Kneesocks 2018-19

2018–19 Kneesocks Table of Contents

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A Message from the Head of Junior School

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Creative Writing

15 Non-Fiction

27 Visual Communication

47 Poetry

51 French

Artwork by Callie Slightham 5C

Dedicated to Principal Mrs. Helen-Kay Davy. Thank you and best wishes as you embark on your next adventure.

Artwork by Ainsley Nichols 5CY

A Message from the Head of Junior School

C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series (amongst many other beloved children’s books), once said: “You can make anything by writing.”

What a wonderfully delicious idea that each of us has the capacity to use our creativity to imagine any number of things. Whether it is a fictional story that brings the reader into a fantastical world of wild beasts and adventures; a poem that makes a person feel a profound sense of calm with just a few carefully selected words; a persuasive essay, steeped in research, where the author takes a stand on an issue that is important to them; or the use of descriptive words in a personal narrative where the reader is able to imagine what an experience looked, sounded and felt like; the power of the written word is truly remarkable! As you sit down to read our 2018-19 edition of Kneesocks , I invite you to take note of how our students are able to paint pictures with their words. This skill grows, evolves and becomes increasingly sophisticated from JK to Grade 6. The content in this edition is just a sampling of the tremendous work that our students put forth every day. This year’s Kneesocks is dedicated to Havergal’s 11th Principal, Mrs. Helen-Kay Davy, on her retirement. As someone who loves the written word and who has a deep appreciation for the power of the English language, we hope that she takes pleasure in reading the work of the school’s youngest authors. We thank her for her many contributions to our school. The Havergal Junior School community will miss her tremendously and we hope that she visits us often.

Sincerely,

Kate White

2  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

KNEESOCKS 2018–19  3

The Butterfly Who Was Sad By Kairi Yeung SK

One Stormy Night By Claire Kim 2Y

I felt so scared. Lightning flashed in the sky. BOOM! BOOM! The thunder shook the rain. “When will I ever get to sleep?” I thought. It was like the rain would never stop coming down. I was just about to sleep when, WOOSH! The wind shook the house. I heard a sound. Click! I sat up not knowing what it was. I looked around. “It’s nothing,” I say going under the blankets. “I’m never going to sleep,” I say. I put the night light on. The rain poured on the streets. “Will water leak into my room?” I wonder. The rain washed the streets. I looked out the window. Lightning flashed. “The thunder’s next,” I whisper. Crackle, crackle. “The rain is like the rain in a rainforest,” I say. Even though I am scared, it does sound nice. “I should read a book until the rain stops,” I thought. I pick up a book, The White Wolf. I was so tired I slept without noticing.

4  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

My Bunnies From Christmas By Niina Lee 1L

It was Christmas Eve and I was with my family. I asked my Dad if I could open one present. Dad said, “Yes!” I was so excited! It was a present from my Mom and Dad. It was a cute, small bunny. After dinner, Santa came and rang the doorbell. I did not see Santa. I saw a big, big box and it had my name on it. I helped get everything inside. I got to open my big box. It was a huge bunny! I named her Robby. I was so happy!

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The Violinist By Alice Song 5CY

As the soft piano playing continued, I sat down. I was in a gym with a whole school of people around me. My stomach had butterflies in them. Prayers was one of my favourite parts of the day.

The music came to a sudden end and nothing but silence filled the room. A man suddenly walked up wearing a bold black suit and tie.

“Hi everyone. My name is Jonathan and I am the concertmaster of second violins in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Before I tell you my story, I’m going to play a piece,” he said confidently.

He picked up a brown violin that was sitting on the piano. He set up and placed his bow on the string. The first note was struck. It cut right through the empty silence.

I felt something that I had rarely felt before. Awe. The music he played was like a knife cutting through the air. He was moving around to the melody while he was playing.

I thought he looked like an awesome professional—if only I could play like that. A wave of passion rippled through me as I heard the notes clash, collide and retreat. The music flowed over me and I sat there staring—my eyes as big as plates and my jaw dropping to touch the ground.

“Bravo!” a man called from the back when the piece ended. The audience clapped wildly and it was so loud that the room vibrated.

Right then and there, I knew I wanted to be just like him when I grow up. The journey is going to be rough, I thought, but I will try my best.

I kept a solemn face afterwards and tried not to show my awe. The amazing violinist bowed deeply before sitting down. This was one of the most enchanting moments of my life.

6  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

The Ski Slope By Emma Zhao 3P

As I stood at the top of the steepest ski hill, my heart was pounding. It was like it was desperately trying to escape my chest. I tried to calm myself down, taking deep breaths and thinking of my family cheering me on. “Sooo...how am I going to get down? I don’t know how to go on such a steep hill!” I laughed nervously. “Come on, Emma!” my coach snapped. His face softened. “Why don’t you try? It isn’t that steep. And once you try, you won’t be afraid anymore!” Liar, I thought. Big, big liar. I knew what he was doing. He was convincing. Tricking. Fooling. Try to get me inflamed. My mind suddenly felt clear, urging me to go down. Courage and strength surged through me. I started to slide, going faster and faster. My life flashed before my eyes. But the anxiety passed quickly. In a flash, I zipped down the hill, trees and skiers a blur behind me. Before I knew it, I found myself at the bottom of the hill with my group again, laughing. “Whoo!” I cried, punching my fists in the air. “Let’s go again!”

Splash By Zoha Imran 3PR

“I’m so tired and I’m burning!” I mumbled while wiping the sweat that trickled down my forehead. “How many more minutes until we go home?” I whined.

“One hour!” Mom said. We were in Quebec with my aunt, baby cousin named Ahad, my parents, and my sister. We walked around the corner, I saw a twinkle from the corner of my eye. I wondered what it was: a treasure chest, a diamond, something shiny? I heard children bubbling with laughter as I spun to see what it was.

“Mom, Dad, come!” I shouted.

“Okay, we are coming,” they said.

Everyone safely went down the stairs and sat on the bench. I noticed my mom seemed bored. As we looked, we saw a splash pad full of children. We saw children laughing, running, and splashing with smiles plastered across their faces. My cousin, Ahad, came running down the stairs giggling with every step he took. It’s like he was insane, but he did what all the other kids did. I noticed he fit in very well. His smile was so bright I swear I saw a charm. Soon enough he found another baby about his age. They put their arms out wide and splashed everyone. “Ahh!” Everyone yelled as they stared at Ahad and his new friend. It’s like they were planning to soak us, but who knows what’s inside their minds.

They played until noon. “It’s time to go!” My aunt said as she dragged Ahad away.

“Bye!” Ahad said to his friend as silent tears flowed to his eyes.

Later that night, I laid my head on my bed with warmth filling my body. As I thought about all the happy moments I’ve seen, this one was my favourite.

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Lazy River Disaster By Mackenzie Majewski 5C

As we step through the doors and into the indoor waterpark at Jay Peak, I feel the humid air swallow my face. I see the blinding bright coloured water slides and hear the screams within them.

“What do you want to go on first?” my mother asks kindly.

“LAZY RIVER!” My brother and I both shout so loud that many people stop and stare at us. My lips curl into a excited smile so wide it hurts.

We snatch tubes off the rack and race towards the man-made river. I see the huge red bucket of water start to fill up again and again after just pouring out above the river. I smell the chlorine rising up into the air. I hop into the tube and slowly start to drift downwards in the bright blue water. I hear the screams, laughter, and splashes of people not too far ahead. I grip the handles of the tube hard in anticipation. Then, I let go and slip out through the hole in the bottom of the tube. I start to swim forward and when I try to resurface, I get tugged back under the water before I can get a breath into my lungs. Only one thought went through my mind, this is a WAVE POOL. I gasp, letting the rest of my air bubble up to the surface. I kick desperately, hoping to get to the top, my lungs burning. I think about the air right above my head taunting me. I kick the hardest kick I can muster, but I’m only on top for just one breath before I get sent cartwheeling under the water. I get to the top again, just as the huge bucket leans over, and pours out. I get a huge mouthful of water and the force of the water pulls me back under. I fold up in a fetal position and plug my nose as the waves spin me around and around, the water gurgling and juggling itself at the back of my throat. I look around the water helplessly, my muscles giving in, the chlorine stinging my eyes, and my screams echoing under water. I spot an unused tube on my left and with the last of my strength, I cling to it so hard I think it might pop. I spit out all the water I have in my mouth and gulp down the glorious air. I never realized how good it felt to have air in your lungs before.

I spot my brother (apparently watching the whole thing) floating by me casually, a smug smile on his face that infuriates me.

“BEST. WIPEOUT. EVER!!!!!!”

8  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

The Water Slide at Great Wolf Lodge By Natalie Aggarwal 2L

I slowly climbed up the stairs. I was nervous but excited too. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Rebecca said. “Yes!!”

As I walked up I heard kids counting 1, 2, 3 and then they disappear. My hands were shaking. My legs were shaking. “Do you want to do it?” I asked. “No!!” Rebecca screamed. My mom decided that she would go first. 1,2,3 and she’s gone. Can I really do this? I thought. I stepped closer and closer to the door. “Don’t do it!” yelled Rebecca. But I was already on my way. 1, 2, 3, slip “Ah!!”Water was in splashing on my face. I opened my eye and saw the pink and purple slide around me. I swung around the slide, woosh, woosh, woosh! I felt happy and proud. The water all around me felt good.

It was all over fast. “Yay!” said my mom. “Good job!” said Rebecca. I got up and felt dizzy. “Don’t do that again!” I did not.

School Supplies By Michelle Zhou 3P

Artwork by Ainsley Nichols 5CY

“Are we there yet?” I asked for the hundredth time.

“Not yet.”

Ugh. My mom was taking me shopping for school supplies and I couldn’t wait because it was my first time. I was so busy thinking I didn’t realize we were there. I opened the car door leaped out. As I walked inside, I was met by a cold blast of air from the air conditioner. Where should I start with so many things to choose from? Let’s start with notebooks. The search was on. I flipped around and found a nice patterned, turquoise one. I brushed my fingers across the smooth cover. Great. Next I skipped to where the binders were and started searching, to come across a patterned white one. Yes. Now for markers and pencils. I picked my favourite coloured Sharpies, some blue pencils, and a few glittery erasers. Last of all, I selected a white pencil case that had turquoise flowers on it with silver writing. I heard my tummy growl. Lunch time! School supply shopping is hard work.

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Earrings By Tina Jin 5CY

Thonk, thonk, thonk. That of course was my heart. Why, you might ask? Well, I was getting my ears pierced. Yes me, Tina Jin, getting my ears pierced. I’d been wanting to for years and years.

“Why am I so nervous?” I asked myself, as a lady with a short, bouncy white skirt came towards me. I read her name tag. “Anne” it said in fancy red print. She wore a bright smile, waving as she made her way down the long corridor of my favorite shop, Claire’s. “Hello! I’m Anne and I will be piercing your ears today,” she squealed. My mouth shifted itself into a big, fake smile. Anne pulled out a huge drawer and reached for a gun-like object. It was white and blue with a big flower embroidery on top. She then took out a marker. A marker! What was she going to do to me? She opened the cap of the marker, raised her hand, and dotted my ear.

“That’s where we are going to pierce your ears,’’ she explained as she put the marker away. I slowly shifted myself on the chair to face her.

“ Am I… allowed to pick which earring I want?” I managed to stammer.

“Of course!” she answered pulling out a small box. Blue, red, white, and pink gems poked out at me. But, before I could make my selection…

Mom chimed in. “ She’ll take the white one!” I spun around in the chair yet again to glare at her. Right at this moment, Anne raised the gun up to my ears.

Right away my stomach jittered with butterflies. Everything around me became dizzy and my vision turned blurry. I felt a pang of regret as the butterflies turned into crows pecking and flailing their wings, trying to get out. The closer the gun got, the faster my heart beated. Thonk , thonk , thonk . I felt like I was going to throw up.

Kachunk ! The gun went in. I felt a mixture of happiness, relief, and surprise. Happy that I got my ears pierced, relieved that it was over, and surprised that it didn’t even hurt a bit.

I was still lost in my thoughts until mom tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Honey? It’s over. You’re all done.”

I opened my eyes. Colour swirled around me. My vision slowly became sharper and sharper. Anne and mom were huddled on either side comforting me and telling me how wonderful I looked. I slowly got up. My legs felt stiff and hard. I made my way to the huge mirror beside me. I was aware that mom and Anne were looking at me.

Then I glanced over into the mirror to see a pale girl with bright red cheeks and a pair of earrings staring back at me. I am never going to do that again. Ever.

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Stories That Ships Tell: an Integrated Social Studies and Visual Arts Project

In Shaun Tan’s The Arrival , an immigrant’s story is told through portraits. Grade 6 students studied how Tan’s collection of portraits, both real and abstract, communicated to readers in a powerful way the experience of an immigrant who is seeking a better life in a distant land. In Social Studies, while completing an episodic narrative incorporating research on an immigrant group that has shaped Canada’s identity, students created their own portraits to enhance the message of their work.

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Stories Ships Tell: Portrait #1 – Escaping Tragedy By Audrey Gage 6M

September 12, 1941

“How lucky I am to have had someone that makes saying goodbye so hard.” —A.A. Milne My name is Samuel Wexler. I am writing in this journal because it is the only way that this journey that we are on can be recorded and remembered. I find my mother in the kitchen starring outside the window. I remember the way she would hold me in her arms when I was oh so little and look me in the eyes. She would say, “Sammy, you are one good kid.” She had a sparkle in her eyes that would always light up the room. Now, her gaze is dull and distant. The war has ended. Our town is completely deserted and is lifeless. Synagogues have been burned to the ground, along with houses and stores. Almost six million Jews have been murdered or arrested by the Nazis. I used to be in a family of four. Now that the war has ended, I am in a

family of three. My father was one of the six million. He was taken away to a concentration camp and was starved. I have a big brother Noah, and a mother who is suffering from depression. My big brother is probably the one thing that keeps me going. I want to be just like Noah when I grow up. He is tough, but he puts me before himself. He reminds me so much of my father, and I think that’s why we have such a special bond.

Now, we are stranded on this barren land. We need to leave. We need to escape. My brother says I need to rest up for this upcoming week. We are going to try to find a new place to live, in a faraway land. Canada.

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Stories Ships Tell: Home is Ma’s Spices By Emilia Emmrich 6L

Preface

In the early 1900s, India was plagued by frequent famines and immense poverty. This was due to the ruthless reign of the British over India and extremely heavy taxation from British-backed landlords. On the other side of the world, Canada was heavily advertising jobs in lumber and railway work and fruit growing on the west coast. These are only some of the factors prompted over 2 000 Indians to travel across the vast Pacific Ocean to start a new life in Canada. The first of these immigrants arrived between 1904 and 1908. They were mainly Sikh Punjabi men and teenage boys setting out to find employment and bring over their families. Unfortunately, once arriving in Canada, they didn’t receive the treatment they had hoped for. Indian workers were forced to live together in tiny, crammed, dismal shacks and were paid far less than their white co-workers. All Asians were considered dangerous and in need of containing. Hateful feelings towards Asians prompted mass unemployment among Indians in 1907 and caused the passing of a law in that took away Indian- Canadians’ right to vote in that same year. This law was only removed forty years later. Injustice towards Indian-Canadians lasted for decades, but that hasn’t stopped them from making their mark on Canada.

Portrait #1

October 15, 1906

The towering shadow of a gigantic ship shields my face from the powerful sun. Dozens of sweaty bodies crowd around me and the buzz of voices makes me feel as if I am in a beehive. I never saw many crowds in my village, even though it wasn’t too far away from the bustling city of Amritsar. Ajit Bhai says that I will have to get used to a lot of things from now on, but I don’t think I will ever get used to crowds. The other men push me around so violently that I am afraid of losing sight of Babu and Ajit Bhai. “Hurry, son!” shouts Babu over the roar of the crowd. I slip through the narrow gaps between men, my ability fit in small spaces being one of my only strengths. My sister and I used to have to make our way to the market once a week, where most of the village had gathered. Fitting in tight spaces was imperative in order to get to the stalls before all the food was sold out. We had eight mouths to feed. I

am small and scrawny compared to my father and brother, taking more after my Ma in appearance. I have her slender body, dark eyes, and moon-like face, but no-one could ever possess her grace. She was like a beautiful doe when walking through the field or fetching water from the well. All of a sudden, a deafening noise wakes me from my daydream. It shakes the world around me and forces me to cover my ears. “The ship horn!” screams Babu and grabs my arm, dragging me through the masses. As Babu pulls me closer to the ship, I somehow fully grasp what I am going to do for the first time. A surge of guilt hits me like a sugarcane stick as I think of leaving my family unprotected, of leaving my sister. Behind me is the only world I have ever know, in front of me the dark belly of a vessel that will carry me towards promise.

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Portrait #2

October 18, 1906

I remember when water was scarce, when I used to long for the sweet taste of cool liquid on my lips. All of the village would gather at our Gurdwara and pray for hours, longing for the skies to bless us with rain, shower our fields, and relieve us from our hunger and thirst. Now, I am surrounded by water, day and night, night and day. It pains me to see all of this water and not be able to take one little sip.

October 25, 1906

Every day, I wake up early to watch the sea. Waves jump and dance everywhere I look and it almost seems as if they have emotions of their own. Ajit Bhai and Babu never watch the water. When the sea pushes me back and forth, back and forth, and my stomach starts twisting and turning inside and out, I unfold my blanket and wrap myself in it. The blanket still smells like home, like Ma’s spices, like sunshine and the breeze. The ship smells like sweat and vomit, but holding the blanket to my face brings me back to our mud hut. One of the twins would always be sitting on the straw mat in the far corner and Tanuja, my sister, would be taking care of them. Ma would be cleaning the hut, often holding one of the twins in her arm. She would cook mornings and evenings, making the little food we had into a feast and never eating one bit until we were finished. The food here is like ash, tasteless and colourless. It doesn’t provide me with much hope for what the food in the new country will be like. Babu didn’t tell us much about the new country. “We will have a home, clean water, and food in our bellies,” he says whenever I bring it up. “That is more than most people could ask for at home.”

November 14, 1906

“Up! Get up, Jassy!”, screams Ajit Bhai, pulling me up by my skinny arms and waking me at an unbelievably early hour. A swarm of voices surrounds me and I struggle to find my footing. Ajit Bhai drags me over to the railing and shoves me through a crowd of people. Orange and pink are blended in half of the sky and the other half is bathed in darkness. Ajit Bhai points to a scratch of land in the distance, only slightly illuminated by the rising sun. “That’s it,” he says shakily. “That’s Canada.”

Afterword

Throughout Canada’s history, Indians have had to overcome many obstacles to become the thriving community they are today. They have had to challenge many laws which kept them from expressing their cultural identity and, in doing so, have made Canada a more just nation. Today, with more than 1.1 million people claiming Indian descent, Indians are one of the biggest ethnic communities in Canada. There are “Little India”s in both Vancouver and Toronto, providing Indian food, clothing, and household items. There is also a plethora of media (such as newspapers, magazines, and websites) aimed especially at the Indo-Canadian community. From the lumber industry to the Great Punjab Business Centre, many businesses founded by Indo-Canadians are still in service today. Through sharing their culture and traditions, Indians have helped make Canada the amazing, diverse country it is today. Therefore, each contribution made by the Indo-Canadian community, even when it seems like it doesn’t make the tiniest difference, has left an impact on Canada that will last from now until eternity.

14  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

KNEESOCKS 2018–19  15

Plane Rides By Carrie Tuo 2Y

When you are at security, take my advice. Take out electronics, coats, and anything else. Put everything you took out in the bins. Last, go through the scanner.

When you get your ticket, check your doorway and time. You can buy stuff and eat while you wait. When the speaker says your number it means get out of the airport and go on your plane.

You’re finally aboard. Now take a seat. Where’s your seat you ask? Check your ticket to see if it is your seat. Seats also have classes such as business, first and economy. Enjoy your ride!

16  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

Plants By Jesse Yuan 2L

A plant needs things to survive. They need water to stay healthy and soil to grow. You plant the seeds in soil. They also need sunlight to survive.

There are lots of types of plants. Grass grows outdoors. Grass is all around. You can grow vegetables too! After they are well grown, you wash them and eat them. There are other plants such as flowers, visa fly traps, poison ivy and others.

Daisies are types of flowers. They look like this.

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Day 9: Our Trip to the Zoo By Emma Abdou 1L

On April 9th, I went to the zoo. There were so many animals! My favourite animal was a polar bear. It was funny. It was walking back and forth swinging its head. One time, the polar bear came up to us and sat on his two feet with its mouth open. It was amazing to see!

By Sophie Pollock 1G

My favourite animal was the snowy owl because it could turn its head farther than we can. I also loved the tiger because it protected its territory. I also loved the hippo because it is so big. I learned that some animals change their diet because sometimes they can’t find the food that they usually eat. For example, in the winter animals can’t find berries, but, in the spring or summer they can.

It was so fun going to the zoo!

18  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

Make your Mark By Kate Gratzer 6M

I dive into the fresh, crisp water of the pool, gliding swiftly to the other side. I hear my cello playing softly in my ears as I finish my first lap of the hour I will swim. My abilities are limitless . I can imagine the day that I will be a doctor and help people get better. I will work towards winning the national cello championships and thrive at music, swimming, and being an even better leader. My abilities to grow are limitless . I bustle into the main entrance of the Junior School and run outside to play with my friends. I march up the stairs with the rest of the students and into our classrooms getting ready for Prayers. My abilities to grow are limitless . I fly through the day learning new facts about Canada in Social Studies, dribbling techniques in gym class, signposts for books in Reading, and much, much more. I skip down the halls, pack my bag, and head down the stairs. My abilities to grow are limitless .

After a busy day of school, I throw open my cello case and play my favourite songs while I wait for my friends to arrive for strings ensemble. We play pop songs and classical music with our instruments. My abilities to grow are limitless . I head home, planning what I’ll do later. When I’m home, I do homework, eat dinner, and go to bed. Every night I sing songs in my head as I fall asleep. I am a sister, daughter, student, friend, musician. I am Kate. My abilities to grow are limitless .

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By Abby Tran SK

Students in Senior Kindergarten are recording what they are wondering about the world around them and they record their thoughts in order to investigate further.

Pat Fletcher: Canadian Open Winner 1954 By Alex Kent 5C

In 1954, my great-grandfather Pat Fletcher won the Canadian Open. He was the first Canadian to win it since 1914, 40 years before.

Pat was raised in British Columbia and grew up loving golf. When he was 10 he became a caddy, just to get closer to the course. When he was 11, his father took him to a putting range. Since that day, he never truly stopped hitting golf balls. When Pat became a teenager, he learned more about golf. He learned that the Canadian Open is Canada’s #1 golf tournament, and when he got older, Pat decided to chase his dream, and entered the tournament. Before the competition he trained hard, training three or more hours a day for two, whole, months. Imagine doing that! Pat won the Canadian Open and after he won, he planned on staying one night in Vancouver before going back home. When he got off the plane, guess who was waiting for him? 1000+ Fans from Saskatoon! And they were all ready to celebrate his big win. Even at his house there were some fans! Even after 64 years, people are still talking about his winning putt. Why? Because no Canadian has won the Open since. So to inspire us, Pat Fletcher made a foundation to donate to kids to help them play golf and other sports. Pat’s story and his Canadian Open trophy is very special to my family, because of the win, and the winning journey.

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How to Get Ready for School By Angelina Chen 1G

This book tells you about how to get ready for school. Are you ready to go to school? Lets go!

Step 1: Wake Up First, wake up. Wake up before you are late for school. You need to wake up at 7 o’clock so you will have enough time to get ready.

Step 2: Brush Your Teeth Next, brush your teeth. Brush your teeth before you get dressed because it will be easier that way. Make sure you get all of your teeth clean!

Step 3: Get Dressed Then, get dressed in your uniform. Get dressed quickly! You don’t want to be late for school! Be careful not to spill on your clothes.

Step 4: Breakfast

After, eat breakfast. If you don’t, you will be starving! If you are full but you didn’t finish, eat a little more. You don’t want to be hungry later at school.

Step 5: Go to School

Finally, get your backpack and say goodbye to your mom and dad. It’s time to get in the car and go to school. GET READY FOR…SCHOOL!

Did you have fun at school? Did you play with your friends? Did you go outside? If you liked this book I hope you will read it again!

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Anxiety, Anxiety, Anxiety By Olivia Kellner 6M

Anxiety, a seven letter word that has troubled 1 in 5 American adults’ lives each year. Have you ever been preparing for a test and you just feel so stressed that you’re going to explode? As once advised, “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.” There are 7 different types of anxiety disorders. For instance, fear of being away from home or people you love is called Separation Anxiety. Fear of being judged or humiliated is called Social Anxiety. Even if you don’t have an anxiety disorder, you may sometimes find yourself stressed. School, camp, and sports teams tend to spark stress for students and kids. Adults may become stressed from work, home life, and finances. Coping with everyday anxiety can be a struggle, but it’s definitely not impossible! Participating in physical activity, sleep, breathing exercises and saying encouraging words to yourself are strategies that you can practice immediately. They will exceed your expectations! For example, taking a jog is a way to get a normal breathing pace and clear your mind. The feeling of stress gets very overwhelming and it feels so much better to have all of those negative thoughts removed from your system. Even though it can be hard to fall asleep with lots of thoughts spinning through your mind, sleep is extremely important. For instance, if you’re nervous about a test occurring the next day, sleep can be more beneficial than loads of studying. The therapist, Elana Segal, once said, “You can’t let anxiety control you. You are the remote control, not anxiety.” This piece of advice is extremely beneficial. Meditations are easy to find on youtube, to help you calm down. Breathing exercises like “Square breathing” and “Hot Chocolate breathing” (these can be explained on youtube.com) help you feel grateful which contributes to the process of relaxing.

Don’t let anxiety beat you down. You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.

Artwork by Sofia Valentina Pistol 4G

22  HAVERGAL COLLEGE

Real or Fake?

Inspired by the National Geographic series that presents information about a topic and challenges readers to decide whether they think it is real or fake, Grade 4 students studied the elements of informational writing and created their own versions. Will you be fooled?

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The Tree Ambulance By Julia Gillis 4M

I am guessing you have all seen a dead tree, but in New Delhi, India there is a tree ambulance. The project started on December 1st, 2009 to prevent the loss of many trees.

Trees are important because they provide oxygen, shelter for lots of wildlife, and materials for us to build tools and shelter. As you probably already know, the population of India is pretty large which means more pollution, so they need a fair amount of trees. But pollution also kills trees.

The tree ambulance is super important there, so they have 6-7 people per ambulance. The ambulance is made up of dendrologists which are tree scientists. They treat termites, insect attacks and fungal infections.

Termites are bugs that snack on wood and can be highly destructive to trees, so the ambulance makes sure to treat them before it gets too bad. Fungal infections are caused by a fungus found in soil called botrytis and it attacks and rots the tree’s roots. They make sure to cut the fungus off before it grows too large and the tree is fully rotten or demolished. Insect attacks make hollow trunks which leads to trees falling down.

I hope the tree ambulance comes to Toronto because it seems like there are many benefits.

Jumping Hero By Camellia Xu 4G

You probably already know that rabbits are SUPER jumpers! But what about a hamster? Well listen up bunnies, a NEW jumping superhero is in town!

Ginny the hamster is 7 cm. Amazingly, she can jump 52 cm into the air. Ginny was born on October 31, 2006. Ginny lived with her owner Patricia Ann Hancock in Seattle, USA.

Patricia got Ginny for her 11th birthday. Patricia likes to feed Ginny pumpkin seeds because Patricia doesn’t like them. Because of this, Ginny LOVED eating pumpkin seeds.

Ginny had her own TikTok account, Twitter account, Instagram account, Facebook account, and Snapchat account. Ginny’s owner Patricia took photos and videos of Ginny jumping. Crouch, and… JUMP! Patricia posts these photos and videos of her jumping on social media. These photos and videos went viral! In 2010, BBC Earth made a special, private documentary on Ginny, and in 2011, Ginny made it into a commercial on the apartment she lived in. From then on, the apartment building, Seattle City View apartment, had a lot of people living in it. Sadly, Ginny died on November 24, 2013. Now you’ll want to make sure you tell your pet bunny to watch out! ‘Cause Ginny the jumping superhero is in town!

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Sea Turtles are Endangered Emma Pink 4G

Sea turtles are a very endangered species. They lay their eggs on hot, sandy beaches like the beautiful beaches of Florida. The cute babies hatch out of their warm eggs and start to walk towards the brightest light they can see, naturally knowing it is the way to the beautiful ocean.

Nesting Behaviour

Sea turtles must find a quiet, soft, and dark beach to have baby turtles. Once the babies hatch out of their eggs, they must have a safe route to the beautiful ocean. In nature that route for the baby turtles is guided by the reflection of the moon in the ocean. Most turtles in Florida nest between May 1st and Oct 31st. (Nesting Season)

City Lights

Both humans and sea turtles love the warm beach, but the strong lights from human buildings attract the sea turtles towards land instead of the ocean. When they lose their path to the ocean which is their home they go towards land, and they often die by: getting run over by cars, eaten by bigger animals, starving or even drowning in swimming pools.

Solution

The state of Florida in the U.S.A. has created a law that forces people who live along the sea to turn off all lights between 9pm and 5am to protect baby sea turtles from going the wrong way. Anyone who breaks this law can go to jail for 6 months and pay a fine of $500!

The next time you visit the beautiful beaches of Florida, make sure to turn off all lights so these tiny creatures can be free and have a chance to survive!

Are these stories real or fake? See the next page for the answers!

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Sea Turtles are Endangered Answer: Real

All sea turtle species are endangered!

These poor turtles are getting slaughtered for different parts of their bodies. For example, people kill sea turtles for their shells and sea turtles can suffer from overexploitation! There are only about less than a million left in the world today.

The Tree Ambulance Answer: Real

Since India was really polluted, in 2009 they decided to do something, so the tree ambulance was invented. It helped a lot so they decided to keep it. It has been helping them ever since.

Jumping Hero Answer: Fake

Hamster jumping as high as 52 cm up into the air? Totally NOT possible!! Most hamsters can jump about 25 centimetres.

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Alebrije Porceysun By Bella DaRosa 2Y

Porceysun’s role is to be joyful and saying hi to everybody. It has prickles. Its special features are healing powers.

Alebrije Pearlina By Ling Zhang 2L

Pearlina’s role is to make everyone happy. It is a horse with wings and a tail. Its special features are a heart for the tail and squirtless water.

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By Charlotte Goldthorpe JK

“My fish can smell far away and it can glow in the dark. Hearts make my fish smell far away and stars make my fish glow in the dark.”

By Audrey Wu JK

“My fish is special because it is a delivery fish and it can deliver candy to you. It also helps you when you need to reach something.”

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By Anchee Qiang 3PR

By Kyra Daley 3P

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By Sasha Lee 3PR

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By Catelynn Yu 1G

By Skylar Yip 1L

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By Elise Su 6L

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The Science and Art of Skin

These projects were inspired by the book French Toast by Kari-Lynn Winters, in which a young girl named Phoebe describes the world to Nan-Ma, her blind grandmother. Their conversations lead Phoebe to describe the different skin tones of her family members through comparisons with foods. In turn, the Grade 1 students examined their own skin tones and, through experimental colour mixing with the basic three primary colours and white, they created shades that reflect their own perceptions of their skin.

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By Avery Kuske, Spencer Xie, Sophie Pollock, Mia Tang, Katie Yung and Lora Yu 1G

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By Daisy Qiu, Kristen Gillis, Anu Hopkins, Danica Jacobs, Colleen Kim and Grace Rogerson 1L

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Elements of Music

Grade 5 students created these educational posters to explore elements of music. They shared their knowledge and understanding with younger students.

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By Cara Godwin 5CY

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By Mackenzie Carmichael 5C

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By Ruby Jean Rathwell 5C

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By Sydney Pabbies 5CY

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Selfie-Portraits

Portraits tell a story about a person: the expression on the subject’s face often makes people stop and wonder. A portrait can tell thousands of stories as it is dependent on viewers’ interpretations. Grade 5 students studied how to tell their stories as artists. In addition to mathematically observing and creating basic facial proportions, students explored how to use artistic elements in symbolic ways by experimenting with poses, colours, textures, objects, texts and space. What stories do these portraits tell?

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Mastermind By Jana Kalbasizadeh 5CY

I am a coder. I see the world in a unique, techy way. I imagine the code for daily activities, like a robot. I follow my own quotes. I sometimes choose a few to help me steer clear of obstacles, but I can accept failure. The lightning bolts and scar shows my tomboy, savage side. I try not to show it. It is my secret, now revealed. But, I am proud to be a girl.

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Be Yourself By Hanna Lee 5CY

In my artwork, I chose to put a string of leaves wrapped around my head to show that I like being outdoors. As well, I added big mountains in the background to show I’m adventurous. Although I used watercolour for my shirt, it turned to be a bold red to show that I’m bold, I also used the red to show anger for I am very moody. If you look deeply in my eyes (on my portrait) you’ll see sparks/streaks of rainbow colours to represent the creativeness in myself. Another reason I did streaks of colour in my eyes is because most people don’t realize that their eyes are prettier than they think, and that they should believe that. You may know the saying “The sky is not the limit.” To show this, there is a streak of galaxy on my t-shirt. As well there is a clover necklace to represent luckiness.   

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Leaf Pile By Leni Venturello 5C

In this work, I chose to make myself crying because sometimes I am sad, or emotional. My other eye is open and has colour because it shows that I am adventurous and fierce. It also shows that there are two sides to me. I chose yellow and orange for my leaves to show that I am creative and to show that fall has just arrived. The same goes for the flower petals except these are real and I chose these because it shows that I am not all the same and it adds a touch to the portrait. I wrote the word love on my shirt to show that I am loving. I chose my hair to be all out lying on the grass to show that I am crazy and all over the place. I am lying down because it shows that I am calm. This is me!

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Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover By Marlowe Herman 5C

In this piece, I chose to express my love of reading, doing that by making it look like my self-portrait was in a library. I chose to not colour in my portrait so there would be some contrast between it and the colourful watercolor dots surrounding my head, used to represent what characteristics I have, and my different emotions. For example, I would describe myself as distracted, honest and caring. I also worked a lot on my expression. I was trying to show that I am calm and concentrate on listening or looking for the book that I will choose next to read.

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Bolt By Abigail Simon-Rasiah 4M

Ribbon Colour. Dance Purple, Pink,

Blue. Sings Hallelujah…LaLaLa Only 16 On stage. Practices For hours. Everything perfect Just Like Rainbow. Pinktastic By Sofia Pistol 4G Pink Gold Blue Flashing past you. Legs Abdomen Spinnerets Crawling all over you. Everyday she’s there For me Bows Flowers

Fashion sense And everyday All the layers She sees ME!

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Stars By Selena Wang 6L

Pinpricks of light in the dark night glowing orbs in the vast black ocean sky Every time I look up, I see them

shining back at me. So close, yet so far

Artwork by Ella Pantalone 4M

Footprint By Ainsley Nichols 5CY

The precious footprint, Lay quietly in the sand,

Listening, Watching, Admiring,

Waiting for the tide To come crashing in, Like a rumbling stampede. Waiting, And waiting, For its fears to get washed away, Disappear like magic. But then he too will be gone, Nothing left but the Sand, The sea, And the sky.

Artwork by Grace Botros 4G

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The Power of Gold By Cosmo Hodges-Hooper 4M Glistening, sparkling The colour of youth and love And yet

Not Like Me By Emma Lawrence 4G

Ordinary, ordinary, ordinary

Never will I ever be Never will I ever see

What a monstrosity! To imbue greed In good hearts

Yelling, yelling, yelling

Never will I ever hear Never will I understand

All the lives It ruined All the hearts Pulled apart And yet

Ordinary towers over me like Paparazzi crowding me

Yelling is like wolves howling To all their friends to come and eat me

Innocently, glistening, sparkling The colour of youth and love

Never will I ever be Never will I ever see Never will I ever hear Never will I understand

The Place Where I Find Happy By Elin Yuan 5C

Books By Laila Najarali 4M

Even in the busiest of times, When I open a book, Everything goes away. Little by little,

The words fill your mind, The thoughts, Keep coming. The pages are flipped, And read. The bookmark is placed, It’s the end, For now.

I forget my worries. I forget my problems. I get sucked into a place where I don’t have to care. A story that’s not mine, The book comes alive in my hand.

Surrounding me with its story. This is where I go to feel happy.

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Voici les fruits, les numéros et les couleurs Par la classe 1L J’aime le bleuet, le numéro 17 et la couleur bleu ciel. (Lucy Falconer) J’aime l’orange, le numéro 14 et la couleur orange. (Colleen Kim) J’aime la pomme, le numéro 16 et la couleur rose. (Emma Abdou) J’aime la fraise, le numéro 5 et la couleur rose. (Niina Lee) J’aime la pomme, le numéro 7 et la couleur bleu. (Skylar Yip) J’aime la mangue, le numéro 90 et la couleur rouge. (Olivia Sun) J’aime l’ananas, le numéro 12 et la couleur rouge. (Juliette Wolff) J’aime la banane, le numéro 15 et la couleur bleu. (Danica Jacobs) J’aime le melon d’eau, le numéro 100 et la couleur or. (Grace Rogerson) J’aime la mangue, le numéro 20 et la couleur turquoise. (Daisy Qiu) J’aime le raisin, le numéro 23 et la couleur jaune. (Kristen Gillis) J’aime la pêche, le numéro 10 et la couleur rose. (Camilla Denis) J’aime la pomme, le numéro 7 et la couleur rouge. (Anu Hopkins) J’aime la grenade, le numéro 99 et la couleur jaune. (Alinda Elmaagacli) J’aime la fraise, le numéro 17 et la couleur bleu. (Liv Cameron)

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Où sont les animaux Par la classe 1G

L’hippopotame est gris et il est dans l’étang. (Emily Aggarwal) Le léopard est blanc et il est dans la jungle. (Suki Gleiser) Le cheval de mer est rose et il est dans l’océan. (Julia Pink) Le chaton est blanc et il est dans le panier. (Lora Yu) Le hibou des neiges est blanc et il est dans le nid. (Taylor Bily) Le renard est blanc et il est au pôle nord. (Zoe Zou) Le lézard est bleu et gris et il est dans le désert. (Vanessa Roy) Le cardinal est rouge et il est dans l’arbre. (Sophie Pollock) Le zèbre est blanc et noir et il est dans l’herbe. (Avery Kuske) Le bébé ours est blanc et il est dans la caverne. (Katie Yung) Le hamster est brun et il est sur la feuille. (Eva Lu) Le panda est noir et blanc et il est dans la forêt. (Angelina Chen) Le dauphin est gris et il est dans l’océan. (Mia Tang) Le papillon est orange et noir et il est dans le ciel. (Catelynn Yu) Le lion est orange et il est sur une roche. (Spencer Xie) Le tigre est orange et noir et il est au zoo. (Elle D’Alessandro)

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Boucles Violettes Par la classe 2L: Natalie Aggarwal, Alex Bruin, Olivia Carter, Charlotte Freeman, Kennedy Mandell, Aarya Noria, Sophia Phong, Ashley Reuben, Pia Sangha, Joanna Shen, Rebecca Turnbull, Jessie Yuan, Alyssa Yung et Ling Zhang

Boucles Violettes est une petite fille. Elle a les yeux bleus. Boucles Violettes est très contente. Elle est curieuse. Boucles Violettes a peur des ours. Elle a les cheveux violets. Boucles Violettes aime la couleur violette. Elle porte des souliers rouges. Boucles Violettes aime manger le gros biscuit. Elle aime jouer de la guitare. Boucles Violettes aime sauter sur les lits. Elle n’est pas responsable. Boucles Violettes casse la chaise, le lit et la guitare. Elle aime s’amuser! La fin!!

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Les trois ours Par la classe 2Y: Bella DaRosa, Duru Dogru, Juliette Harlow, Claire Kim, Erica Law, Mia Leigh, Amelia Lo, Zailin Meghji, Piper Morrison, Rae Presser, Addy Riopelle, Julia Sinclair, Carrie Tuo et Ashleigh Yang

Les trois ours sont bruns et gentils. Ils marchent dans la forêt. Les trois ours ont un nez brilliant. Il y a bébé ours, maman ourse et papa ours. Bébé ours est petit et amusant.

Il aime manger le gros biscuit et dormir dans un petit lit. Bébé ours porte une chemise bleue et un short jaune. Maman ourse est moyenne et elle a les yeux noirs. Elle porte une robe rose et un chapeau jaune. Maman ourse aime manger les bleuets et dormir dans un lit moyen. Papa ours est très gros. Il porte une chemise bleue et un pantalon jaune. Papa ours aime manger de la pizza et dormir dans un grand lit. Les trois ours sont gentils! La fin!!

Dessin par Chloe Jiang 1G

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Ma vie quotidienne

Par Camellia Xu 4G

Par Ella Pantalone 4M

Je me lève à sept heures du matin. Je m’habille à sept heures dix du matin. Je prends mon petit déjeuner à sept heures et demie du matin. J’arrive à l’école à huit heures et quart du matin. Je travaille à l’école à huit heures vingt-cinq du matin. Je fais de la natation artistique à quatre heures et demie du soir. Je rentre chez moi à sept heures dix du soir. Je mange le dîner à sept heures dix du soir. Je me brosse les dents à neuf heures et demie du soir. Je me couche à dix heures moins vingt du soir. Je me lève à six heures et demie du matin. Je me brosse les dents à sept heures. Je mange le petit déjeuner à huit heures moins vingt. J’arrive à l’école à huit heures cinq. Je prends le déjeuner à douze heures vingt. Je rentre chez moi à quatre heures moins le quart. Je fais mes devoirs à cinq heures et demie. Je mange mon dîner à six heures moins vingt. Je me lave à quatre heures et demie. Je regarde la télé à sept heures. Je me couche à neuf heures et demie du soir. Par Charlotte Maeba 4M

Je me lève à sept heures et demie. À huit heures moins le quart du matin, je m’habille. À huit heures, je prends le petit déjeuner. J’attends la voiture à huit heures et dix. J’arrive à l’école à huit heures et quart. Je mange la salade et je bois de l’eau pour le déjeuner. Il est douze heures de l’après-midi.

À quatre heures, je rentre chez moi. Je me couche à neuf heures du soir.

Par Marlowe Andrew 4G

Je me lève à sept heures moins le quart du matin. Je m’habille à sept heures cinq du matin. Je prends mon petit déjeuner à sept heures et quart du matin. Je prends l’autobus à huit heures moins dix du matin. J`arrive à l’école à huit heures et quart du matin. La récréation est à onze heures et demie du matin. L’heure du déjeuner est à douze heures moins dix du matin. Les cours terminent à trois heures vingt l’après- midi. Je mange le dîner à six heures et demie du soir. Je vais au chalet à sept heures et demie du soir. Je me lève à sept heures moins le quart du matin. À sept heures dix du matin, je prends le petit déjeuner. J’arrive à l’école à huit heures du matin. Je prends le déjeuner à douze heures moins dix du matin. Je rentre chez moi à trois heures et demie du l’aprѐs-midi. J’ai une leçon de natation à quatre heures et demie de l’après-midi. Je mange le dîner à six heures vingt-cinq du soir. Je me couche à neuf heures du soir. Par Stephanie Sisley 4G

Artwork by Anchee Qiang 3PR

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