The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary Read online

Chinese

  With all this

  great food

  who needs

  groceries?

  January 16

  FOOD DESERT

  Norah Hassan

  When Ms. Hill says

  this neighborhood

  is a food desert,

  at first I think, No.

  I lived in a real desert.

  We shopped every day

  at the outdoor market.

  Stalls filled with olives,

  cucumbers, tomatoes.

  Except, in this neighborhood,

  we don’t have a market.

  When my parents work late

  and there’s no food in the house,

  my sister and I can’t walk

  to a grocery store for fresh fruit.

  The closest oasis in this desert

  is the gas-station shop.

  If we don’t have much money

  and it’s cold outside,

  that’s where my sister and I

  buy dinner.

  When you’re hungry

  in the desert,

  you’ll eat anything.

  Cacti, rattlesnake.

  Even salty, swampy

  ramen noodles

  taste delicious.

  January 20

  WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

  Brianna Holmes

  When Ms. Hill tells us

  about food deserts,

  Norah and I look at each other.

  I’ve seen Norah and her sister

  at the gas-station store.

  Fruits and vegetables?

  Not unless you want to eat

  beat-up brown bananas

  and celery that looks like

  it wants to flop over and die.

  So…what are you going to buy?

  Something frozen?

  Something sweet?

  The chicken’s fried,

  but at least it’s meat.

  Norah lives in my neighborhood.

  We know all about food deserts.

  January 21

  IN MY FOOD DESERT

  Ben Kidwell

  In my food desert…

  the sand is all brown sugar,

  the sun looks like an egg,

  the camels have spaghetti hair

  to cover up their heads,

  the cacti taste like gummy bears,

  the candy rocks are free.

  At lunchtime this food desert

  is the place I want to be.

  January 22

  AFTER OUR CLASS DEBATE

  Tyler La Roche

  My mom and I just moved here,

  so I didn’t know there used to be

  a supermarket in our neighborhood.

  I didn’t know there used to be

  a cheese shop, a bakery,

  and something Ms. Hill called

  a fishmonger’s. Instead we have

  a karate dojo, a Chinese restaurant,

  and a bunch of empty stores.

  I didn’t know this school

  used to have so many kids

  they needed portable classrooms

  in the back to fit them all.

  My mom and I just moved here,

  but I already know

  every morning when I walk

  into Emerson Elementary,

  all the teachers call, “Good morning.”

  My friends shout, “Hi, Ty!”

  like it’s the funniest thing

  they ever said. I already know

  why people like this school,

  why they want to stay

  for middle school.

  My mom and I just moved here,

  so it’s easy for me to see both sides.

  January 23

  I DON’T WANT TO

  George Furst

  I don’t want to

  think about the reasons why

  tearing down our school

  might be a good thing.

  Brianna says her mom is looking for a job.

  Norah needs a grocery store she can walk to.

  Katie’s mom told our class that the supermarket

  will bring more families to our neighborhood.

  I don’t want to

  think about the reasons why

  tearing down our school

  might be a good thing.

  My mom says when one chapter ends

  another one is beginning.

  I don’t want to think about

  what might happen if I turn the page.

  January 26

  WHEN YOUR SCHOOL HAS OLD WINDOWS

  Katie McCain

  New seats again.

  Now I sit next to Ben.

  The window’s nearby.

  I can see the blue sky.

  The sun’s on my face.

  I imagine a place,

  stretching out on the sand

  in my bathing suit and

  suddenly—BRRR!

  The cold temperature

  is like an ice bath

  in the middle of math.

  The sun had me baking.

  Now I shiver. I’m shaking.

  There’s a draft in this spot.

  Ms. Hill, I cannot

  sit here in this breeze.

  I am going to…

  ACHOO!

  January 27

  I WANTED TO STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL TODAY

  Edgar Lee Jones

  I wanted to stay home from school today.

  My grandpa didn’t get out of bed

  to get the newspaper.

  I wanted to stay home from school today.

  Mom called the ambulance because

  Grandpa’s left side was acting frozen.

  I wanted to stay home from school today.

  He couldn’t talk or walk,

  couldn’t say, “Learn something today, Eddie.”

  I wanted to stay home from school today.

  My head’s filled up with Grandpa.

  I’m at my desk, but I’m not here.

  January 28

  BIRTHDAY PARTY

  Sydney Costley

  Sloane brought home our invitation

  to Hannah Wiles’s birthday party.

  Hannah’s father is getting a giant truck

  covered inside and out with flat-screen TVs,

  so we can play every video game ever created.

  When the truck drives up to Hannah’s house,

  most of our class will be there,

  playing,

  laughing

  together.

  Sloane said I’d better not embarrass her

  or hang out with anyone uncool.

  Maybe I won’t go to the party.

  When Sloane spends time

  with Hannah Wiles

  she acts like she doesn’t

  even

  want to

  know me.

  January 29

  CHARACTER

  Hannah Wiles

  My dad was flipping through the paper

  the way he does every morning,

  quizzing me and my stepmom

  on current events and stuff

  he thinks we should know.

  “Listen to this letter to the editor,”

  he said, shaking his head the way he does

  when I’m not being patient enough

  with my (half) brothers.

  “ ‘If you walk through Emerson Elementary,

  you will see and feel the difference

  a school can make in the lives of its students.

  You will see how a strong community

  builds character.’ ”

  Dad said schools need to do more

  than build character. He said

  you can’t measure character.

  The person who wrote the letter

  didn’t say a word about academics

  or standardized test scores,

  and test scores at Emerson, Dad said,

  are pitiful.


  “What’s character?” I asked.

  He said, “My point exactly,”

  and started talking about

  low enrollment and the money

  the school system will make

  when it sells the prime real estate

  underneath our pitiful school.

  January 30

  FACES

  Norah Hassan

  The hallways of Emerson are filled with families

  on International Night. Tonight, our school

  reminds me of shopping in the Old Jerusalem market.

  I remember when I was small,

  going to the pepper stand with Jaddi.

  Fifty types of peppers to eat!

  Pale green, yellow as a lemon, dark brown, red,

  each with a different flavor.

  On International Night,

  the halls are as noisy as an outdoor market.

  Children shout. Parents call, “Let’s go!”

  in so many languages.

  In English, the teachers say, “See you tomorrow!”

  I find an empty doorway where I can stand still.

  I watch. I listen.

  If they take away our school

  and build a supermarket with a thousand shelves,

  there will be no empty doorway

  for a girl like me to watch the passing faces.

  If they take away our school,

  where will the voices of our families

  meet to say, “Hello, neighbor! Hello!”

  February 2

  TARGET

  George Furst

  It’s weird to see your teacher

  doing normal things

  like shopping for valentines

  (were those for our class?)

  in a non-school place like Target,

  but I’m glad you finally

  got to meet my dad, Ms. Hill.

  He thinks you’re smart. I could tell

  by all the questions he asked

  about when you were in college

  and you marched in protests.

  (I told him about the picture

  of you on Capitol Hill.)

  He shook your hand and thanked you

  because you encouraged me

  to get involved with the political process.

  Whatever that means.

  I guess it’s true, you motivated me

  to take action, even though those sit-ins

  you were telling my dad about

  don’t sound very active to me.

  3 Febrero

  GRACIAS

  Gaby Vargas

  Señorita Hill,

  Gracias.

  Esta es la primera vez

  que hemos tenido un intérprete

  para la conferencia

  de padres y maestros

  desde que llegamos aquí.

  Mi mamá estaba tan contenta.

  A ella le gustó la señora May.

  Yo también me alegré.

  Mis hermanas

  no tuvieron que venir a la escuela

  a traducirle a nuestra madre.

  Eso es bueno.

  Ellas no tienen que saber

  que soy buena en matemáticas

  pero todavía mala

  para escribir

  en inglés.

  Gracias, Gaby

  February 3

  THANK YOU

  Translated by Gaby Vargas and Mark Fernandez

  Dear Miss Hill,

  Thank you.

  This is the first time

  that we had an interpreter

  for the conference

  of parents and teachers

  since we come to this country.

  My mother was very happy.

  She liked Señora May.

  I also feel happy.

  My sisters

  do not have to come to the school

  to translate for our mother.

  This is good.

  They do not have to know

  that I do well in math

  but I am still bad

  when I write

  in English.

  Gracias, Gaby

  February 4

  REPORT CARDS

  Brianna Holmes

  When my brother and me

  get all As and Bs,

  my mom takes us out for fondue.

  Fruit, brownies, and cake,

  all dipped in a lake

  of chocolate-marshmallow goo.

  We have so much fun,

  but when the bill comes

  I see that look on my mom’s face.

  Our money’s real tight.

  I wish that tonight

  we’d eaten dessert at our place.

  February 5

  TRYOUTS

  Tyler La Roche

  Mark and me, we were the only boys

  who tried out for the spring musical,

  Beauty and the Beast.

  Our chorus teacher is the director.

  He said I have the best “bonjour” of anybody.

  My mom got a good laugh about that

  ’cause my family is Cajun.

  We came up north from Texas.

  Mom got tired of all those hurricanes

  screaming down our town,

  tearing shingles off our roof

  and flooding the house.

  Mom found another university to teach at.

  It’s a good job, but sometimes she tells me

  she’s homesick. She’s kind of like Belle,

  doesn’t know anyone in the castle,

  and making friends is hard.

  At least Belle had all that singing silverware.

  And me, I’ve got Mark. We figure

  our teacher’s got to choose

  one of us for Gaston

  and the other one for the Beast.

  So I’m in, piece of cake.

  All I had to do was show up

  and try out.

  February 9

  TALENT

  Mark Fernandez

  If it wasn’t for Gaby,

  I would have never

  gotten up onstage

  and played my guitar

  in the talent show.

  Sure, I’m in a band,

  but when Zoo Creatures

  performs, we wear

  those funny animal masks.

  With a mask on,

  I don’t get as nervous.

  Gaby helped me,

  so I’m returning the favor,

  bringing her and Tyler with me

  to try out for the school musical.

  Her English still isn’t the best,

  but Gaby can sing.

  She’s got enough talent

  to fill the whole stage.

  February 10

  ODE TO MY TWIN

  Sydney Costley

  When it’s time for recess,

  we rush outside with a whoosh,

  like a stormy wind.

  I grab a basketball before they’re all taken,

  pass it across the blacktop to Rachel.

  But lately she doesn’t want to shoot hoops

  with me.

  Hannah’s teaching all the girls

  cheerleading.

  Ugh. If Rachel wants to clap her hands

  and copy Hannah’s dance moves

  because she hopes

  a certain boy is watching,

  I’ve got no time for her.

  I told her so.

  And Rachel said, “Fine.”

  I went to sit

  by the brick wall behind school,

  where Ben and I

  used to hunt for frogs.

  Sloane left cheerleading to find me.

  We sat leaning against the brick wall

  for the rest of recess.

  Sloane didn’t even care

  that we were sitting on dirt

  and she was wearing her new jeans.

  We talked about friends and crushes

 
and how everything is changing

  except for my

  number one best friend forever,

  sister Sloane.

  February 11

  ODE TO PAJAMA DAY

  Katie McCain

  Oh, how I long

  for the most relaxing

  school day of the year.

  On Pajama Day

  my mom doesn’t attack

  my bed head with a brush.

  My backpack is stuffed

  with pillows instead of books.

  I slide down the hall

  like a penguin skidding on ice,

  because giant fuzzy slippers

  and floor wax are a great combination.

  This morning Ms. Hill asked us

  to take out our pillows

  and write poems on the floor.

  (Everyone laughed

  when Mark started to snore.)

  I wore rainbow frog pajamas,

  which unfortunately meant

  Newt followed me around

  until Jason took him

  to borrow Connect Four

  from the fourth grade.

  I love Pajama Day.

  February 12

  SELF-PORTRAIT

  Jason Chen

  February 13

  VALENTINE DIAMANTE

  Rachel Chieko Stein

  Valentine

  pink, frilly card

  opening, reading, smiling

  hearts, love, hugs, friendship

  embarrassing, sweet note

  from my BFF

  Sydney

  February 17

  HUGS AND KISSES

  Hannah Wiles

  Before she left, my mom gave me

  a glass jar filled

  with chocolate Hugs and Kisses.

  She said whenever I need a hug

  or a kiss goodnight,

  even though she is far away,

  I can take one out of the jar.

  Yesterday

  when I got home from school

  there were silver wrappers

  all over my bed, on the floor.

  My stepmom, Heather, was mad…

  at me!

  All that sugar

  made my (half) brothers crazy.