Literary Fair Winner - Manga by Catherine Wu

Congratulations to Catherine Wu who placed first in the Manga category for her short manga based on "Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook" of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Her piece will move on to the district competition. Click on the link below to check it out!

The Book Thief Manga by Catherine Wu

Literary Fair Winner - "Dad Dreams" by Ryder Kaplan

Congratulations to Ryder Kaplan who one first place in the Rap (Spoken Word) Poem category. His poem will move on to the district competition.

Dad Dreams

by Ryder Kaplan

“Hey, son, go play with the other kids!” Dad shoutin’ from the hallway.

“No, I’m busy!” conversational relay.

Race of his emotions; fingers tap tap tap at the keyboard.

“No wonder they call you a fat nerd!”

Well, Dad, you don’t see it, teachers can’t believe it -

Your son’s a lyrical miracle, a true genius.

Tappin’ the keys when the other kids were tappin’ their feet.

Tryin’ to compete for a position as a top athlete.

None have won some still believe

They can run and run to a career victory.

But not your son, no, he has bigger dreams.

Your son wants to be a poet -

A master of the written word, mended by metaphors

Assisted by alliteration.

His mind’s racing, pacing back and forth, in his room contemplating.

Happiness in writing his feelings, but they’re all locks; the keys keep changing.

He sits in his room alone, with his own thoughts,

There’s treasures in his mind, dad’s bringing him down; he can’t open up his own vault.

Flash forward -- it’s senior year.

Dad in the aisle; son’s surrounded by his peers

Watching in awe at his awesome academic achievements,

But Dad’s still not proud .

A valedictorian of the written word

“Gee, Dad, this fat nerd really got heard!”

With praise from the whole school,

And he didn’t have to drown in the pool of liquor.

It was evil snickers

That would come with athletic dreams.

He never let his dad’s lack of approval come between

His poetic dreams and as he stands on the pedestal; it’s quite a scene.

The boy’s complete dream, not deemed worthy

Just because his father wanted an athlete on the football team,

But it’s all OK, because at this moment right now, on this pedestal

Diploma being forked over by the principal or some older

Man that isn’t Dad but he’s glad that he had

This opportune opportunity to tune out of the cartoons and Dad’s rules

And it ended well, for his son, and Dad thinks to himself

“Hey, maybe he’s done with my vision, and he may be fat

But he pursued his dreams, did great, and I love him for that.”

Literary Fair Winner - "The Being of Pain and Destruction" by Camille Adames

Congratulations to Camille Adames who won first place in the Free Verse category. Her poem will move on to the district competition.

The Being of Pain and Destruction

by Camille Adames

His aura shadows you.

His being stalks you.

His dark mass preys upon your soul.

The more you resist,

The easier he snaps you back into his malice embrace.

He can be a massive boulder

Or thousands of ill-sized pebbles.

No matter his size,

His demeanor is always the same,

Onerous,vile, and destructive.

Peers throw him at you.

Pass-byers  may toss a few pebbles your way.

Bullies bombard him as boulders of mass destruction.

He is impossible to dodge.

He always finds a way to seep inside.

The horrid part is

He doesn’t leave.

Ever.

His sting might dwindle,

But his being will never die.

He is forever.

He travels with you for all eternity.

He chooses to bite at times,

But he mostly keeps still.

Do not fall for his trickery.

He is still there, waiting to pounce.

Be wary of him, Judgement.

Do not toss him around unconsciously.

He is a dangerous and powerful creature of Lucifer,

Peace exists so long  as he is extinct.

Sunday Dinner - Contest Winner!

Harrison Arnberg received the Third Prize for the Creative Writing Contest to complement the exhibit "Growers, Grocers & Gefilte Fish: A Gastronomic Look at Florida Jews & Food" at the Jewish Museum of Florida.  He will receive a prize of $50 and deserves acclaim!  Congratulations, Harrison!

Sunday Dinner
by Harrison Arnberg

My brothers and I sat at the table, rubbing our hands together for the meal.
It was all-American night: hot dogs, hamburgers, but no veal.
This meal became a Sunday night tradition.
Since our new older brother joined us as an addition.
His name is Vieux Kande, a boy from Senegal.
He rolled into our house like a bowling bowl.
We decided to take him in from the Sagemont School.
He came to the States for basketball, and he was very cool.
Ever since then, Vieux and I have been stuck like glue
Despite our religions, and their own view.
He came to my Bar Mitzvah although he is Muslim.
He sat amongst my family including my first cousin.
So now whenever we eat that special meal as a family,
We think about how much weʼve been through and how itʼs meant to be. 
The hot dogs, hamburgers, mac and cheese, and sausage are the foundation 
Of a Sunday night feast beyond fascination.
Vieux and I agreed to make this meal a tradition.
When we are older and hang out, making this meal is a mission.
We shall pass it on amongst our families
No matter where we live in other countries.
The all-American meal with forever be in my familyʼs heart. 

A Haiku Party

A Haiku doesn't have to be the typical 3-lines - 5, 7, 5 (syllables) structure. It can be about capturing a moment. I've been writing in non-traditional Haiku for days now. 

I call this one 5:45 am.

Steam invades my sleep
music fills the morning air -
The new day begins.

Here are some of my favorites from last night's #haiku #extravaganza on Google+

Crispy Strips

by Noah  Barboza

An aroma fills the air-
Sizzling grease stings my skin
on a perfect Sunday morning.

______________________________

by Jessica Kang

In hot air balloon

Floating towards the sunset

Dream of a lifetime

Small panic attacks

Barely suppressing frenzy

Procrastination

______________________________

by Andrew Braxton

Frightening goblins
Spooky, scary skeletons
Roaming 'round the street

Fear grips at my soul
I can feel chills down my spine
Could this be the end?

Wait, it's Halloween
I forgot to buy candy!
Yep, it is the end.

______________________________

by Zack Galpern

Luke gets a call to adventure
He crosses the threshold into his journey
To the Death Star he goes...

______________________________

by Evan Joseph

Learning fills my brain 
Teachers demonstrate lessons

School has now begun

______________________________

Do you have another one? Comment below.  

Tips for Ultimate Success on Team 806

It's that time of the year when I ask you guys to give words of wisdom to the seventh graders who will grace Team 806 with their intelligence next year.

What bit of advice will you give them to reach ultimate success in 8th grade?

Maybe something general that applies to the whole team?

Perhaps something more specific?

Go ahead, graduates, give them your advice!

Literary Fair Winners

Congratulations to the following students who will represent Team 806 at the Broward County Literary Fair.

Worth Every Tear

By Antares Tobelem (Personal Narrative)

     Have you gone yet to watch Les Misérables in theaters? Were you like me, indecisive about watching it because you were unsure as to whether you should bring concessions or a box of tissues? Did I really want to leave the movies, a place where I have found comfort in romance and comedy for so many years, puffed up in the face and wretched with tears?

      Could I really resist when the family decided to go and watch it on Christmas Day, the day of the premiere? Would anyone else have really enjoyed to spend an hour waiting in a line, fighting for a seat, only to watch a so-called “classic” story that would leave me with a depressing realization of what the world was really like?

     When you sat down with your popcorn to watch it, did you prepare yourself for 2 hours and 38 minutes of sobbing and despair? Did the end of each preview that passed make you feel like you were slowly sinking into a terrible abyss from which there was no return? Was your mind reeling in expectation, holding back the tears from remembering the movie trailer before the real movie even began? Did you think you were the only one?

      When that first scene came on the screen, of an overworked Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean) obviously working as a slave to haul a huge boat safely into port, did you hold your breath? Was the thought of a man spending  19 years in slavery only to be told he would spend several more rotting away make your stomach flip?

     Were you compelled by the story of Fantine, the woman who was fired from her job but had a child at home to feed? Did you feel your soul ripped apart as you watched the poor Fantine sell pieces of herself, her hair, her teeth, and her innocence, to continue to feed that same child?

     At the hotel where Cosette, Fantine’s daughter, was being abused by her caretakers, did you cry with her as she spoke of a “Castle on a Cloud?” Did her wishes for freedom and love become yours?

      If your children went to go see the movie with you, how did you explain to them that the little girl’s mother was dead and a complete stranger would now take care of her; how could you possibly have made them understand?

      When was it that you finally realized that Jean Valjean’s strength as a slave was foreshadowing to his later discovery as a paroled convict? When he lifted the carriage off the poor man on the street? Or was it already after police inspector Javert reported him as one?

      Were you lost through the years as Cosette grew older, constantly relocating because of Jean Valjean’s endless escape from Javert’s wrath? Were you as amazed by their will to live; only needing to be together?

      Was I the only one who almost forgot that amidst all of this drama, the French Revolution was right at its peak?

      Introduced to the older, more beautiful Cosette and finding that she falls in love with the handsome Marius; did you feel hopeful for the future? Did you feel sympathy or disgust at Eponine when you realized she was the daughter of the same caretakers who mistreated Cosette as a girl, and knew that she, too, loved Marius?

     Was that same hope lost again when Cosette left her beloved, and Eponine still was sulking over the ignorant Marius? Was your head spinning in circles yet?

     How did you feel about Gavroche, the young blonde boy who fought alongside his brothers for independence? Has anyone not cried in the scene where young Gavroche is mercilessly shot down by troops of the opposing side?

     And later, when the two sides faced each other at the barricade, did Eponine’s sacrifice for Marius seem crazy, or simply driven by love; nevertheless, could you have done the same? As the two sides of the revolution fought, would you have placed yourself as one of the rebel leaders, or someone who hid in their home to protect the children from the guns and war? Was Jean Valjean’s rescue of Marius a brave, inspired, moving action? Do you understand now that a father’s love for his daughter and her wishes causes him to move mountains?

     Were you confused by the scene where Javert commits suicide as well, taking a minute or two to comprehend that by saving his life, Jean Valjean brought it to an end? Maybe he was trying to say that the one man he had spent his entire life as a police inspector pursuing, was really a miraculous human being? How much did Javert’s actions teach all of us as individuals about sacrifice? How can we apply these lessons to our own lives?

     After Marius and Cosette were married, and at the end when Jean Valjean passes away, where was your mind left?

     With Gavroche?

     With Eponine?

     With Fantine?

     With the men who lost their lives in the barricade?

     With Javert?

     What was it exactly that you learned? That strength and compassion surpasses all hardship? That unlucky convicts can improve to become respectable people? Or maybe you just learned to forgive and to love, to help others in any way you possibly can?

     Was this an incredible movie? Did you stand and applaud at its end? Was it worth all the tears and heartache? Was it worth the message?

     Well, what do you think?

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Just Because

by Sterling Wertanzl  (Quatrain Poem)

Everyday the crowds appear in the long, narrow halls,
On the playground, by the cafeteria, near the bathroom stalls.
I hear their giggles, I hear their hate,
And I finally realize: All I am to them is bait.

I watch them whisper and pretend that I don’t care,
And that I don’t notice their rude and hateful glares.
They’re more than just bullies, they’re more than just girls.
They’re beautiful monsters with hate intertwined in their curls.

I sit alone at lunch while they laugh at me and stare,
And that’s when the fire in broken heart begins to flare.
They say they’re friendly, their savage personalities in disguise,
But I know they’re evil, all their words are just lies.

Their constant mocking makes me scream from the inside,
The tears stream out and there’s nowhere to hide.
They have won, yes, the leaders of the pack,
They’ll take my mourns as their prize and mount them on a plaque.

And yet the others don’t care, no, they don’t mind,
If anything they’re clueless, oblivious, and blind.
One day I’ll disappear and they’ll finally feel my pain.
I’ll be watching over them as I freely and happily reign.

After it all, all that’s left are these blistering battle scars.
As I hopelessly gaze above at the shining night stars,
I see the sanctuary of the heavens above,
And I know there are angels up there who will welcome me with love.

I hear my mother’s cries and my brother’s loss of control.
I closely watch over them as they try to revive a body with no soul.
Their faces weep over the broken victim who always will be and was
The girl who took her own life just because.

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The Right to Fight
by Sara Burgoa (Editorial)

In January, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reignited a debate that’s been going on for years by lifting the ban that prevented female soldiers in the armed forces from fighting alongside men in equal combat roles. Although many citizens feel that women in military combat zones would reduce the effectiveness of the armed forces, I wholeheartedly believe that, as long as they meet the physical requirements necessary, anybody should be allowed to serve their country in whatever way they can, regardless of their gender.
        “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” These words were taken directly from the Equal Rights Amendment which, unfortunately, was never ratified by Congress. However, the concept of equality among the sexes addressed in the measure applies directly to the women-in-combat debate. Women should be entitled to the same rights as any male citizen, even if it includes adopting traditionally masculine characteristics. One of America’s chief features is its promotion of equality, but by preventing women from performing in the combat roles, the U.S. would seem hypocritical and unpatriotic.
        Already, females throughout the nation risk their lives to help their community on a daily basis. Allowing them to contribute to our well-being in combat zones is simply taking their dedication to the country one step further. Female soldiers (who make up about 14% of the 1.4 million military personnel, as of 2012) undergo rigorous problem-solving and self-defense training prior to being sent to a particularly dangerous war zone, so it’s not like they are completely helpless. Moreover, with the old, restrictive combat policy, it was difficult for female officers to progress in status. The military limitations that women have to face today share parallel similarities to the restrictions faced by African Americans in the past, which proved to be completely unconstitutional and unfair.
        One of the most beautiful American concepts is that of choice. Women who meet the physical requirements for participating in combat roles in the armed forces should be allowed to do so if they choose to. Obviously, entering any war zone involves great risk, but the decision should be left to the American women, not to the men who represent them in government. That is precisely the reason that Panetta made the right choice when he consented to the lifting of the constricting ban. Indeed, female soldiers in the armed forces should be allowed to serve in equal combat roles alongside men; it is simply un-American to say otherwise.

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Society Gazette
by Justin Oletsky (Literary Newspaper)