Words from Our Young Authors at Havens Elementary

This Fall at Havens Elementary we concocted bedtime stories, faced our old fears of monsters, and more! See some of the excerpts we have to share with you below!

From “My Name Is"... prompt – students inserted an emotion or personality trait for “Name”:

My creativity is giant and growing. Every day. My creativity is made from dreams and everything around me. My creativity can be sad, happy, gory, awesome, shiny, gross and lots more.

-Jack

Excerpt from bedtime story:

One upon a time Pooh Bear, Christopher Robin, Owl, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Tigger were all standing on a cliff, watching the foamy waves crash against the shore. Pooh (that’s what everyone called him when he was silly) took a couple steps forward. When he was three steps away, a rock tripped him. “Poooooh!” everyone  screamed. “My life is ending!” Pooh called back.

-Sara

Excerpt from bedtime story:

Strike wondered where Luna had gone. She hadn’t told him a thing or left a note. Luna was in Braindude’s hideout. She was very scared. She thought that Braindude would eat her. She was in a dark structure that was old and covered from wall to wall and ceiling to floor with all sorts of gross things like webs, mice, rats and mold.

-Hannah

Excerpt from bedtime story:

Once Bo got to Dr. Mammoths’  house/lab/life he figured he shouldn’t use the doorbell so he just kicked the door open! “Aww Bo, hmmm, how did I know you were coming?” cackled Dr. Mammoth. “Because I have a brain.” Then, unexpectedly, a cage dropped right over Bo. Bad Luck!

1. Bo was trapped. 2. He really needed to use the bathroom. 3. He was bored and 4. well… nothing for #4.

-Jihae

From "This I used to believe":

I used to believe in the toilet monster. Whenever you flushed the toilet, a monster would jump out! It was very scary. One night I had a dream about the toilet monster. It had a toilet head, a water body, toilet fingers and toilet paper eyes! It was the scariest thing I’d ever seen. I was so scared of it that the next morning, I almost never went to the bathroom!

-Sophia

Excerpt from bedtime story:

Once upon a time there was a peanut named Paul the Peanut. Paul was not like ordinary peanuts. Paul could talk. When he was born, he never wanted to be eaten. He had nightmares about being eaten.

One day a little girl came up and got the peanut jar down from the shelf. Slowly, she twisted the jar. It popped open. She picked up a peanut. “Noooo!” cried Paul the Peanut. “Not Aunt Susan! Goodbye! I love you!”

-Harper

Excerpt from bedtime story:

The ground began to rumble and blackness surrounded the house. My mouth opened. The house had red blocks holding the roof up with glass windows next to every red block. Right in front was a small waterfall leading to a pond with Chinese fish. A rocky cement pathway led to the house’s red door. We entered the house.

-Eleanor

Excerpt from bedtime story:

Gloria is a flamingo. She has a great-great-great grandfather who is very old. He is a turtle and is 9,999. She hopes that he does not die. Her great-great-great grandfather’s name is Bob. Gloria’s great-great-great grandfather gave her a turtle shell as a gift. Ever since, she wears it as a hat. It is very fashionable. All the girls at school want one.

-Elizabeth

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Paper & Palette"

This morning at our "Paper & Palette" camp we did Found Poetry! Then, in the afternoon, each student wrote a message and put it into a little bottle and  we headed to Piedmont Park.  We went into the canyon to  draw in our sketchbooks while Megan and Lili hid the bottles for a scavenger hunt. Everyone had fun looking high and low for a message in a bottle. Back in the classroom we finished our "secret doors" watercolors and made masks. Our free time was spent weaving "God's Eyes" and finger-knitting with the wonderful yarn that Ella's mom donated. Thank you!

Here are some of our Found Poems, and some pics of the campers scavenging for words in the classroom and at the park!

You go out and

find it in the bush it’s your bottle

of bebe romance

care and

redeem

beautiful

vanilla

hair lady

gaga

hmm---but business

was better

in Mexico aaaa—

hehehe

-Alice

I saw them

mostly

in the

summer

eating

too much

real fruit

naturally

at the

café they, the

American Goldfinches

-Athene

We won a story star contest, so we get to see Lady Gaga and Rianna. We won it at the library. We get to relax on our vacation. It’s a dream come true. We feel royal. The music will sound cool. I will have a starburst and a salted caramel cupcake. We are at our hotel. Claudia insisted on a fresh change of underwear everyday. Claudia went into Joe’s room and touched his books. “I’m not gonna have nobody messin’ with my books!” he said.

-Ella

I say

how

do you

know that

Addie Bunden

is going to die?

Said victorious.

When I became

a rapper I wasn’t

looking for love

I was looking for

the good

of the

people. That’s rambunc-

tious. At least you’re

not like

red carpet Amanda

who told

about the cable knot.

They broke

the

rules

with

their

favorite

named

Stebens.

A

Holly

wood

Legend

Athens!

-Josephine

Berry Me

Raspberry,

strawberry

goodnight

moon

floral

frogs

out

in

the

golden

sun

send

secret

shoes

and

a

vest

to

everyone.

-Julia

The fabulous California

the best music

and events

tastiest blueberries

and dark

chocolate.

Discover new

online

movies

find the diamond in

Hollywood.

Hooray

for

California.

-Kai Kai

Life is good

travel it

discover it

dream it

love it

You can’t live

Forever

use

your time

to eat

learn

party

discover

and dream

-Lili

Unique Getaway

Discover colorful

Luxury Paris, Fiji,

Movie star Vegas

Caffeinated

New York

And

Hawaiian steak.

Shop

color

live.

-Megan

April's spring brings

merry and joy

the eyes of April

animals are like gems

glittering in the moonlight

a frog’s dream

is sunshine from a

volcano.

-Mirabel

Hi Robert the

Monster your

City Oakland is

prepared, on time,

responsible and

respectful.

-Naomi

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Paper & Palette"

Today we started off with the writing prompt "I reached inside my pocket and found..." We then did Family Metaphors and an exercise called Walking in Someone Else's Shoes, where the kids picked a show from a bunch we brought in, built a character around that show, and then wrote a story from that character's point of view! 

We had another beautiful day this afternoon so we did an art project in the park. Students started a watercolor painting that included doors, windows and other compartments that will be cut so that they hinge open to reveal ....what? We'll finish them and find out tomorrow! Back in the classroom we put together our sketchbook and plan to do some sketching outdoors tomorrow. We also celebrated Naomi's birthday and she brought lady bug cookies! Mmmmm

Take a look at some of our writing samples below!

I reached into my pocket and found…a bicycle wheel with two holes on opposite sides that wasn’t quite deflated.

-Athene

…When suddenly, she heard, “Bogagogachinabooyagooaching” near Africa so she stole a car and drove to Africa, blue eyes flashing, black and pink hair waving. In Africa, she smiled and showed her straight white teeth. Her roomie, from her apartment sent her an email. “Have fun! You are going to die in this outfit I’m sending you!”

-Ella

Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes:

One day there was a woman named Carrie. She was an agent for the FBI. But the problem was she was a bit psycho. On February 13, 2012 she went to work with Polka dot pants and a Hawaiian t-shirt on. But she forgot to wear her shoes. So she ran all the way back home to her fairy house.

-Megan

Monaca was walking to surfing lessons when some ice cream fell on her head. She looked up and a little boy started to cry. Quickly she ran up to him and gently gave the ice cream to him, He was very pleased. She rubbed his soft wet cheek.

-Mirabel

Family Metaphors:

My dog is a big brown teddy bear waiting to be snuggled. 

My grandma is a book that can never be put down.

-Kai Kai

My grandma is a sewing machine that has great designs.

My grandpa is a book that is only put down for meals.

-Lili

Mysister is a laughing cow mooing all the time. -Megan

Summer Camp 2011 - Daily Diary: "Paper & Palette"

We had a wonderful first day of camp in Piedmont today! Check out some bits from our campers' "I am from" poems!

I like animals

I like breathing the air

I like nature

I like that the trees are

staying for now

-Adel

I am from the big oak tree

In our neighbors yard

stretching,

pulling,

and kicking

in to our tiny backyard

-Athene

I am from the shining

stage,

I am from

sleep away camp.

I am from a lot of

fun, I am craft making hands,

I have a head full of

wonders,

I am from the cool

swimming pool,

I am from a designing

World,

I am from me.

-Ella

I am from leaping

over rivers, playing in

the meadow, building forts,

responsible

for brothers and

cousins, making

changes to the world, cats and dogs

every other animal that

needs respect, although we speak

in different tongues, we should

be treated the same.

-Josephine

I am from the deep sea,

swaying grass, strange creatures

I am from the tree tops,

having a chat with a bird

I am from magical valleys,

winged horses, dragons

I am from a colorful mind.

-Julia

I am from the scritch

scratch

of my pencil

I am from the

voice of my

sister arguing

I am from

warm sand

on the beach.

I am from the smell

of my Grandma’s

basement.

-Kai Kai

I am from a smile

I am from the sound

of crashing waves

I am from sand

squeezed between my toes

I am from a stage

I am from a creek

that leads to an ocean

a creek

that’s just begun its story

-Lili

I am from the inside of my peach

house

to the nice

fresh air of my

backyard

the bumble bees buzzing

and the

birds chirping

every morning I wake up

I

feel home

-Megan

I am from snoring

To sleeping

Sleeping and screaming

Screaming to the smell

of egg and juice again

-Mirabel

I am from a

loving

family

I am from

the tree

I am from the

earth

I am from

animals

I am from the

zoo.

-Naomi

We started our art afternoon by making sketchbook covers by exploring paint, mixing colors, stamping, scraping etc. We'll finish assembling our sketchbooks tomorrow and use them throughout the week. Our next project was decorating small frames using recycled materials- the students did a great job and will decide if they want to bring in a photo or put a piece of their writing in their frame. We played a surrealist drawing game called "exquisite corpses" where each student drew a head, folded their paper over and passed it to the right where the next student added a torso etc. Our results were very funny so each student described the piece they unfolded and gave it a title. A fun first day with a great group!