouth wide; I threw the fish like I would throw a tennis ball underhand. He caught it in his mouth like a dog would catch a treat.

That was it for getting to know the dolphins. Now it was time for what would be one of the most exciting times of my vacation in Atlantis.

I laid my stomach flat on the bogie board. Then a hard rubber nose touched my foot. The dolphin that was pushing me was named Michelle. She was as sweet as could be.  Next thing I knew I was going super-fast. I was halfway to the end, I had remembered that I could lift my board up and put my arms out straight. Half the board went up in the air. It was a moment I will never forget. Inside me I was about to burst saying “wooooo!!!!” So I did. I mean who cares I was there to have the best time of my life.

Then it was picture time. The trainer called me up. “He said hug the dolphin.” In a Jamaican accent. After that, snapped his fingers, and the dolphin arched his back. “Click” I hear from the camera. Next he said “now, kiss the dolphin.” I look puzzled, but I did. I put both of my hands on his cheek and kissed him.

Over all, it was the best experience of my life; I will never ever forget it.

Check out students' posters! Students researched an animal and created a poster that cleverly displayed the information they learned. 

Working in groups of three, students measured the volume of a variety of rectangular prisms, such as a crayon box, an aluminum foil box, and a highlighter box --14 in all-- using centimeter cubes. 

Pete rewrote an excerpt from The Black Stallion from the perspective of the horse. Check out his clever use of figurative language. 

The Boy

As I was swimming to shore, I saw another struggling life form. By the time I reached the other life form, it has stopped struggling. Its eyes were closed and it’s sinking beneath the choppy, pitch-black waves. I pull it to shore.

When it wakes up I find out that it is a boy. And I eventually find out that his name is Alec. For some strange reason I don’t understand, Alec intimidates me. It makes no sense! I’m bigger and more commanding than that little twerp. He’s so small and weak.

The next day, I see a yellowish-black snake in front of Alec, about to bite him. Now, I don’t like Alec or especially care for the boy. But, I realized that if Alec gets bitten by a venomous snake, he will torture me with his horrible screeches of torment and agony. Humans are so selfish. So I scream my loudest scream ever and tare across the shore, my body becomes a blur. The humid but refreshing air streaks across my face, but I continue to charge down the shore. I’m right in front of Alec and the snake. I pound the Earth, brittle as butterscotch in the heat, it cracks.

When I stop, the snake is nothing but a shriveled head, with dark, crimson blood spurting out from behind the shiny yellow scales. Then I run away from Alec. One hundred yards away, I stopped and turn around and see Alec. Standing there alone. He shouts something out to me but I couldn’t quite make out the words.

Later, I’m looking out over the enormous cliffs as the wind whips at my mane. I have decided to come when Alec calls me, and I have accepted the name Black. As I’m walking beside a crystalline-looking pool of water, I start to eat some dry, dirty and tasteless carragheen.  I hate carragheen. It’s the most tasteless seaweed I’ve ever eaten. It’s brown and usually floppy. It’s salty as fresh sea-water and coated in sand from when it washes up on the shore.

The next morning, I ran farther inland on the island. I no longer could see Alec. But then I see a little person on the top of a hill. It’s Alec. He whistles and I trot over to him. When I look up at Alec, his face was as pale as a crisp, new piece of paper. And it’s so hot out that he’s pouring sweat like a garden hose. He grabs my mane and starts to climb on me! I’m appalled that he would think, much less try, to ride me! I stiffen myself and whip him off my back, and he crashes into a nearby sand dune. I nudge his head. But he doesn’t move.

After many hours, he wakes up. I’m guessing he was unconscious. He tries to get back on me, whispering softly in my ear. I whip him to the ground again. Now his body is covered in little black and purple dots that humans call bruises. But this time he gets right back up. And I must admire his perseverance, but I will be reluctant to let him ride me. No matter what. . .

I’ve decided to concede to Alec’s wantings. I will let Alec ride me tomorrow...

. . .I sort of reared into the air. I tested his horsemanship by rocketing down the shore. I felt like I was flying because my strides were so long. The wind hurt my ears and eyes, yet I kept on running. I ran in a wide circle, my speed never getting lower. I saw a deep gully ahead of me and I immediately knew that I could jump it. But could Alec hold on? Hopefully not. So I jumped it. And unfortunately, Alec stayed alive. He just proved he could take fine care of me. And as I landed, I felt the Earth beneath me rumble as if the entire Earth just cracked. I made a rhythm on the pure white sand.

A Ms. Moll original math game, "Roll A Quotient". Students practiced dividing fractions by playing this fun dice rolling game.

Inspired by The Black Stallion by Walter Farley.


My Life as a Horse

His life is filled with lots of pride,
Swiftly he comes-faster with every magnificent stride.
The sun blazed down and sweat ran from the stallions face,
The sweat racing down with a quick a pace.
When the stallion halted he saw a boy,
Laying by a tree with not a bit of joy.
There the boy sat on the grassy ground,
He was just sitting there not making a sound.
The stallion galloped over to the tree,
The boy looked up and said “I am free”.
The boy got up and jumped on the stallions back,
The stallion quivered then made a crack.
The stallion reared then the boy fell off the stallions back,
The boy laid on the ground and just saw black.
The boy woke up and got to his knees,
When the stallion reared then suddenly freezed.
The stallion didn’t move he just remained calm,
The boy got up as fast as a bomb.
The boy got up on the stallions back,
But this time the stallion didn’t crack.
The stallion galloped through the pathway,
The stallion and the boy were on their way.

For reading workshop, students read an except from Andrew Clements' fun novel Lunch Money, about a boy named Greg who draws, publishes, and sells his own comics called, "Chunky Comics". Students also learned about the history of comic books and how to make their own mini comic.

RAFT Writing: Students wrote a persuasive letter from the perspective of Greg. They needed to persuade the principal to let them sell their comics at a booth in the cafeteria during lunch time. Check out some of those clever letters under RAFT Writing.

For this creative homework project, students had to come up with an invention and develop a prototype. They also had to create promotional materials to sell their product to potential investors and customers. Check out some of their work here.