Green Grass by Sophie L.

Everyday people big and small
run across my lush green surface.
They tickle me and I laugh.
The wind blows so my
hair blows.

I am never lonely
for I cover almost all the land.
Where I don't cover I make friends
with the sea, the ocean and the desert.
We never fight; we always get along.

In the winter
I cuddle down
in my blanket of snow.
After Mother Nature tucks me in
I fall fast asleep.

When I awake in the spring
I must wash my clothes
for they are brown and dirty
because they have been covered
for oh so long.

Topic: Persona Poem ~ revised March 1, 2010

Wind-Catcher by Mae G.

I am a wind-catcher,
a chain of cones going around
in an endless trip. The
wind guides me on my
journey.

Some days I stop
when the wind stops.
My trip slows and I take a
break. I rest. I sleep.
I patiently wait.

Topic: Persona Poem ~ revised March 1, 2010

Mud Hole by Sophie L.

As the children pick berries I watch them as
they stop and run over and jump in.
I feel my ooey-gooey mud absorb them as
they splash around tickling my belly.

They take some mud of mine
but,
I don't mind.
They make mud pies
and let them dry.

They come again soon
and we play.
I wish they could stay
forever.
Sometimes I'm alone
but not always.

In winter I sleep under snow,
In spring I play in the sun,
In summer I'm absorbed into the ground,
and in fall I come back and play
with the children.

Topic: Persona Poem ~ revised March 1, 2010

Sidewalk by Emily H.

I see the kids playing, running,
drawing on me.
It tickles
as they play games.
They draw with chalk
then
jump over what they have
drawn,
They're playing hopscotch.
They are enjoying themselves
together,
laughing
and creating.
They play lots of games, such as:
jump-roping and four-square.
They play a lot more too.
It is very enjoyable
for me too because
in a way
I am playing along
with them.

Topic: Persona Poem ~ revised March 1, 2010

The Sign by Mae G.

I am a sign.
As I sit up on the wall I watch
the cars go by.
Here comes a blue one and
there it goes. Around noon I am
rewarded by the playful whoop and
laughter of kids.

In the summer I am
alone. As a sign I am
welcoming. The kids will
come and
go.

Topic: Persona Poem ~ revised March 1, 2010

The Valley by Emily T.

In the field sagging low, I sit all day.
I wait patiently for the children to come running,
Running through the gate from the playground.
The kids roll snowballs into my depths.
In the winter I look like a fold in a warm white towel,
but really the snow chills me.
In the spring I become a shallow sea,
as the children pirates play with me.
They call me the valley, the scoop, or the dip.
They run all around till recess is over,
but me, I just sit even when the day has come
to an end.

Topic: Persona Poem ~ revised March 1, 2010

Always Check for Jaguars in Your Suit Case By Sophia L.

I, Sophie, am about to tell you one story told by two people (animals).

First Cheetah’s perspective then Jaguar’s.

Cheetah’s Perspective:

One day when Cheetah was at recess, he realized it was the 29^th Annual Race Day. He decided to race. Roadrunner, who had won five years straight, was in front. Cheetah ran to the front of the line next to Roadrunner. “I bet you five dollars you can’t beat me,” laughed Roadrunner. Cheetah didn’t say anything in reply.

“ON YOUR MARK. . . GET SET. . . GOOOOOO!” shouted Mr. Toad. They were off! Roadrunner was in the lead. Soon Cheetah was next to him again! Cheetah started to pull ahead.

“NNOO!” screamed Roadrunner. Roadrunner started to catch up! Just then, Cheetah stepped on a thorn. “OUCH!” Then it felt better immediately. Suddenly Cheetah ran faster and faster until he was going two-hundred miles per hour and he shot on toward the finish line. He crossed the finish line. The animals watching went wild!

After Roadrunner finished, he stomped over to Cheetah, “Here’s your five dollars, Cheetah.” “Thank you! I’m sorry you didn’t win.” Roadrunner ignored him.

When he got home, he saw Mama Cheetah and Mama Jaguar. Mama Jaguar was crying.

“What’s wrong?” Cheetah asked.

“Baby Jaguar’s gone!” she sobbed.

“That’s so terrible!” Cheetah said sympathetically.

Later that night (around midnight) Cheetah went to find Baby Jaguar. Jaguar had always said “I’m going to see Pennsylvania.” So he headed toward New York.

Baby Jaguar was only three years old.

After running (with his super speed) from Maine to Massachusetts he stopped to rest. After resting he continued toward New York.

When he arrived he thought, I will rest in an alley. Suddenly, he saw a truck driving straight at a bus full of PEOPLE. Cheetah jumped into action. He ran toward the bus and he. . . . threw it over the city.

People screamed, babies cried, and others stood open mouthed. Cheetah ran faster and faster and faster until he too was flying. He landed right underneath the bus and CAUGHT IT!

After the commotion was over he decided in the morning he continued on his journey. “Where will I look?” he wondered. Then he remembered “Great Jungle!” He picked up his speed while flying.

He arrived to the sound of a baby animal crying for his mommy. Cheetah came into the clearing. He saw a baby jaguar.

“Baby Jaguar!” Cheetah shouted.

“CHEETAH!” screamed Baby Jaguar tacking Cheetah in a GIGANTIC bear hug.

“Get on my back, we’re flying home.”

“O.K.” and they flew home.

Now I will tell Jaguar’s perspective:

“MUMMY!” shouted Baby Jaguar.

“What?” asked Mama Jaguar running into the room.

“I’m going to Great Jungle!” he said happily while splashing around in the bathtub full of bubbles.

“No,” answered his mother.

“Whatever,” he told his mother.

Later that night, Baby J (Baby Jaguar) grabbed some food and left. He ran to the airport which was only two miles away.

He jumped into an open suitcase. All of the people on the plane flew to New York. Most of the people got off at New York, and some stayed to go to Virginia. He jumped out of the suitcase. After many hours of running, he reached the train station.

He jumped in a bag that happened to belong to somebody named Mrs. Stuart’s suitcase.

“ALL ABOARD!” called the train’s conductor.

After a while Baby Jaguar fell asleep.

When the train stopped in Pennsylvania, he was still asleep. (Mrs. Stuart never zipped up her bags and ALWAYS swung her bag in a circle.) Mrs. Stuart grabbed her bag and started swinging it. Baby Jaguar fell out and landed on his bottom. Mrs. Stuart saw Baby Jaguar and screamed “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” She stopped screaming, sneezed, then kept screaming “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” She grabbed a broom from the janitor who was walking by. Mrs. Stuart started chasing him and whacking the ground trying to hit Baby Jaguar. And all the while was screaming, “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

...to be continued

Paging by Emily T.

My favorite part of our field trip to the State House was paging. Paging is when you pass notes for the representatives of the house during meetings. During the session I picked up a note from Rep. Terry Hayes, a representative who came to our school. To deliver the note I had to scootch all the way into the middle of an aisle. Paging was my favorite part because it was fun to dodge the big chairs that the representatives sat in. I felt nervous at first because I kept thinking that I would deliver the note to the wrong place. I'm not quite sure what the notes were about, but I'm guessing they said, "I would like to discuss this matter more with you. Please meet me." Out of everything we did at the State House, paging was my favorite because I felt like I was doing an important job.

Topic: Field Trip to Maine State House ~ revised 2/8/10

Maine State Capitol By Mae

My favorite part of our field trip to the Maine State Capitol Building was being a page. Paging is when you deliver notes. Here's how it works: You it in front of a board. If a button lights up you count how many rows up and across that seat is. You trot to that seat and collect the note and see what number it has on it. Finally you take that note and seek out the number on the seat and give it to the representative. I think paging is cool because I was helping with an important meeting.

Topic: Field Trip to Maine State House ~ revised 2/8/10

Our Field Trip to the State House By Emily H.

My favorite part of our field trip to the State House was paging, which was when students would deliver messages from one person to another. As pages all of the Boxberry students delivered notes for the representatives of the house. We sat by a board called a switch board with a bunch of buttons that had the numbers of the seats on them. When a button lit up we traveled to that numbered chair by counting how many rows up and how many across. We took the letter from that person and delivered it to the numbered seat written on the outside of the letter. Paging was my favorite part because I liked delivering messages for such an important meeting.

Topic: Field Trip to Maine State House in Augusta ~ revised 2/8/10