Renaissance School

One morning I woke up, and the room felt weird. My feet were as big as footballs! I realized they were fuzzy, yellow, and black. I sat up and… WHAM, I hit the ceiling with my head. It was all very weird. The window was lower than normal. I realized I had grown! I crawled over to the kitchen and… “EEEK!” my mom screamed. She grabbed a pan and whacked me on the head. Then she ran away.
I said, “That was weird.” I went back to my room to look in the mirror and… I WAS A POKEMON! I was a humongous 6 foot tall Pichu! “That’s what scared my mom,” I thought.
Then I realized I was all alone. I played video games and watched DVDs for 3 hours, and then I felt lonely, so lonely that I began to cry. BANG, a crack of thunder came from the sky. I kept crying and soon there was a lightning storm! I was all alone in a lightning storm, and because there was a lightning storm, the power went out. I thought it couldn’t get worse when I heard something.

What in the world is more beautiful
Than nature 'round you, proud but fragile
Imagine earth as a lit candle
We need to take care how we handle

Take a hike in the country, and drink it all in
Try to protect earth's beauty for you and your kin
Land, water, air, don't go and get it messed
Above and below, we are truly blessed

I'm a hip hop singer, gentle and kind
And in this song you will certainly find
A message to everybody in Vermont
So listen to the words, then you should be taught
That I'm a part of nature, I'm a gift from God
My name is Matthew, I was born like a tiny pea pod

One more thing before I finish this song
Just stop, close your eyes, and picture along
That nature is in trees, that it's also in bees
In sunlight, meadows, in green mountains, and Lake C.

Love nature 'round you, it makes your soul feel safe and warm
If you let it, it can transform
Because nature can't be beat
And if we were to beat it, we'd lose our special treat

Vermont, unpredictable winter
November
Temperature dropping, rain, freezing rain
Ground turns white, doesn't stick
Very warm, grass visible
December
Temperature drops slightly
Then BAM!
Blizzard, snow slicing to the ground
Rain, freezes over snow, 10 degrees
Slick
January
More powder and ice
Coldest month yet
February
No more powder, very warm
Temperatures fluctuating rapidly
Then snow days, very cold for a stretch of days
Temperatures gradually climb
Then we think, "Yay, winter is ending!" or "Darn,
Winter is ending."
March
Warm weather, winter is definitely over
April
Giant snowstorm!
But rain comes, snow is gone
Winter, Spring in a battle
Spring finally wins,
Winter ends.

I walk out of the barn, my pony pulling me forward, ready for a ride. It is a cool fall day. The wind blows my hair to one side of my head. I walk over to a stall, to get on my pony. I put one foot in the stirrup, grab the reins, and swing myself over the back of my pony.
I ride out to a huge open field. The cold grass rubs along the sides of my pony's short legs. I pick up a slow trot, kind of like a slow jog for a person. I come to a stop in the middle of the field.
I think, "I am all alone in the middle of a field on a little tiny pony, all by myself." It felt like a dream, a perfect dream that had just come true!

I jump on my horse, the cold air pinching my cheeks. I kick my horse, telling my horse to walk. My horse starts out slowly, getting quicker on every step.
The world is white, snow falling on my cheeks, melting to water.
I go to a canter, bouncing up and down, up and down. The cold air whirls past my cheeks. I canter across the vast valley that was once covered in brightly colored flowers, now white, only white crossing the valley.
The snow crunches under my horse's hooves; the wind whirls past me.
My horse, the color of snow, white, cantering, as if cantering on clouds, bouncing up and down as her hooves touch each cloud.
I am cantering, cantering, cantering, over the vast valley, under the blue sky, with snow falling, falling, falling . . . everywhere.
It's magic!

1. I love when my mama makes those delicious, piping hot, pumpkin ginger muffins. They feel so soft when you bite into them, it's like you're eating a cloud. I especially love the ginger toppings. They remind me of the colors of fall.

2. Warm chamomile tea is so good with thick, rich honey. It gives you the opportunity to think happy thoughts and enjoy yourself.

3. Sitting on your cozy little porch, listening to the quiet rain until you fall asleep, is very relaxing. It gets you ready for the next day, and it makes you let go of all your troublesome worries.

4. Reading an exciting book is good for your mind, especially when it's such a good book that you can't stop reading chapter after chapter after chapter.

This adventure begins in a fortress controlled by flying monkeys with guns. Two men were in the fort. Two spies meant to get the sacred gold banana, which the monkey king had in his chamber. One had a bow and plunger arrows. The other had a plain old staff.
The bowman ran to the king's chamber door and kicked it open. Seventy monkeys were in there. The staffman rammed the front line with his shoulder, creating a narrow rip which he used to grab the banana!
"Oh no!" thought the bowman. "The rip is closing! Run!" he said.
And run, the staffman did! And he just made it out of the rip! "Whew!" he thought, "That was close!"
The End

A friend is like a penny dropped into a piggy bank.
A friend is like an astronaut, coming to leave footprints in your heart.
A friend is like an umbrella, keeping you dry on rainy days.
A friend is like a coat, keeping you warm when the weather gets cold.
A friend is like a hug that lets you know that you are loved.
A friend brings you the small joys and comforts of life,
So in my opinion, everyone should have one.

Fruit is sweet. Fruit is sour.
I could eat it for just about an hour.
I can eat grapes. I can eat apples.
I have even heard of something called a grapple.
Fruit can be long. Fruit can be short.
I can even eat it with my friend, Mort.
Some fruits I like, and some fruits I don't,
But this is a little poem I wrote.

Imagine...

A rainbow,
Not as a prism of light,
but as a bridge to another world.

An anthill,
Not as well built home for insects,
but as a palace for the elven king.

A cloud,
Not as a mass of water vapor,
but as a kingdom in the sky.

An ant,
Not as a tiny, six legged insect,
but as a knight in shining black armor.

A blade of grass,
Not as a tiny leaf,
but as a slide in the fairy playground.

Imagine.

The trees sway as the mighty wind pushes them to the east.
The snow pinches my ears queerly.
My eyelids squeeze shut,
Then open just enough to peer through
At the mini whirlwinds of snow.
I turn to the rustling sound
Of two gray squirrels hopping in the fallen leaves.
With widened eyes, I look toward my house
And see Christmas lights.
All is alive with brightness.

I believe that pie is a very important food in the world. There are many different ways to eat it, though I think there is a good way and a not so good way to eat pie. I am going to explain to you the good way to eat pie.

Materials:
· Your favorite kind of pie: apple, blueberry, pumpkin, or key lime—it really doesn’t matter what kind you choose.
· A fork or a spoon, whichever one you prefer.
· Whipped cream or ice cream. You can have both, just one, or neither.
· A plate, preferably a sturdy one.
· An ice cream scoop

Procedure:

Step 1: Get your Materials

Step 2: If you have a full pie, cut one piece out of the whole pie.

Step 3 : Pick up the piece of pie and put it onto your plate.

If you are going to have ice cream, do step 4. If you are going to have whipped cream, do step 5. If you are having both, do steps 4 then 5, and if you aren’t going to have either, don’t do those two steps.

As I unstrap my sword, I think of the power that I have and what it brought to my family hidden from the Empire. As I ride my dragon over the desolate lands of the Empire, I think of my family hidden from the Empire. I, Commander of the Rebel Forces, Lord Valendor Arther Zan, am a peaceful man, but I must protect my country.

Why?

By Adrian Kelly
Renaissance School, Grade 6

The door
The wood
Creaking open.
I take in the scene.
The walls
The bricks
The table
The wood
The metal
The silver
The red
My father
Why?

The grief
The tears
The pain
The anguish
The sorrow
The mourning
The funeral
Why?

The morning sun rose and shone in my eyes. I slowly opened them, not wanting to. The smell of bacon climbed up the stairs and up my nose. "Silver," my mother called. My mother had a soft voice, like honey slowly sliding off a spoon.

I slowly climbed out of bed, my feet twitching as they touched the cold wood floor. It had snowed last night, and everything was so cold. It was like we had been stuck in a freezer, and tiny ice cubes were falling from the sky.

I looked out the window; kids were skating on the pond and having snowball fights, laughing. I enjoyed watching them; I felt like I knew them, even though I didn't.

My eyes softly floated over to a small, round snow fort, where not many people could have fit in, I guessed. There was something awkward about the fort, but what?

"Silver," my mother's voice broke my thoughts about the fort.

I walked through the woods. I was looking for my baseball that I had thrown into a tree. Suddenly I felt like I was being stalked.
I whirled and saw two red eyes in a bush. This wasn't a trick; this was real!
I turned and ran up the hill and through the forest. The beast was almost on top of me, literally! Its jaws open, the beast jumped! I dove away just in time!
The beast ran right into a tree, and an apple fell from the tree and onto its head, so hard it went cold! I suddenly realized the "apple" was my baseball!
I grabbed the baseball and ran out of the woods. "That was close," I thought, as I scurried into my house.

Vermont doesn’t have any big cites, or the ocean. It doesn’t have resorts, skyscrapers, or huge flocks of tourists. This is what makes Vermont so special. Without any big attractions, Vermont has managed to stay a small rural state that no one knows about. This is a good thing, because without cites to destroy it, nature can take control.
Long winding dirt roads, covered in vibrantly colored leaves, and lined with ancient oak and maple trees, are much better than huge hotels, skyscrapers, and casinos. This is much closer to the way the earth was created, closer to how nature intended it to be. Long hikes through the Green Mountains, lunch on top of an overlook, and nature walks looking for perfect autumn leaves are better than taking a lunch break from a giant twenty-story office. They are better than walking through crowded sidewalks with people everywhere, strangers that you have never seen or met before and probably won’t ever know.

Vermont has changed the way I look at my life, because when I go and ride a pony out in a field, I feel happy. Say I lived in New York City, I could not go and ride in an open field! When I take a walk with my dog in the woods, I feel happy to look around me and see true beauty! Nothing beats that! I wake up in the morning and feel the cool air when I look out my window behind my bed and see the leaves slowly falling off the big trees behind my house. Winter comes, and Vermont turns into a winter wonderland, and everything is white. Slowly comes spring, and Vermont turns to mud. Then comes summer at last. I look out my window, and I see beautiful flowers. Then comes fall again. I look out my window, feel the cool air, and all of the seasons start again!

Silver is icy cool
Sparkles through the heavens
And just makes the earth
Glitter like a diamond ring

Shines truly on any mess
Silver makes the world so good
Brightens the darkness
Moonlight on the sea

Goes around, comes around
Makes a soft, joyful sound
And it floats out of bounds
It flies and flies and flies

Moonlight, starlight
Comet in sight
Into the night
Going so fast
Now

Sky is taking
Silver shaking
Slowly breaking
Down
Into flakes of
Snow

Silver is a mirror
Just makes things look much clearer
It reflects you up to God

Silver sea
Silver sky
Silver me
Silver color
Silver pen
Silver pencil
Silver you
Silver silver

PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, there was a man named John Edwards. He was a fisherman from England late in the 1700's. One day after lunch, Sarah (his wife) asked him to go out on his boat to catch some fish for dinner. He said he didn't want to go out again, so close to dark, because of the silver pirates who roamed the sea at night. But he hadn't fished in a week, and their pantry was almost empty, so he decided to go. He never came back. There are a few legends about what happened to him. I will tell you one.

PART ONE
SAILING

Last summer, my dad and I went to Disney World and I was brave enough to go on a roller coaster called Splash Mountain. I chose this particular ride because I was told to “check it out” by my friends. After we stepped into a little toboggan and sat down, it started to slowly move. It climbed up on a ramp for two or three minutes. At first, there were little jack rabbit puppets bouncing around that made me laugh. Then, suddenly, everything turned black! From slow to fast my heart pounded. Ahhhhh…..down we went and when I looked in front of me ohhhhh gosh….giant pricker bushes! The closer and closer we got to the frightening branches, the more nerve wrecking it got. I ducked down on my father’s lap and screamed! A rush came to my body then I slowly lifted my head up. Here we were…..just where my dad and I started! Phewwwww………

Vermont

By Philippe Tousignant
Renaissance School, Grade 4

When I think about Vermont, I think that we are very lucky to have such a wonderful place to be, with green trees everywhere and birds flying in every direction, fishing from the river bank, and campfires at night. Vermont is a great place to live!

Vermont was discovered by Samuel de Champlain in 1609. He was impressed by the beauty of the mountains and called the area “Vert Monts”. In French, vert means green and monts, mountains.

In winter,
Vermont's green mountains turn white,
Covered by a snowy blanket.

In spring,
Vermont comes alive with the joy of new life,
And the ground is made soft by mud.

In summer,
Vermont is warmed by the glowing sun,
And Lake Champlain glitters under the mountains.

In fall,
Vermont is beautifully sprinkled with a sunset of leaves,
And the mountains burst into flame.

I am walking on a freshly-made mulch trail, and I am feeling new to the world. I look around me and see millions of tall evergreen trees that look beautiful in the sunlight. Above me I see the bluest sky you can imagine and a couple of Canadian geese that were flying in a lopsided "v." Ahead of me, the mulch trail continued, and so did the evergreens. I decided to lie down a little bit and enjoy the forest. I started thinking about all kinds of things. About the book I'm reading, what I will do when I write my homework, when I will get clothes for my doll, and how I will write a three paragraph essay on how Native Americans lived. Then I start thinking about New Jersey and how the people there are so unlucky to have such a bad environment and have not so many trees in the whole city! Oh no!!! What if that happens here? What would happen to my family and I? Wait, oh yea, I'm in Vermont.

Small, but Big

By Sam Edwards-Kuhn
Renaissance School, Grade 5

When people think of Vermont, they usually think of how small we are. We have a population of about 630,000; and our largest city, Burlington, has a population of about 40,000. Our population could fit inside six Rose Bowls, the football stadium in Pasadena, California. Once I went to New York City, and when I got back to Burlington, I really noticed how much smaller we are.
But Vermont is big in many different ways. We are very well known for our maple syrup production. Our three electoral votes (yes, three) were the first to go to President-Elect Barack Obama (and if you watched the Democratic National Convention, one camera showed the big poster that said, "Vermont," right in front of the stage). Our semi-pro basketball team won the National Championship two years in a row (their first two years in the league. They have already moved to a different league.)!

I think that raising a family in Vermont would help the younger children to appreciate how lucky they are and to learn about all the wildlife in Vermont. When the kids have learned that Vermont doesn’t allow billboards like other states, they would be surprised. But then the parents, who had understood their parents, would tell them why, and I would think that it would be a good reason. The reason I have learned would be that if we had a billboard it would ruin the beautiful landscape for everyone to enjoy. If we had billboards everywhere, the Vermont wildlife and people would lose land, and people and animals need land.

A Vermonter

By Haley Rae Harder
Renaissance School, Grade 5

Some people think to be a true Vermonter, you have to be born in Vermont, as do your grandparents and your great-grandparents. I don't think so. I think a true Vermonter just has to LOVE living here. He could have started life as a flatlander. He could even have been born in Florida, but as long as he loves it here, he is a true Vermonter.
I was born in Vermont, Burlington Vermont to be exact. I have lived here my whole life so far, and I love it here. My parents weren't born here, nor my grandparents or great-grandparents, but I think I am a true Vermonter.
A Vermonter like me will melt under the heat, but he will embrace cold weather. He will also dream of Florida, the Bahamas, and other beaches and islands, but he will wake up from his dream, happy to be in Vermont.

Vermont seasons are unexpected, tricky, and long lasting. Winter, spring, summer, and fall. The circle of seasons goes in a continuing loop that never ends.

Winter. The first snow of the year is usually in November or December. When the snow starts to rise higher and higher, the thought of a snow day builds up inside of you. When the snow is so-o-o high and you hear that the schools are all closed, jumping into your snow suit and into the snow! Building snow tunnels, snow forts, and snow men and women. Having snowball fights, eating sugar on snow, drinking hot cocoa, and sledding on steep hills. The trees look like they have been glazed with melted frosting. After the snow melts into ice, and the ice starts to melt, you can finally see grass! The winds are still cold, and it feels like a thousand swords are cutting into your face.

Oh how cool things would be
If in the world everyone could see
That beauty comes from heart and soul
Treats everyone young and old
So kindly, warmly and with joy
And respects every girl and boy
And is so warm and is so kind
Just warms the spirit and the mind