Signals by Ellie Shields

My pet peeve is when people switch lanes or cut you off without using their turning signals when driving their cars. Cars have been around since before I was born and I still can’t manage to imagine why people can’t seem to use their turning signals. This happens all over the world every single day. It happens in America and Australia and anywhere else on the earth that has cars. This pet peeve is the reason why I have bad road rage sometimes, and I don’t even drive yet. Slow driving adds to this, but when people refuse to use their turning signal I could in that moment go completely crazy. This isn’t my pet peeve only because it bugs the heck out of me, but also because it’s a serious way to endanger someone’s life. A typical example of this could be when you’re driving on the highway and the person in the other lane drives right in front of you without using their turning signal and cuts you off. This not only makes people furious, but it can lead to serious car crashes as well.  I don’t think this problem came from anyone specific, but from people in general. People everywhere are lazy or forgetful and sometimes just plain rude. One way that the general public can fix this problem is by simply paying attention when driving their cars. They can also look to see when they’re turning so they can properly use their turning signals. 

California by Madison Kyle

When my family and I arrived in the San Diego airport, the first thing we did was rent a car pick up my aunt from the airport, then we went to the hotel we were staying at, we stayed there for two days. The third day we packed up our stuff and drove 2 hours to a campsite for my cousin Michaels wedding that was the next day. Since we ended up driving for a while I noticed it looked really hazy and kind of gross, then I realized it was smog, they had a lot of smog in California.  When we got there I saw everyone who was there busy at work setting up for the wedding, since the guests get cabins we put our stuff there and left it to go help.  After we helped we had to go to the wedding rehearsal. We weren’t part of the wedding party but since it was outside my sister and I ended up being assigned the job of holding her dress as she walked to the aisle.  The next day was the wedding we went down to the place where it was, and my cousin told me he forgot the songs so I had to run back up the 5-10 minute walk and be back within a two minutes, and since it was really high up on a mountain the air was already thin so running was almost impossible and I was in wedges so even worse.  I made it back with the music in time just as it was about to start, everything went well and it was a fun party.  The day after next we left for the sequoia national forest after I dropped a bunch of very unsubtle hints, and if you don’t know what a sequoia is then you’re missing out.  The sequoias are these really amazing trees that only grow in that one part of California, nowhere else.  They grow to be several hundred feet tall, and very wide.  They even have some trees made so you can drive through them.  When we got there we went on a trail through the forest, and we came across a couple from the Netherlands who were taking pictures of a rattle snake on a log, they also got pictures of a mountain lion or cougar, after we finished talking to them, we saw a pretty view and when we went to look, a couple told us that an even more amazing view was up on a mountain, since my mom is afraid of heights she didn’t go, but the rest of us did, and as the mountain is really high up, then I got to a flat rock with a wall sort of thing on it, I started to walk across and it was worse than being on gravel with no protection from falling, and so I ran across it, then I got up to the top and by that time we were about to take a picture and we had to stand near the edge of a complete drop-off.  And as soon as we took the picture I was running back down the mountain so I wouldn’t stop and not be able to get back down.  After that we finished the trail and drove down to San Francisco, and this was probably the most interesting part of the trip, and since the couple that got married were there we met up with them our second day after we visited china town and the other tourist places.  When we met up with them we went to a small restaurant, emphasis on small you were not allowed inside the restaurant unless you had a table and there were possibly ten tables in  the whole thing, so we stood outside and waited there for a good hour and a half, but while we waited outside, we were visited by some INTERESTING strangers, like a woman whom we had never met before who came up to us and started talking to us, at first it was a normal conversation then she got weird and started talking about some weird things and stood there with us for a while.  And then my cousin pointed out a guy who had been staring at me for a while, and I was sent to stand somewhere the guy couldn’t see me, so then after a while he went inside, he then reappeared on his balcony staring down at us again, and then someone got in a crash at the intersection across the street, that’s when someone told us we could stand inside the area beside the restaurant until we ate, so we did.  While we were waiting the police showed up after thirty minutes, that’s when we were taken to our table to eat.  About fifteen minutes in there was a really strong smell outside that’s was sweet and bitter and it smelled really strong, it wasn’t a good smell.  Then I looked outside because they keep the doors open to the outside, and I thought I saw the woman, but I wasn’t sure so I didn’t say anything, but then I looked away for second and the smell got stronger so I look back and she was right there, and she started talking about weird things again, and after a few minutes a waitress came up and asked her if she knew us and she said that she did, but the waitress knew she was lying, because the smell was a very obvious illegal thing.  So she was asked to leave and the waitress apologized and said they had never seen the woman before, and we just laughed it off, and my cousin told us that sort of thing is not too uncommon there.  So the next day we went to L.A. which wasn’t all it was made up to be, but it was still fun. Then we went to back to San Diego, and stayed there, and met up with my grandparents for dinner where they told us their crazy stories, one of which a boy had went to a pool and started smashing the chairs and tables, which scared all of the family’s away from the pool.  After dinner we went back to our hotel and went swimming, the next day we packed up our things and flew back to Virginia, it was sad to leave but I was home sick and glad to be back home.

Standing Up by Hannah Marshall

When I was younger it was always a dream of mine to be a famous singer. I always loved singing, but it was hard for me to sing in front of people. Stage fright was my worst enemy. I felt if people heard me sing, millions of different sounds of small laughter would start, and then would turn into a gigantic tidal wave of hideous laughter. To make it sound worse, I couldn’t even sing in front of my own mother. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. How can you not sing in front of your own mother? It’s not that I didn’t want to, I was just scared of humiliation. However, something in the future would change my perspective.

From kindergarten through sixth grade I went to a prim, highly educated, private school, where the student had to wear uniforms and read four books every year for summer reading. My parents weren’t rich like most of the students’ parents were, but they wanted me to have the best education. I made so many nice friends and nice memories. Then one day I got the most heart-breaking news. My parents told me that they didn’t have enough money for me to go that private school for one more year. They said I had to go to a public school. I was so emotional I started to scream and cry like a whiney four-year-old. I was so upset because leaving that school meant leaving all of my friends, my favorite teachers, and memories behind to never return ever again. I felt as if everything was going downhill and the sad part was there was nothing I could do about it.

Weeks passed and when the school year was almost over I had to tell my best friends that I was leaving. I saw the sadness on their faces. I told them, “We should just have fun with the time that we have together before I leave,” and so we did. On the third to last day of school I found out that there was going to be a middle school talent show. I was secretly excited because I wanted to showcase my talent, plus if I’m going to be leaving soon I might as well leave with a bang, so I signed up right away. My friends were excited for me since they have heard me sing before, but I still was as nervous a dog getting ready to go to the vet. They told us to meet in a room where we had to showcase are talent before the actual talent show. I walked in to the room and saw that my old French teacher was the judge for this practice. Again, I was very nervous because I was too scared to even sing in front of one person. I sang my song, “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri.

“Well done, Hannah.” She said with a smile, “I am anxious to see you perform that song tomorrow.” I nodded to show that I was thankful and walked out of the room.

The time had come. The talent show was today and my heart was beating as fast as a runner on steroids. I could even hear it say “don’t screw this up, don’t screw this up, don’t screw this up.” There were other acts before me of course. The first act was an eighth grader. She had brown wavy hair and she wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Since she had a microphone in her hand I assumed she was singing a country song. But unfortunately, she couldn’t be serious enough to even sing the song, even just singing the first lyric she would crack up because she probably thought what she was doing was embarrassing.

“I’m sorry guys,” she said with a chuckle, “I can’t do this.” Then she gave the microphone to the announcer and walked off stage. The room went quiet and you could actually touch the stuffy awkwardness in the air. More acts came on. But for some reason another singer couldn’t sing her song. I don’t remember well but one scenario that have happened was that she either forgot her lines and gave up or she messed up and started to cry so she couldn’t finish showing her talent. Either way, she left the stage without ending her act. The only  act that surprised me was this boy who was going to play the piano. I was so surprised because this was a boy who was very shy and never talked to anyone, and when he played the piano it was breathtaking. The more surprising part was that musical melody was written by him! I knew he was going to do amazing things when he was older.

Then suddenly everything stopped. You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when someone calls your name aloud unexpectedly? I had that feeling except it was a million times worse. My heart was beating so fast it seemed like it wanted to break out of my chest and run away. I was walking up the stairs to the auditorium stage while each creak of each step I took made me more and more nervous. I walked to the center of the stage.

“Sorry if I mess up of or anything,” I said because that was my biggest fear; to completely mess this up.

“You’ll do fine,” the announcer said as the audience gave me an applause. I was so nervous. The whole middle school was here in this room, including the staff, teachers, and not to mention my crush, Matt. Everything has led up to the point. I was just waiting for something to come out of my mouth. I sang the song and I put my heart and soul into it. I was shaking the whole time but there was this sort of comfort when I was singing. I felt so free and powerful. My voice did crack around the end, which I was afraid of, but all of a sudden right when I ended, one person stood up and started clapping, then another person, and another. In ten seconds everyone stood up and was clapping and screaming for me. This was my first standing ovation. I was so overwhelmed because I never had this much attention before. I cried so hard. I cried out of pure joy because I was doing something that I loved and I was sharing it. I remember that as the happiest moment in my life because I was filled with so much joy. It was the best day of my life and honestly I don’t think anything can really top that moment. In conclusion my stage fright almost went away. I still get nervous before every performance, but when I do perform I know it’s something that I truly love to do.

Myrtle Beach by Derek Bowles

Two years ago my family and I went on vacation to Myrtle Beach during the summer and we had a lot of fun. When we first got there the first thing I did was sleep for a few hours and when I woke up I went to the beach while my parents were at the store getting food. We were there for at least three to four weeks it was a lot of fun. The next day we went to the pool for at least three hours and then we went out to eat. When we got back we went to the beach and relaxed. It was such a nice day the sun was shining bright in the sky and the sand was nice and warm the water felt nice and the sky was clear with no clouds. The funny thing is when my parents told me to take my little sister to the water so she can play in the water so i did and when I did she was standing in the water and all of a sudden a jellyfish was floating to the shore and my little sister was standing next to it and when I saw it I yelled her name and she turned around and she saw the jellyfish and ran up to me and then she ran up to my parents whining because I was laughing and that she was standing next to a jellyfish.

So I got a bucket and picked up the jellyfish and I went to the pier and through the jellyfish off the pier into the ocean and when I did a shark jumped out of the ocean and ate the jellyfish. I was surprised nothing happen to the jellyfish. So when I got back from the pier my parents were waiting on me because I was in trouble. I asked them why I was and they told me why and it was a stupid reason. So it was my parents anniversary and they told me I had to watch my sister until they get back from dinner so I said ok I will and when they left I left my sister in her room while she was sleeping I left and went to the beach and then I went to the store to get a whole bunch of candy and drinks so I could stay up and when I got back my sister was on the couch watching TV and she said if you don’t share all that then I will tell mom and dad that you left so I said ok fine which ones do you want and she said all the sugary ones and I told her no because it was too much sugar for her and she said I’ll tell mom and dad if you don’t then I said ok fine but in only giving you half then we stayed up half the night waiting for our parents to get home so we could spend time with them. So they came back and we spent time with them we went to the beach and then to the pool and then we went back to the house and played a whole bunch of games. It was a fun night.    

So this trip to Myrtle Beach was fun. I got to spend time with my sister and my parents I made new friends there and had a whole lot of fun going to the water slides at the pool and going to the beach. It was the best trip ever. But the best part was is that I got to spend the whole trip with my family.       

The First Day of Football Practice by William Tyler

         The first day was fun we did a lot of new things I never did before because it was my first year of football in my whole life.

 The first day we had to wear a shirt and shorts because all we did was ran and like lift for the whole day. It was hot like the sun was right on you it smelled like fresh cut grass and sweat because everyone was running a lot and the grass was muddy because it was early in the morning and the grass was wet.

Then we went into helmet only so we did a little hitting and we can get used to it. The helmet felt like your head into a close door because the helmet was so tight and there are different sizes I have a medium because my head is not that big and I have the smallest head for the linemen. We had to a thing called the country fair and there was all kinds of things like the roller coaster and that was fun then there was the animal ride and that was the best because you go around and act like a farm animal.  

When I Found My True Family by Amanda Worrell

One of my favorite things that happened to me as a kid was going to a seven day overnight Harry Potter camp. When I was around eight years old I was in love with Harry Potter I had read all the books, seen all the movies that had come out already, and was so excited for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince to come out. When I first saw my mom on her computer she looked at me and asked me “Amanda would you like to go to a Harry Potter camp in July?” At this time it was January twenty third and the camp was the week of July nineteenth. I screamed yes but she gave me this look that looked worried. I asked her what was wrong and she told me the camp was a whole week and overnight. At first I was nervous about overnight but I thought to myself all camps are going to start being overnight. I looked at my mom and said “Mom I’ll try it out.”

My told me okay and signed me up right away. Camp was coming close and I was freaking out because I wasn’t sure if I would get home sick or if I would have fun. I went to my mom and said “Mom can you see if Victoria can go with me?” My sister also loved Harry Potter at the time and still does to this day. My mom went and asked my sister if she wanted to go and said yes after that my mom immediately signed my sister up but made sure we were in different houses.                   

                  Camp was finally here and it was time for me to pack. I was so confused with what to pack I had to have mom pack for me. Once we finished packing up we loaded the car up with all of our bags and got in the car. The drive to camp is about fifteen to twenty minutes so it wasn’t too long of a drive. As soon as we got there I wanted to back out and not go but since we had already paid for the camp I had to go. I walked up to the check-in desk and met the director of the camp who was called “Ash”. All the counselor have to go by a fake name so the campers can’t find out their personal information.

After we checked in my mom and dad had to leave because parents aren’t allowed in Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley is out on a field at the camp ground where they set up a bunch of tables and tents and at each table is a craft or a game you get to do involving “magical” things that are related to Harry Potter. Everybody at the camp each got a wand that was based off of the year group and house they were in.

After everybody got there wands all the kids who had been placed in a house the previous years went to the great hall to get ready for lunch and for the new campers to be sorted. As each new camper came up to be sorted they were placed in a series of house called Waverider, Phoenixtor, Dragonor, and Wolfin. As my name was called to be sorted I walked up to the front of the Great Hall and sat on a stool. The lady that help with the sorting was called Rhine, she placed the sorting hat on my head and they played a recording that talked about something cool I had done in the past and my favorite thing to do. As I sat on the stool waited the recording finally said what house I was in, they had put me in Waverider. Everybody was clapping as I walked and sat down with my house.

As the week went on everybody had different classes to go too, such as Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical creature, Spell Casting, Potions, quidditch and quadpot, and etc. My favorite classes at Trefoil Academy was Defense Against the Dark Arts, we learned self-defense moves such as karate and also fencing moves and quidditch. After classes we would usually have a break time between classes that was used for interrogation. All the campers would have a chance to ask the staff member’s questions about the mystery that was going on around the camp. All through the week such as in class at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just in your house, every camper has a chance to earn house points and turn them in during meals. By the end of the week the house with the most points wins the house cup for the year until the next camp.

In the middle of the week we would do one fun activity that involved the mystery going on, my very first at camp the activity was a massive water balloon fight between the counselors and the campers. Usually the activities would take most of the day so wouldn’t do our classes for that day.

At the end of the week on the last full day of camp we would us most of the day taking down all the house walls and everything that was inside them while also cleaning up around the camp site. After everybody cleans up its time for the quadpot and quidditch tournaments. For all five years I’ve gone to Trefoil Academy I have always played for my house on the quadpot and quidditch teams. Two houses play at a time, for both quadpot and qudditch, first it was Waverider and Phoenixtor then Dragonor and Wolfin. For quidditch my position was a chaser and in quadpot I was on the offensive side. As the first game went on between my house Waverider and Phoenixter most games could take up to ten to fifteen minutes, depending on if the seeker can catch and fins the snitch. For the first game Waverider won and for the second game Wolfin won. Both teams went against each other for the quidditch cup. Wolfin ended up winning while Waverider came in second.

Next was the quadpot games, first was Phoenixtor and Wolfin then Waverider and Dragonor. As I waited for the first game to be over I sat with my team and decided who would play offense and who would play defense. Once the first game was over it was time for my team and Dragonor to play. The game lasted about 10 minutes and both teams ended up tying so we had to do a tie breaker. In a tie breaker both teams have to stand a specific distance away from the goal and try to make it in without the ball bouncing out of the goal, the team with the most made in wins. The finally game was against Phoenixter and Waverider, by the end of the game my team had win the quadpot cup. At the last dinner of the week was the award ceremony, the championship match for Defense Against the Dark Arts fencing class, and for the class like chorus, band, and belly dancing to perform. After dinner we did an all night movie marathon of all the Harry Potter movies that had come out including Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

The next day was the day everybody went home. To me it was the worst part of the week, after spending a whole week with everybody there I felt like that was my second home and my second family. When everybody woke up we cleaned up all the mattresses and moved all of our luggage into the year groups that were spread out. After that we all ate breakfast and took a survey on what we like at the camp. Once we finished it was time for parents to arrive and pick up everybody, I had so much fun at camp I cried when it was over. Ever since I made the decision to go to Trefoil Academy in 2009 it has been the best thing in my life I’ve gone for 5 years now and it truly is my second home and family. Every friend that I had made still come back every year just like me. Going to camp is like a little reunion because all of my friends from camp are from all over the USA, I have friends from Montana, Ohio, Washington D.C., Minnesota, and even California. Trefoil Academy is defiantly my home and my true family.  

Target by Michael Carico

            Once upon a time in a Target far down the highway, there was a young boy by the name of Michael.

 One day he and his mother were shopping, she told him she was going to go to the clothing section and that he could go to the toys area and pick something out, so he did. Michael found the most amazing toy gun he had ever seen, it had three barrels for darts to come  out of, it was battery power, which Michael had never seen before, and had its very own shoulders strap, Michael really liked that.

    So, Michael made his way to go show his mother, upon arrival, he is so amazed with the gun he doesn’t even look up before he starts yelling “Mom! Mom! Look at this!” and begins explaining to her what it is, “It’s got three barrels, comes with extra darts, and has a strap!” However, what Michael didn’t realize is that wasn’t his mom, when he looked up he was shocked. It wasn’t even close to his mom, what he saw before him was a twenty something year old black women, on the phone about to drop on the floor laughing. He was so embarrassed all he was able to mutter was “My bad, sorry” and walked away. As the women continues laughing he feels more and more embarrassed and no longer wishes to have his awesome toy gun, so he put it back and walks to his mom in the cloth department which smelt like old people, and went home.

 

Niagra Falls by Garrett Wade

It was a summer day and my brothers and I were outside playing. My mom called us inside to tell us something I remember it being so hot and I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. When she finally told us we were going to Niagara Falls were so excited until we realized how long of a car ride it was going to be. The next day we woke up and my mom came in my room and said to

“Start packing, we are leaving around 5 or 6 in the evening and driving through the night.”

         When we started out that evening, we drove all night and then stayed at a hotel that day. We slept for a couple hours and woke up and did it again. Before we left the hotel my mom said

“Wear shorts and t-shirt It will be hot there!”

            She was wrong! When we got there it was freezing I opened the car door and I felt the cold wind blowing against my face. So we went in this gift shop to see if they had any sweatshirts to buy and they had nothing except ponchos. So We bought them and just tried to stay warm with them. When we got out on to the deck overlooking the falls, it was as slippery as ice. The cold mist coming from the water made it even worse. We were going to ride the maid of mist but since we were so cold we decide not to. After about 30 minutes if walking around the gift shop and looking at the water fall, we left. When we got back in the car and turned the heat on it felt amazing! I immediately feel and asleep and then woke up as soon as we were pulling into the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot. And the food was tasted better than I had ever imagined since I was so hungry. We ate and then left. When we got back in the car I feel asleep again and then woke up to my mom saying

“were home!”

I was so ready to get out of the car. When we got back in the house I feel asleep on the couch and woke up around 8 that morning. That was a great trip I thought to myself, but I was glad to be home.

Gabby King

At the beginning of last summer my niece moved in with me. I thought it would be awful because she is four and I don’t like small kids. We didn’t have an extra room for Lily to sleep in, so she slept on the couch for a week. Then we switched up everything and she got my room, I moved to my sister Regan’s room, and Regan went to my sister Paige’s room. I was fine with it, but it was weird at first having a little kid in the house.

            I wasn’t very nice to her when she moved in because I was mad at my sister for giving up on her kid. My oldest sister has always been the rebel child and she always tested my mom when she was a teenager. My sister and her boyfriend got in some trouble with the law and that’s why Lily moved in. My oldest sister said “Can Lily stay with you guys for a little bit.” That started to be a problem because my mom couldn’t take Lily to the doctor. My sister moved so she had to come back town to take Lily to the doctor when she needed to go.

            My mom decided it was time to get custody of Lily, so she went and asked someone about it, They said “It could take longer than 3 months, but you can write a letter saying you need a speedy trial.” My mom wrote the letter and it took about 2 months. My mom was glad, but she didn’t want to take Lily from my sister. I’m glad that Lily moved in with me. She always makes me smile even if I’ve had a bad day.

            Lily always talks about her mom when she cry she always says “I want mom, let me see mom.” We don’t have control over when her mom comes to see her. Her mom only comes at holidays now. I think she should just come back and live here because she works at a fast food restaurant that is run down. 

Memories by Talia Collard

            When I was about 7 years old, my mom, sister, grandma and I went down to visit our home town Tampa Florida. We took a train down which took about 14 hours. To me as a 7 year old it felt like months. My sister and I would constantly would go up and down the aisle and I had to use my foot to open the door, which was difficult and my mom said I was the only one who could get it right the first time.

            Once we got to the train station down in Florida, my grandpa and uncle picked us up and we got lunch at a McDonald’s, which was pretty much in the train station. When my grandpa saw me he said what he always says when he sees me, “look how big you have gotten!” We all stayed at my grandpa’s house which was in Tampa but then we would go to my uncles in St. Pete. St. Petersburg was about 30 minutes to an hour away from Tampa. My mom wanted to go to Disney World while we were down there. My sister was only 2 or 3, so she stayed with my grandma and grandpa, went to the beach and took pictures with them.

When we all went to my uncle’s house, my mom, Uncle, and I then went to Disney World, which was about two hours away. On the ride there I just sat holding my camera ready to go. The worst part of the ride was, I got really carsick and threw up all over the back seat. I ended up crying because I thought I would get in trouble, since we were in my uncle’s brand new car. Even though it was not a big deal we had to take an hour, clean out the car and then get back on the road.

            While we were at Disney World we got an autograph book and I got nearly all of the Disney characters’ signatures in it. Daffy Duck said to me, “well aren’t you a little squirt.” We went through Minnie Mouse’s house which was really cool to see as a 7 year old, because all the things in her house talked. We went to see Mickey, rode on a carousal, and did lots of shopping down there. The best part in it all was seeing the castle. Which is in all the pictures we took. It’s so big and beautiful, but at night it was even more beautiful.

            My family and I go a lot of places mainly in Florida, but out of all of the thousands of trips we have taken, going to Disney World has been my favorite. I haven’t been back since then, but if I got the chance to go back I definitely would.

Throwing a Curveball by Noah Sadler

Throwing my first curveball was a big moment in my life. As a pitcher for my travel team, I knew I had to develop a good curveball if I wanted to be a great pitcher. I was finally old enough to learn how to throw one and I was really looking forward to it. I knew if I threw a curveball too much that it would hurt my arm to the point that I couldn’t throw the rest of my life. I did some research on when to throw and not to throw a curveball in a game. I figured out the best time to throw one was when I had two strikes on a batter with two or less than two balls. When a big batter came up to the plate was when I should throw a curveball first pitch. Researching about curveballs really helped me understand when to throw a curveball and the types of batters I should throw a curveball against

I needed to learn how to throw one. I went on YouTube and the internet to try to find the right grip to use. I searched for a couple days and still couldn’t get the grip right. I asked my dad if he could show me how to throw a curveball. He said yes and every night for a whole week my dad and I went to the field so I could throw my curveball. The first two nights were tough for me, because I was still learning the right grip on the baseball. For the grip my dad said, “Put your middle and index finger to the left of a stich on the ball and throw it like a fastball.” But at the end I need to flick my wrist to get the rotation on the ball that helped it curve. After I got the grip down all I needed to learn was how to throw it for a strike and the right speed. It took me a while to actually throw it for a strike.

Two weeks went by and I still couldn’t throw it for a strike. I was ready to give up and quit. I knew I couldn’t throw a curveball. I was so disappointed in myself. My dad started talking to me about never giving up at anything. “He said, always do your best.” That night I went home and practiced my grip on the ball. I did that for a solid hour. The next day my dad took me to the field and I threw it for a strike over and over again. I was so happy. I thanked my dad for helping me learn a curveball.

I have learned a lot in those three or four weeks. I learned how to successfully throw a curveball and throw it for a strike. I also learned to always work hard on something you start and never quit, even if quitting is the easiest thing to do. I will never quit anything in my life.

Lameka Sanders

I remember when I first moved to Hidden Valley. It was the beginning of my 7^th grade year. It was already two months into the school year and I had to go get registered for my new school. I was so scared and nervous to be going to a new school. My mom and I went over to the school to get me registered. We got to the school and my mom filled out all of my paperwork and emergency cards and we thought I would’ve been able to start school that same day but I couldn’t. The school told me I had to wait two whole days before I could start.

So the two days went by and I was ready to go to school. When my mom and I got to the school we headed to my guidance counselor to get my schedule for my classes. After I got my schedule mom said “have a great first day” and waved goodbye and headed out of the school.

My guidance counselor took me around the school and then took me to my first period class which was English. When I walked in my first period everyone looked at me and it felt really awkward. My guidance counselor introduced me to my class and everyone said “Hello La’meka”. In class there was a girl named Jazmine, I had met a few days earlier who I played with and who lived in the same neighborhood as me and because she was the only girl I knew I sat with her in class. She yelled out to the class “Hey I know her! We are friends”. There was another girl in my class named Kayla, who had most of the same classes as me so she showed me around to all my classes for a week or two. After my first couple of days I got used to my new school and I met so many cool people and met a lot of new friends. After I warmed up and got used to all the new people and teachers I wasn’t afraid or scared or even nervous anymore.

Later on in the year the girl from my neighborhood and I became best friends and we are still best friends and this is our Senior Year of High School. We have been best friends for 6 years now. We do everything together. It’s always good to keep some friends around when they have been there since day one.

I love this school and most of the teachers and students here as well. The moral of the story is that being a new student isn’t always as bad as it seems. You can meet new, interesting people and may end up liking it.

Hunter Snead

     When I first got my dirt bike I was so excited.  It was bright red.  And when you turn it on the engine roared like a lion.  And when I sat in the seat and pulled the throttle back it felt great for the three seconds of riding time I actually got.  I say three seconds because it took me on second to put it in drive. It took one second to pull the throttle.  And it took one second drive right in between a v shaped tree.  I crashed a lot on that motorcycle. One time if I remember correctly it was a couple days after I drove the bike through the tree.  I was riding on a dirt road, but it was thick like sand and my front wheel got stuck in the dirt/sand and I flipped over the handle bars.  In that moment I was so glad I was wearing a helmet because I laded straight on my head.  And when I hit the ground it felt like someone hit me in the head with a bat.  Another time I was riding on the same dirt road and I drove straight into a bard wired fence half of my body slid under it and I got stuck.  But that’s not even the part that made me the maddest.  It really got me heated when my dad ran down the road to help me and the first thing he said wasn’t are you ok or are you hurt.  He said “Theirs a break on hat thing for a reason son.  You ever thought about using it.”  Before that on the same day my dog was chasing and turned around to see if she was still after and when I turned back I immediately ran straight into a tree branch and got close lined off of my bike.  My grandma never felt safe when I was riding the dirt bike,  but I think that’s partially because my dad got it for and she absolutely hated my dad. She said “ If you ever get hurt on that thing ill kill your dad”.

    Looking back to when I first got my dirt bike I could have done a lot of things different to prevent myself from getting hurt.  Like instead of running into a barbed wire fence I could have hit the brakes but I didn’t and that’s why I have so many memories of the first time I got my dirt bike.

The Band Camp Experience 2014 by Gunnar Jessee

            Pre-band camp, I was nervous to wake up and get ready at 8am, and so nervous to get my trombone and pack my lunch. It was like I had broken both of my legs and was crawling out the door. We met up in the auditorium in the high school, which made me all the more scared because in a couple of weeks I was going to be in school there. We were assigned band buddies who were seniors. Tully, is the drum major for our marching band and he was my band buddy, so it was an honor to have someone like that for my band buddy. When we walked down to the lacrosse field to practice the first day, we learned how to a take our first marching steps. At the time it seemed both complicated and confusing for those who were freshmen. Over the next two weeks we gained some much skill, but there was still a lot to learn still ahead.

         Band camp arrived, and we left the school and headed down the road and stopped for lunch. Sam and I went inside of the Walmart that was located where we stopped. We were getting some snack items for the trip and for camp itself. One of us had the crazy idea to get Red Bull or some kind of energy drink so we could last. Everyone told us we were crazy and some who thought otherwise, thought it was a good idea. We bought two packs and we split the price, got some gum. Sam said “This is still not enough Red Bull to satisfy us for all of band camp”. And then we are on the road to Sweetbriar Collage. When we arrived there was SOOO much luggage, pull the arms off for the people who helped unloaded. We went to get our dorms keys and it already felt like if I was in college. Our personal dorm keys that my friend Nathan already locked himself out of our shared dorm. It was always smart to make sure you had contact with the person you roomed with at all times.

When we to the longest time ever getting down to the field we got into our “blocks”. And then this guy named Paton Shelton was the meanest trumpet player you’ll will ever meet. The first thing that came out of the dude’s mouth was “THIS LINE LOOKS LIKE POOPIE!!!” He would always yell, whether or not it was a normal conversation.

          During band camp Sam and I did ended up going through our Red Bull, we had enough for one a day. And it was too much for me. In the morning after waking up and eating we walked down to field and we did our morning exercises, which included but not limited to arms circles with the song “I love arm circles, arm circles I adore, please please, please can we do a little more”. Someone thought it was a smart idea to do Zumba, thus the 2014 band dance was born. We started with our first song, and we did about 10 sets a day.

         After we were done with all of our all 3 practices it was between 8:30am – 9:00pm. We would walk back to the campus, our feet were blistered. No matter if you had clean and new socks every practice, your feet were going to get demolished. We had till 11:15pm to get to our dorm building or we couldn’t get in at all. But even before that, we had the time to do whatever we wanted. If you are like me you didn’t want your feet to even touch the ground. So most of the time me and my friends stayed in the dorm playing games.

          When band camp was coming to an end, we were already worn out. Mr. Galyen was trying to rush us to focus, and said to us “You can’t bake a good cake with a bad egg”. At the last practice, were doing the band camp performance. The last song was not ready to play for the other school, so we didn’t play it. The show was pretty good. Even to this day it was a lot better than other performances. The low brass section was so loud, it was perfect. We were like ice put on a hibachi grill. When we were done, we had to pack up, get rid of all our trash, and turn in our key. Turning in my key was probably one of the most emotional thing ever, because it meant that band camp was over. But then, band was just really starting.­­­­

Garrett Johnston

I walked into the Burton Building Trades center one day. It looks really dirty, covered in sawdust and screws. The place doesn’t have a smell at all. There is a outside part to it and its no fashion show itself. The teacher introduced all of the newbies to the 2^nd and 3^rd year students. He showed us around the Woodshop and let us look at some things, then he showed us the wood lathes. I thought they were pretty cool, he asked us if anybody wanted to try it, I said yes of course. So he handed me a tool and showed me how to do it so at the end of the hour I had made a 100% round piece of wood. I was proud of what I had done.

So after a few weeks of taking the OSHA test I had come back to the Woodshop. I had found out what a certain type of wood was called, acrylic, so I had gone to a store called WoodCraft. So the next two days I came back and there was the wood lathe, I went to it and I started carving the acrylic wood into a pen. After half an hour I had turned it from rectangular to round. I then sanded it down.

After I finished the acrylic I had to assemble the pen parts. There was this mechanism called a pen press and I had to use that to put the pen together. So I stuck all the bits and pieces together and Walla! A pen was born. I had made my very first pen! I was so excited. So I kept making pens and I still do this very day.

So Christmas time rolls around, I have no money and nobody that will help me buy anything for Christmas gifts. So I bust out my acrylic pen making skills again. I make pens for all my family members, my mom, my dad, my sister, my sister, my sister, my sister, my sister, my grandmother, etc. So my dad likes things neat, so I give him is pen in a really nice pen case. And so I hope my family loves these pens.

My mom is going to get a click pen with a white porcelain look. My dad gets a click pen with a red rocky look. My sister’s get click pens with purple fiery colors. My grandmother gets two black fire kind of style and one is a twist pen and the other is a click pen. And that’s the end of my story.

My First Day of Middle School by Emily Richardson

I still remember the night before 6^th grade. I was so worried and scared because I missed orientation and I had no idea where I was going. When my mom came into my room and woke me up I didn’t want to get up because I was so scared to go, but I got up anyways. While I was getting ready I could smell bacon cooking downstairs for all of us before our first day of school.     

When I got downstairs I ate my breakfast and then went out to the bus stop. As I was waiting on the bus I was freaking out and my older sister was trying to calm me down. When our bus got to school I walked with my sister in the building so she could tell me where to go.

Our bus was early so all the 6^th graders had to go to the cafeteria and all the 7^th and 8^th graders had to go to the gym. After my sister showed me where the cafeteria was, she went on to the gym, and then I was on my own. When the bell rang I got up and walked out of the cafeteria and went to try to find my locker.

When I found my locker I had no idea how to get it open so I went to find the principle to help. He said “how may I help you?” and I said “may you please help me get my locker open?” and he said “of course.” Once I got my locker open I got my stuff and went to my English class. When I walked in English there were millions of book everywhere and everyone was already sitting in their seats. After English I went to my locker and I couldn’t get it open again so I was late to my next class, and on top of everything I had no idea where the classroom was. After 2^nd block I went to put my stuff in my locker to go to lunch and I still couldn’t get it my locker so my locker neighbor said  “would you like some help?” and I said “yes, please.” After I finally got my stuff in my locker I went to lunch. Lunch was pretty good because I had it with my grade and I got to see all of my friends and catch up on the day.

When lunch was over I had to get my stuff out of my locker for my next class. When I got to my locker I got it open on the very first try and I was really happy that I finally learned how to do it. My 3^rd period was band and I absolutely hated it. It was so boring and I just couldn’t get the hang of it. It sounded like a bunch of dying horse when our class was trying to play. After band I went to history and that was even worse because I’m terrible at history.  Once the bell rang to dismiss 4^th block to go home I was really happy and relieved.

When I got on the bus to go home I sat with my sister to tell her how my day was. When we got home our parents were home to surprise us, and some of the family were there too. After we told them how our day was we went to dinner and spent the rest of the night relaxing and spending time with family.