On December 13th Monument Valley held a whole school protest concerning climate change. Three 6th grade students demanded action for their lives, the future, and the planet. They promised the crowd that they would not give up, and they would continue their fight no matter what.
They have kept their word. They are currently working on getting rid of cafeteria Fruit 20 plastic water bottles, getting rid of the plastic fruit and veggie containers in the cafeteria, get a more-that-just-paper recycling bin, and get a composter. If you are interested in joining the school fight for the healing of the planet, fifth and sixth graders are meeting every Wednesday during fifth and sixth grade lunch and recess.
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Theresienstadt by Stella, Gr. 6 ELA The article “Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Theresienstadt” tells the story of how a famous Jewish artist and teacher battled the brutalities of Theresienstadt with art. In 1942 Friedl Dicker-Brandeis was forced to leave her life behind and pack a small bag of her possessions to take with her to Theresienstadt. Most people packed clothing, valuables, photo albums and other necessities. Friedl was different, she packed a small amount clothes and stuffed the rest of her suitcase with art supplies. Her purpose was not only to have enough for herself, but to share and teach the hundreds of fearful children she expected to meet there. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis immensely affected the lives of the children at Theresienstadt. One way that Friedl Dicker-Brandeis affected the lives of the children at the concentration camp was, by giving them art the children’s minds were distracted from the horrors of captivity. When the children painted they could let their imaginations run wild and jump into a world of creation rather than their current world of destruction. The concentration camps traumatized the children, they were ripped from their homes, families, and were sent to live in overcrowded houses. With art the children were able to run away from harsh times and run towards happiness, imagination, and most of all, hope. When the children painted they could forget the cruelty, starvation, and beatings, and just be children. They desperately needed hope, and Friedl was ready to help. Another way that Friedl affected the lives of the children was by giving them a positive outlook on their rough situation. Painting gave them something to look forward to, it brought them joy. Friedl taught the children many different styles of art, such as painting, paper weaving, and watercolor. At the Theresienstadt all of the Jewish children wore the same clothes, ate the same food, slept in the same room, had the same day, and were called by a number. So, every time a child painted a picture Friedl told he or she to write his or her name, age, and date so that the children didn’t feel like objects or things. Writing their names gave them an identity and told them that they were just as human as any non-Jewish person. Friedl not only taught children art, but hope, imagination, happiness, and to never give up. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis immensely affected the lives of the children at Theresienstadt. Japanese Internment Camps Norman MIneta v.s. Hana Brady Norman Mineta’s experience as a prisoner at the Heart Mountain Internment Camp was very different than Hana Brady’s experience as a prisoner at Theresienstadt. One way that Norman Mineta’s experience at Heart Mountain was very different from Hana Brady’s experience at Theresienstadt was by the way that the prisoners were treated. During World War II Hana was sent to a concentration camp called Theresienstadt. Theresienstadt was a camp that had intentions to hurt and weaken the Jewish people, so the could be sent to death camps to be murdered. Norman was sent to an internment camp called Heart Mountain. Heart Mountain was made to contain, but not harm, Japanese-Americans during World War II. Before the war, Hana and her family lived in Nove Mesto, Hana and her brother George went to school, their mother and father owned a general store, and the Brady family lived perfectly happy lives. Until one day, soldiers came to take Hana’s mother away, and soon after, soldiers came for Hana’s father. Then the day came for the two siblings to be deported to Theresienstadt. Upon their arrival they were separated into two cabins, the girls and the boys. Hana lived at Theresienstadt feeling sad and very alone. She had no home, little food, and most importantly no family. Hana’s life at Theresienstadt was miserable. Hana faced many brutalities at Theresienstadt, she watched people being beaten, overworked, starved, and all around her people were dying every day. On May 29, 1942 Norman and his family were taken to Heart Mountain internment camp, when he and his family got there they all stayed together and lived in one apartment for the duration of the war. Norman was treated kindly, well fed, and could go to school. He and his family led fairly contented lives at Heart Mountain. Norman and Hana’s experiences were very different. Another way that Norman Mineta’s experience at Heart Mountain was very different from Hana Brady’s experience at Theresienstadt was by the amount of freedom they were allowed. At Theresienstadt Hana was not allowed an education, so in the attic of her sleeping quarters secret painting, drawing, and educational classes were held right under the Nazi’s noeses. The Nazi’s were very strict and rude towards the Jewish people, they would call them names, treat them less than human, and destroy the Jewish people’s lives. The concentration camps were always over crowded, in terrible condition, and if you were caught trying to escape, you would be shot or deported to a death camp. Hana had to stay locked up all day with no fresh air and crammed into a room filled with her roommates. Hana had almost no freedom at all. At Heart Mountain, Norman had far more freedom, he was allowed to go to school like normal, hang out with his friends, and was treated kindly by the soldiers. One time Norman went sledding with friend and they accidentally slid under the fence and was simply scolded by a soldier and brought back inside the camp. It was really just like any other community but surrounded by barbed wire. The Japanese-Americans could go about their lives not worrying if they were going to be killed the next day, if they would be separated from their families, or if they were going to starve. Norman had a lot more freedom than Hana did. Norman Mineta’s experience as a prisoner at the Heart Mountain Internment Camp was very different than Hana Brady’s experience as a prisoner at Theresienstadt. From Ms. Cormier's Gr. 6 ELA class....Harmony E In the article ̈Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Theresienstadt ̈ is a story about an artist named Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and how she helped hundreds of Jewish children while they were imprisoned in a concentration camp. She along the side of other artists, and teachers helped encourage the children to create, forget about their surroundings, and give them hope. Friedl affected the lives of the children at Theresienstadt in many positive ways. One way Friedl affected the lives of the children is that she helped them to forget about their terrible surroundings. For example the text states “ Friedl decided to use art to help the children deal with their feelings of loss, sorrow, fear, and uncertainty.” also “ They allowed the children to forget about the sad and horrible truth.” This shows even though Friedl was in the same conditions as the children she still sacrificed so much of her time to teaching the children and helped them open their imagination more and more. She helped them to forget about the bad times and create new happy thoughts and feelings through art work. Friedl helped them cope with their feelings by teaching them Techniques and letting their imaginations and memories take over. Another way Friedl helped the children at Theresienstadt is she gave them a legacy. For example Friedl had the kids put their name and age on any piece of art work they created. Before Friedl left Theresienstadt to go to Auschwitz, she hid the paintings in a suitcase to be found after the war. After they were found most of the paintings were put into museums. This shows that Friedl contributed to the Jewish children being noticed, and not forgotten about. Now since the artwork has names and ages on them the children are thought of as children who went through horrible things, and not just another victim of the Hollocasut. Because the art was preserved so well and tells a story, it is used as a teaching tool for teachers all across the world. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis truly impacted and greatly affected the lives of the children who suffered in Theresienstadt. The monster that lived in a bog
That slimy old creature looked like a frog Made of nothing but sticks and some mud With little bits of crud What is the age of this creature we see Most say one hundred and three For this monster of muck Is as big as a truck But have nothing to fear For the monster comes only once a year To search the streets for a friend And we wonder if we are the real monsters in the end In December the Student Council hosted a Snow Ball dance, and they donated over 600 items to the Community Health Programs Food Pantry. This month is a planning month for several events happening in February. We are organizing a Penny Wars to raise money for various causes. We are planning Spirit Week for the week before February vacation that will culminate with a pep rally. The council is also planning for a dance for February 7, and we are organizing a MVRMS t-shirt and sweatshirt sale.
Chapter 1
“Hestia, come on, I know you hate being late!” Hestia’s dad called from the kitchen. “Coming!” She called back, and smiled. Hestia loved school, and today was her first day of 5th grade. Most of the other kids had older siblings who warned them about the dangers of middle school. But not Hestia. Her parents had divorced when she was three, and her fourteen-year-old sister Athena lived with their mom in California. Hestia and her dad lived in Pittsfield, MA. She looked in the mirror. Hestia was a pretty girl with straight, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and caramel skin. First day of school outfit: check. *** The school hallways were crammed with students meeting up with friends after a long summer apart. Hestia weaved her way through the crowd and found her own friends, Leo and Valentina. “Hey! How was your summer?” Valentina asked. “Pretty boring,” said Hestia. “We didn’t really do anything. How was your summer?” The conversation continued in this manner until the bell rang and everyone practically stampeded into their homerooms. “Hello, I’m Mr. Howard,” their homeroom teacher said. “Please wait at your desks while I hand out your schedules, then get ready for the Pledge of Allegiance.” The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Hestia hated gym, but then again, sports ( and physical exertion in general ) were not her strong suit. When she got home, Hestia sat down at the kitchen table to do homework. She was, and always had been, a great student. About thirty minutes later, her dad came home with a big smile on his face. “Hey, sweetie,” he said when saw her. “We need to talk.” Cats
Cats go prowling through the night Pouncing on mice With all their might Cats go running up the streets Chasing all the rats They happen to meet Some cats like to sleep all day While others romp around and play The Galloping Kitty
See him running down the hall That's the Galloping Kitty Famous to all If he runs with crazy eyes You’d better flee Or face demise If nine am the clock does say He’s in his frenzy Run away |
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