SUPER FRIENDSHIP POWERS by Grace Tran

How strong is the power of friendship?  Well, the answer to that is very strong.  The power of friendship is the most powerful thing in the universe.

Friends guide you.  They teach you right from wrong.  If you pick the right friends, they will teach you good.  Friends comfort us.  They help us whenever we need them.  We need friends.

I meet most of my friends at school.  When I'm sad, they cheer me up.  You don't need many friends, just one - one that understands you and cares for you.

To show my friends are important, I hang out with them all the time.  I don't have to, but I want to.  I'm going to let the whole world know about my friend.

Without my friends, I would disappear like a mouse would do if it came upon a cat - all alone.  What is the point of living without friends?   There will be no one to guide us, no one to cheer us up, and no one to play with.  The world will turn dark and never reach daylight without a friend.

INBORN DESIGNER - by Grace Tran

Everyone has an inborn talent.  An inborn talent is a talent that somebody is born with.  Well, my inborn talent is… DESIGNING!

         I don't mean to be stereotypical, but designers are better as girls or MOSTLY girls.  That's because… well, girls care about fashion at one point of their lives or another, and girls have the right sense of color.  But that's not the point.  Point is, designers have to know what colors go together, and an outfit that people will like.

         The week after Christmas, my aunt and uncle came to visit.  They brought presents for my cousins.  I was bored so I came up with an idea… a design-o-rama!  We can make dresses out of gift wrap!  So we spent the next three hours making outfits.  I made a dress for my cousin, because she wanted to be my "model". 

         It turned out to have a belt, one strap made with zebra duck tape, and other cool features.  My uncle was watching me as I worked and said, " You know Grace, you have a talent for designing clothes.  Ever thought of becoming a designer?"  That's when another idea speeded into my brain.  I CAN BECOME A DESIGNER!

         As a sixth grader, nowadays, I only care about finding something to wear.  It just seems important somehow.  So as a pre-designer, I'm not saying to start getting picky with your clothes, but just keep an eye out for colors.  Also, think about all the types of clothes that YOU liked, and try to make your own.  LET’S GET DESIGNING GREEN!

         However, I still have lots to learn.  Maybe I should get a partner, or…. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ELK MOUNTAIN - by Ryan Ng

Driving to Elk Mountain took about 30 minutes from my friend’s home. We took a shuttle bus from the parking lot to the mountains. The ski site was full of snow and skiers.

I saw humongous hills of snow. We went to get our ski gear. Then I took ski lessons with my friends Charlie, Derek, Victor, and Rachel. I felt scared the first time I went down. First Victor fell all the way down. I was next. I couldn’t control and started to fall. I had to wait with Victor until the rest of the group and the instructors came.  We went a second and third time. I was scared going on the ski lift because I thought I was going to drop my ski poles.

Rachel went with her dad Uncle Chi to the green leveled mountains. Kyungsoo and Nicholas went snowboarding. I felt happy to overcome my fear skiing down the hill with no instructor.

MY ADVICE TO HITLER by Nicholas Ng

What advice would I give Hitler to change him?

Adolf Hitler was abused as a child and that is what made him so violent. He did not have a positive bond between him and his father either. They often argued. Also, Hitler’s father did not approve his interest in art. When Hitler was 14, his father suddenly died. Because Hitler loved fine art, he tried to get into the Academy of Fine Arts twice. He was rejected both times. Out of money, he went into a homeless shelter. This incident was where he first started mentioning about how the Jews were the worst race.

Hitler initiated World War II as dictator of Germany and started the Nazis. During the German Great Depression, many people were in need of a leader. Hitler took this opportunity for his anti-Semitism campaign. In the campaign, Hitler came in second for both rounds against Paul von Hindenburg. But Hitler won more than 35% of the votes. This made Hitler a very strong force in German politics. Even though Hindenburg won, he still agreed to let Hitler take over as chancellor in order to promote political balance.

If I were giving advice to Hitler, I would tell him to treat others the way he would want to be treated. This is important because he would be kind to them. What’s good about being nice? He would gain respect from many others, gain more power, and get more people to follow him! People will respect and follow Hitler because they know he is a nice person and will do kind acts. Since he has this respect, he could easily win an election for chancellor or dictator of Germany. Also, Hitler would be known for stopping World War II!

No child like Hitler deserves to go through that much violence. Also, this advice would stop him from causing World War II and the Holocaust. I think Hitler is partially blamed for World War II. His dad influenced Hitler to become the way he was, but Hitler took his anger and revenge on the people he didn’t like. No one should do that either. 

Hitler might be bad, but we can all relate to him. When we are angry, it is easier to take our anger out on other people than to hold it in and control ourselves. This is how Hitler went on to create the Holocaust. In life, people make mistakes. Sometimes they are forgivable like breaking a glass cup. Killing massive millions of people and more is not forgivable. This is why you have to think before you act. If you think before you act, you will not get into trouble like Hitler did.

THE BEST DAY EVER - by Grace Tran

                "Dear Mrs. Tran and Mr. Tran, I’m writing to inform you that your daughter, Grace Tran, has won the McDonald’s essay contest. Please come to the award ceremony on February second to collect her reward". After I read this letter, my heart leaped out.

                Two weeks later, I found myself standing on the stage at the Yung Wing Elementary School, reading my essay to a bunch of people. Aunt Aimy, Coach Jen, parents, and Grandma came to cheer me on at the award ceremony. I finished my essay with a grin and walked off the stage.

                But first, I had to get there early to meet the judges. When the ceremony started, there was this judge with a purple mohawk. Aunt Aimy arrived with a basket of gifts for me and a congratulation balloon. Inside was a tie, a monkey candle, a cup with hearts on it, a little pack of cards, and a teddy bear.

After the ceremony, each contestant was presented with a goody bag. In it was a case with a pen and calculator. I also got a calendar, a notepad with a cool cover, a flash drive, and two balloons. Moreover, I received five two-dollar gift cards for McDonald’s and a $250 check.

                Even Ronald McDonald came!!! He picked a random boy and tried to draw him on a board. The cool thing was that the eyes of the drawing on the board actually moved.

Then, Ronald McDonald said, "Well, the next thing you know you're going to tell me it talks." Suddenly, the picture opened its mouth and actually started talking!!!

                The best part was when Ronald McDonald started erasing the picture. He was like, "One, two, three."

The picture said, "Four."

Those two kept arguing about counting. It was, "HEE-larious." Finally RM erased the picture, but then it talked again so he put the board back stage. As I said before, it was "HEE-larious!!!"

                After the ceremony, I went to a restaurant and celebrated. I had my favorite dishes - a lot of them! I felt really good - compliments, gifts, and prizes.

When I think back, I remembered spending hours each day revising my essay. I thought it was impossible for me to win but, WOW! I still can't believe I won! I learned that it was not only important to try hard but also to do your best. Over 300 students entered the contest and only 10 won. My advice for contests like these: try hard and try your best!

 

 

From the Pages of Grace's Tran...

 

THUS THE SEASON TO START BLENDING

My favorite holidays are Chinese New Year and Christmas.  Chinese New Year because there is the lion and dragon dances.  People are always laughing.  And there are pops and fireworks and much more.  Christmas because I sleep over at my uncle's HUGE house.  When I wake up the next morning, I open my gift at the foot of the Christmas tree.

I celebrate Chinese New Year with my parents and family members.  I celebrate Christmas with family members and friends.

For Chinese New Year, my family and I go to a restaurant and eat.  We also go to Chinatown to see the parade and pop firecrackers.  For Christmas I sleep over at my Uncle's family.  Every year I go there with my Aunt's family.  The next day, its Christmas.  Relatives and friends all go there, including my grandma and grandpa.

To make Chinese New Year better, I would combine all the holidays to make Chinese New Year.  For example, to add some Christmas spirit,  I can give presents instead of red envelopes.  That would be cool.  To make Christmas special, I can spin it with Thanksgiving, being thankful.  I call this method, the holiday blend.

from the pages of Grace Tran....

 

                                                                       WHAT EXACTLY IS A HERO???



Hero's don't exactly have to hover in midair or shoot laser out of their eyes.  They just have to have bravery, skill, and leadership.

Bravery is important.  No hero wants to chicken out.  Skill is also important.  Who's ever heard of a hero that isn't good at anything?  Every hero has to have one talent.  And last of all, leadership.  Leadership is important, too.  A leader doesn't always mean they lead wars.  It can also mean having a good influence on others, reassuring others, etc.

My hero is Abraham Lincoln.  I think he is a great hero because he had bravery, skill, and leadership.  He wasn't scared when he plunged into the icy river just to save his dog.  He wasn't scared when one general wasn't attacking.  And he was calm when slavery started.  Abe Lincoln's speeches, strength, and humor were his skills.

He was the only person who said speeches only two minutes long.  But his speeches reached out into other's hearts.  His strength was when he was only seven years of age but Abe could lift up a log all by himself.  His humor was when he preached just like the preacher, coughed like him, and memorized what the priest had said on Sunday's announcement.  He preached to the other boys when they were tired.

His leadership grew stronger as he became the president.  As president, he had to lead the country.  At that time, there was slavery and Abraham wanted to stop it.  He refused to retreat.  And at last, the war was won.

To others, Abraham Lincoln is a great hero.  After all, he was shot to death.  All heroes die hard deaths (maybe).

THE 2012 FORMULA by Nicholas Ng

Do you know how wacky one year can be? 2012 was a surprising, concerning, roller-coaster like year.

 

Winning an essay contest, seeing Las Vegas and surrounding canyons, and participating in a math competition were the best experiences that happened in 2012.  The most memorable moment was when one day my teacher, Ms. Poole, called me to go up to her desk.  I thought I was in trouble.  Instead, she pointed to an email with a smile on her face as I stood next her.  The email said that I won the Liberty Essay Contest sponsored by New York Liberty, a women basketball team.  I competed against students from my school and other New Jersey and New York schools, winning first place.

 

Last October, I participated in the competitive Bergen Math Competition. Even though I didn’t win, I had an opportunity to see how much other kids knew about math. It amazed me.  From my experience in this contest, I can tell you right away to prepare and don’t be nervous. Being nervous will slow you down when relying on speed to win.  Preparing will help you get ready to enter a competition and make it seem not as hard.

 

During the summer, my family took a trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Circle, a circle of amazing National Parks and Canyons.  I thought it would just be a tour of boring canyons, but it turned out to be a surprisingly fun vacation.  It was very fun hiking up and down the mountains (though dehydrating), exploring Las Vegas, gaping at the colorfully lit lights of the hotels and during the shows at the casinos. I never thought that Las Vegas and a hiking trip could be so enjoyable!

 

Challenges were faced in 2012, too. An unexpected sorrow of 2012 was getting uveitis last summer. This was not like a broken bone or something of that sort; it was an inflammation in my eyes.  Now, I take medications to control the swelling.  Without medications, I could have gotten cataracts. Good thing I didn’t. I take pills every day and injections every Friday and every other Tuesday to help me treat uveitis.

 

We had Hurricane Sandy days before Halloween.  We were much more fortunate than many others, but we still faced hardships. Our family went through four days of blackout. That seems like a lot, but some people lost power for an entire week and a half. Some families even lost their homes and cars. Based on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I know to be prepared for natural disasters at all times.  When I buy a house, I’ll buy it away from areas prone to natural disasters.

 

My favorite book I read last year was Powerless by Matthew Cody. It is about a boy named Daniel who moves to a new town and new school. He meets these weird kids who have superpowers. Slowly, their powers disappear one child at a time. Daniel needed to know what kind of evil would steal elementary kids’ powers. Read Powerless and find out what happens next yourself.  Powerless deserves five stars. Matthew Cody makes every chapter a cliffhanger, always tempting you to read more. I couldn’t put the book down until the end!!!

 

Lessons are learned often. Two important lessons I learned in 2012 were to always prepare before something and never last minute. Also, certainly not do the minimum. If you prepare for a test last minute, you might score 100 but you wouldn’t learn anything. Don’t take my path and cheat your way through school. If you do the minimum all the time, it would be terrible for you and your grades. For example, if you did a worksheet and you did not do the extra credit, you could get a question wrong and your grade would be lower; but if you did the maximum, even if you got a question wrong, the extra credit would cover that. Also, trying your best means that you did the maximum you could’ve done. Doing the maximum means you did a good job even without getting a 100 on your test.

 

Surprises + worries + roller coaster bumps = 2012.

 

 

Study Ahead, Study on a Schedule, and NO EXCUSES! by Grace Tran

An important goal is to understand what you're studying.  It doesn't matter if you got a bad score on the test.  It only matters if you study; you know what you studied, and tried extra hard.  Like I can get an 100% on an exam.  But not know what I was studying.  It only matters if you understood the text.

 

This is my goal because I never realized how important studying was until I pretty much flunked every single test.  (So don’t be like me!!!  I’m warning you!!!)  You can always study ahead of your teacher so you know what you're going to learn.  Studying is also important because it shows responsibility and independence.  Nobody has to remind to do it.  Just do it independently!  You're studying for yourself, not other people.

 

To reach my goal, I think I'll have to have my own study schedule.  Like on certain days I have to study and some days I don't.  Or I can push myself more often.  Like write reminders and not play or enjoy myself as much.  Who cares if I can't play as much!  It’s not like my whole life depends on it?!

 

I feel confident that I can someday accomplish this goal.  I mean, like, everything's possible on Earth.  Also, goals like this might be especially hard because of excuses.  It’s simple to come up with excuses for this goal.  "I had a bunch of homework; I had to take care of my demented parrot."  No excuses!!!

A LESSON LEARNED by Grace Tran

I once learned a very important lesson.  It was . . . to NEVER EVER do homework last minute.  It all started one Friday.  I had to finish tutoring homework last minute!  I had to stay up until 11 o'clock before I finished all the assignments. It was so tiring. 

                The same thing happened the next two weeks.  But by that time, I was very tired of having to stay up till 11.  So I knew I had to do the homework step by step.  I was all planned out.  I had to fit the tutoring homework with the school homework.  It was a tight fit, but at least I wouldn't have to stay up so late on one day.

                So on Sunday, I started on my homework.  As you can see from this story, never ever do all your homework last minute.  Also, take breaks between each assignment and plan your time wisely.  Or else, you'll end up having a really hard time.

                If you don't think this tip is good enough for you. Then, all I have to say is . . . GOOD LUCK!!!  Although it's a lot of work, that's what being a student is all about.  And, it doing homework last minute can develop a bad habit.  Therefore, my lesson is to never leave the homework last minute.  EVER!!!

ADVICE FROM A 6TH GRADER by Grace Tran

Sixth Grade Facts

 

          I'm in sixth grade. Sixth grade is kind of fun. Your first year in middle school isn't really that bad. I mean, you get to walk around the halls by yourself and not with a teacher. This year, we studied math, English, humanities, Chinese social studies, and science. (WOW! I know! That's a lot of subjects to take!)

          For middle school, you will need a flash drive, a little pack of tissue paper, hand sanitizer, pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, a binder, a three-hole puncher, folders, and post-its. In order to be successful in sixth grade, you have to study all the subjects. (Yes, all the subjects). That's what sixth grade is all about, studying and being independent. Being independent rocks! You don't need a teacher for every single little thing.

          However, there is something I would like to warn you about sixth grade. You see, the problem in sixth grade is that you have a large bundle of tests every two-three weeks. Also, there is a 70% chance you can fail a pop quiz if you don't study every day. Sixth grade has a lot of pop quizzes. Label your notebooks and always put your heading on homework assignments or else, the teachers won't accept your work. Oh, and one more thing, do NOT try to skip classes! If you do, you won't know what your class is doing, and you'll have to make up the work next time.

          My advice for sixth grade is. . . try to relax. If you have a ton of homework, don't freak out!!! Study! And last of all, have fun!!! Sixth grade is not that bad. You just have to relax and try to have fun!!!! Sixth grade is a BLAST, but it's no joke.

WHAT A FAMILY! by Grace Tran

        The members of my family is my mom, and dad. There's also my aunt, two cousins, and my uncle. And of course, me.

        My mom is the boss of the family and the tough one. She's in charge when it comes to certain things. My dad's the mean one. He's also the one stressing out the most. My aunt is always bringing me to fun places and giving me toys, I love her. My cousin, Jasymne is also stressing out. She has a tough attitude just like my mom. My other cousin, Madison, is a swimming athlete. However, unlike my other cousin, Madison is the fun one. She likes candy as much as I do and she loves to play with me. When I'm bored, I always go to her apartment to play. Her dad, my uncle, is tall, and muscular. He used to be a firefighter and a paramedic.

        My family is special because my mom's side of the family is from China. My dad's side is from Vietnam. Right now, I'm learning some Vietnamese. As for my Chinese, its Okay. My family are also strict Buddhist believers, and there are not many families that believe in Buddhism nowadays.

        I feel the best thing about my family is. . . EVERYTHING! I LOVE believing in Buddhism, and being half Vietnamese and Chinese. My family is the most wonderful family anyone could ever wish for.