WHAT'S A POEM?

A poem has rhymes

A poem has rhythm

Like “I went to a bbq,

Ate ribs and corn

Hot dogs and chicken wings”

Poems can make you feel the rhythm of the words

Poems help you say all the things you want to say

A poem is when you write down

Something that happened to you

And you add rhymes

to your story

And you make things up too

A poem has rhymes

A poem has rhythm

A poem is a story that has words that rhymes

And words that don’t rhyme

Like “eggs and juice”

A poem is something you read aloud

Some poems are funny

Some poems are not

Poems are something you can write to yourself

Or you can write to others

To express your feelings

It’s a bunch of words that rhyme

It’s a bunch of words you put into a sentence

A poem is about something, something real or fake

Something that happened and something that never did

But you decide if

A poem has rhymes

A poem has rhythm

I think it’s rhyming words put together

I think poems are rhymes that you make up

I think poems don’t have to rhyme

Poems are just something that you say

Poems are anything that is a text

Poems come from your mouth

And your brain

And you feel the rhythm of the words

They make you think of places

As if you were there

Poems can make you travel faster than a train

A poem is when the author’s imagination pops out

And the words flow like a river

Into the world

Into your heart

21 MONDAY MORNING POETS

This weekend I had some ribs and hot dogs

Saturday night my Grandma Ruth had a cookout

There were my four cousins and I

Ana, Tony, Daniella and Yesima

Today, my throat hurts a lot

My throat is frying hot

I should not cry even if my throat hurts so much

This poem is the smallest ever

Because my throat hurts so much

This weekend I did tricks on my scooter

I did a tail whip, an ollie, and grinds

None of them are easy

I call them scooter magic

Sometime I do tricks and I don’t know how I did it

When I was doing a grind I jumped and did a tail whip

Being on my scooter is special

and amazing

sometimes my friends get other friends and they watch me

do my scooter magic

sometimes they bring their skateboards and bikes

and we rock /the sidewalk /together

Last night I dreamed of hamburgers

They were rounding my bed. They were under my pillow

They were pulling my legs and eating my dreams

My name is Chris

C is for caring

H is for loving hearts

R is for the rhythm that floats through the air

I is for ins and outs

S is for sounding songs

My name is Chris and every poem I write has a feeling of peace

Right now my mind is blank

Like a blank page on Monday

I cannot think of any words to get this Monday poem going

My mouth is tired as tired as my pencil

(see! my pencil just broke!)

so I will finish this poem tomorrow

Sometimes I feel like I want to steal the wind and turn the sky into green

Sometimes things are not

Just the way they look

I went to Cub foods on Sunday

My mom told me to look for a watermelon

So I went to look for a watermelon

I don’t need a grocery list

How to write a Monday poem?

Write about rice and eggs

Write about the fat bat that ate too much fat cat

Write about hot wings and egg rolls

Think of things you did in your backyard

Think of things you did around the house

Think of things you did with your family

Saturday I went grocery shopping and did the laundry

Then I went to target. Later on, we ate at a buffet:

My mother, my father, my brother Victor and I.

Remember what you eat when you spend time with your family

I ate hot waffles with syrup and eggs

It was a good breakfast.

Saturday I celebrated my cousin’s birthday. I had some cake

Sunday I went to my dad’s house and I hang out with other cousins.

We did a three-hour walk. We wrestle each other. I pinned one of my cousins down

He cried.

Last night I saw Mary

She looked kind of scary

I asked her “where are you going?”

She said “Downstairs”

So I went downstairs and found out it was just my mom

Without her make-up

Dog on a park/sitting on a log/playing with the fog

The dog said “Do you want to eat my log or lick my doll?”

I just got back from Wisconsin

I saw Superman driving a minivan

He said “Hasta la vista baby!”

A CONVERSATION WITH JAKYHAR AND CORNELIUS: After the MCA Math Test

“We had our math test
Tuesday and Wednesday
Overall, it was very easy
We had questions about numbers
There were questions I had to think about the answers
Others, I figured out the answers right away
I didn’t use the calculator for most questions
Questions that were challenging were the ones I had to write out the answer,
step by step.  Sometimes I showed my answer with a sketch
I’m not sure if I got these questions right.”

“After the test, I played pick-up sticks with Jakyahr
She kept winning but it didn’t really bother me. It was just for fun
After pick-up sticks, I played by myself with the Jenga blocks
I built a fancy home,
one block at a time."

“I enjoyed the pretzel on Tuesday and the animal crackers on Wednesday
My favorite was the elephant and the bubble gum
Chewing gum keeps me awake.”

“When you chew gum, it moves both sides of your brain.”

HOW TO WRITE A MONDAY POEM

Start with an idea, a memory or a made-up story
Write it down on a piece of paper
     Write it with words that sound good in you ears
Listen for the rhythm of the words
Read it to yourself
Feel it

Put the idea in a green box
Close it
Let it grow until Thursday
Remember to open the box three days later

Start with an idea
Next
draw a picture
of a window

What do you see through the window?
Tell the world
Use your imagination

CODE RED AT GREEN CENTRAL

Code Red at Green Central

By Mr. E.

How do we learn what to do in case of an emergency?  It takes practice, practice, and practice.  For the third time this year, Green Central Park had a code red drill.  Teachers, students and staff practiced locking the school until officers restored code green.

At 1:05 p.m. when the bell rang 6 times, I was in room 229, Mrs. Lazo’s room.  The teacher reacted promptly, but calmly.  First she locked the door, then asked students to sit on the floor against a wall, away from the door.  She also asked students to relax and stay silent until things got back to normal.  Some students felt nervous during the drill.  When I talked to Charline, she said, “I'm scared.  Is this a practice code red drill?”

Five minutes later, the principal announced that we were on code green again.  We were all relieved that it was just a drill!  Nobody panicked, but some kids were really worried because they didn’t know what to expect, especially the little kids.  In kindergarten, it was still a stressful moment.

When I talked to Ms. Smith, a kindergarten teacher, she said, “It went OK but lots of kids were scared.  Some of them were crying even if they knew it was just practice.”

According to one middle school student, the drill was difficult.  Emily said, "I was bored, but other students were screaming in the dark.  We had a substitute teacher.  We ran to the corner.  Some students were really loud and the principal came.  She wasn't happy about it."

For all the people involved in education and schools around the Twin Cities, code red is a very important part of learning to keep our community safe.

LEAD PARAGRAPH IDEAS

 The Moonwalk is Everywhere at Green Central

         Today the Moonwalk is the most popular dance move at Green Central.  Since 1975 when Michael Jackson made the Moonwalk famous, many kids have learned this move.  Here at Green Central, Chris is the most famous Moonwalker. He moves his feet up and down and then slides to the left or slides to the right.  Because it’s fun, he has many followers.  Kids can’t stop Moonwalking.  Teachers find that moonwalking is a very smooth way to move around the hallways but most teachers don’t know how to do it.  Is moonwalking a fad, something that will go away soon?  Chris said, “No, it’s not a fad.”

A Burning Kid

By Jakelin

On the afternoon of April 3, 1990, Ms. Lazo was making some yummy brownies at home.  As she put the boiling water into a fancy cup, the water was so hot that the bottom of the cup fell off.  Her son Phillip was standing near the stove and the hot water splashed over his leg.  A half an hour later, she took Phillip to the hospital.  The doctor told Ms. Lazo that the burn was really bad and that they need to put a lot of bandages from his thigh to his ankle.  When I talked to Ms. Lazo she said, “Phillip was OK and they let him go home but he couldn’t walk for three days.”  

Nine Year-Old Falls Down Balcony

By Alexis

News Flash!  A nine year-old kid recovered from a hip injury after being pushed by an eleven year-old.  This could have been a fatal accident.  It happened in the hallway at Green Central School on December 17, 2009. In the office, one teacher said, “It’s the freakiest thing that ever happened.”  The nine year-old was using the bathroom on the second floor right after lunch time when the eleven year-old bully came out of no where and pushed him over the balcony. Stay tuned for more details.

Goofy Boy Jumps Out Window on Spring Break and Lives

By Richard 

Richard A. (not the reporter) jumped out of a window on Saturday, March 27 at 11:30 a.m.  He was at home in his apartment on 3530 Portland Avenue. He ran across the living room and jumped out the window because his friend dared him. Luckily, the apartment was on the first floor.  After the incident, Richard A. said, "I did that because I'm not a chicken.  If my friend dares me again, I will do something to prove that I can.

The Big Green Help

By Danny

Kids all over the country are helping to make the world a better place.  They reuse bags to save money and save the environment.  At home, during spring break, they help their parents to do the recycling and clean the neighborhood.  “I help the earth by reusing plastic bags instead of buying expensive trash bags,” said one student at Green Central. Not everyone knows how to care for the environment.  Some kids said, “It’s ridiculous.”  If we don’t reduce, reuse and recycle, we won’t stop global warming.

The Most Embarrassing Holiday Show

By Jeremy

At the holiday show at Green Central in December, people gathered to watch Santa.  Two students, Cornelius and Jeremy took part in the program.  They pushed Santa on a wagon in front of hundreds of Green Central students.  They played their part but still felt a little embarrassed.  After the show, Jeremy said, “Santa was a little heavy.” Cornelius said, “It was fun, but it was also hard to speak on the microphone in front of so many people.   I felt really goofy running with some jingle bells.”  Everyone enjoyed the program; there was lot of singing and clapping in the gym.

Tanzy and Robert Open a Restaurant

By Brittany

On April 6, Tanzy and Robert’s dreams came true.  They finally opened a restaurant on Lake Street.   When I talked to Robert a few days ago, he had found the perfect building for sale.  It was an old building. He said he called Tanzy and yelled, “Yes, I found one!” She said, “Let’s get our business started and make some money!

UFO’s Over Green Central

By Jesus

UFO’s have been flying around Green Central at night.  Neighborhood kids have seen them flying in the dark, landing on the roof of Green Central Park. The kids said, “We saw it, it was a big flashing light. When it disappeared we ran into the school upstairs and in the hallway, but we never found it.”  Students are still wondering if aliens are real.

Ronaldo Superstar

By Charly

Sunday, March 10, 2010. In their last game before going to the World Cup, Brazil beats Spain 4 to 2, Ronaldo scores three goals against Spain at Maracana Stadium in front of 40,000 screaming fans. The brazilian superstar showed everyone that even if he’s getting older, he still knows how to score goals. After the game, Ronaldo said “ It was a hard game, but we did our best to play as a team. It was a very good test for us because Spain is a great team.”

Video Game Champ

By Jonathan

Do you remember when you played video games with your brothers and sisters?  You feel so good the first time you win.  This is what happened to Jonathan on April 6, 2010.  Jonathan and his older brother have played FIFA 08 many times but Jonathan could never win.  He finally did it.  They sat down to play after school; Jonathan was using Manchester United and his brother was using Barcelona.  Jonathan said, “I beat him 2-1!  I finally beat him.  I scored on a free kick.”  It feels great to be a video game champ.

Dog Attack

By Ominee

Pets should always stay with their owners, especially aggressive dogs. In our neighborhood, more people are complaining about stray dogs. Sometimes, they bark and attack passers-by. Last week, a black dog attacked two young girls, Artiesha, and Tyra.  The dog didn’t have a leash.  When they ran, the dog chased them across the street.  We still don’t know why the dog attacked them. 

FIFA 10 USA Defeats Mexico

By Eric

The United States soccer team defeated Mexico 7 to 5.  It was a great game and a big surprise that the U.S. won this game; Mexico was the favorite. It started at 6 a.m. and ended at 7:45 a.m. Not many people saw the game because it started so early.  Most games at the World Cup in South Africa will take place very early for the U.S. fans.  People will have to wake up early to watch the games. Mexican fans are still under the shock of losing this game.  According to the Mexico goal keeper, Ochoa, “They just won because of luck and anyway, a player was blocking my view so I couldn’t see the ball.”

A Cat Lost but Never Found

By Ana

There are cats that like to stay home all day long.  There are cats that like to go outside, in and out of the house.  They usually come back.  Ana lost her cat.  She said, “I opened the window and my cat, Moon, played outside for a couple of hours.  She always comes back.  Today, I don’t know where she is.  I think someone stole her.  I miss my cat.

The Big Crash

By Asiah

On March 20, 1995, a young woman was playing in the street on Chicago and Lake in south Minneapolis. Suddenly, a big truck hit her.  According to people who were on the scene, the truck was going about 40 miles per hour.  The driver didn’t stop.  It’s hard to believe that the young woman survived this accident. 

The Incredible Slam Dunk

By Saysay

“I jumped and slam dunked with one hand,” said the neighbor kid.  Right after school, every Tuesday, neighbor kids get together in Saysay’s front yard to play basketball.  They love to challenge each other to a slam dunk contest. They jump, they run, they dribble and they slam the ball into the basket as hard as they can.  They feel like superstars.

Kickball for Everyone

By Estefany, Charlin, Salma, and Jennifer

Kickball is becoming one of the most popular games at recess.  Last Wednesday, Estefany organized a kickball game on the playground.  She asked her friends, “Do you want to play kickball?”  One of her friends, Danny, told me, “It’s very hard to say no to Estefany.”  They all said, “Sure, let’s play.”  They made two teams.  One team was winning by ten points.  Then Danny made a homerun.  When it was Salma’s turn, she kicked the ball right into the hands of the pitcher so she was out.  There is always a winner and a loser, but everyone had a blast.  

HOW TO MAKE A NEWSPAPER

"The writer goes out to the world and asks people questions and looks for exciting things to write about. When the writer has his information, he types it on a computer and prints it." Jesus

"Reporters look around to find what people want to read. They also take pictures." Mel

"I think they send out a reporter then the reporter goes around asking questions. Reporters take notes and then two weeks later this story is in the newspaper." Asiah

"Writers goes to different places like peoples' houses and interviews them." Ominee

"I think reporters make the news by finding out things about people and collecting other information. Then they share this information with different newspapers like the StarTribune and the New York Times." Alexis

"People make newspapers by writing about what they see in the world." Jennifer

"Writers go out and explore the world. Photographers take a lot of pictures for the newspaper. Once they finish putting the newspaper, they figure out the price." Daisy

"I think they use a lot of trees to make the paper for printing the news." Salma

"Writers and reporters do a lot of research on the computer to get information." Charly

"Reporters gather information then come back, sit at a computer and write the news."

"Once reporters write the news, they print thousands of copies, and deliver the newspapers to people." Jakelin