Student’s Writings

Happiness is Amazing – Bre’Onna Clowney

The students were shown a video in which two adult characters, a middle-aged man and an older woman, are sitting on a park bench discussing life. The man admits he has recently been suicidal but has now decided to stick around to “maybe make his little corner of the world a slightly happier place.” The woman responds, “That’s all there is, really. Happiness is amazing. It’s so amazing that it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not.”

The students were asked to share their reflections on happiness.

Bre’Onna shares how making others happy benefits her and reinforces her own sense of personal growth.

Happiness is Amazing

“Happiness is amazing. In fact, it is so amazing that it doesn’t even have to be your happiness.”

Even though it took me five minutes to agree with this statement, I believe in this saying because seeing others smile, laugh, and grow makes me happy. When I’m feeling down, seeing my nephew smile makes me happy because he’s happy. Making my little brother laugh because he was upset makes me feel happy. Knowing I can cheer someone up brightens my spirit. Analyzing my self-growth makes me feel great because I’ve come a long way. Knowing I can grow makes me want to continue to grow.

Everyone goes through things. People tend to hide how they feel so they won’t ruin other people’s happiness but, opening up to someone you trust a lot can lead to relief which can then lead to happiness for both of you. Sometimes even talking to someone you don’t know and just having them listen can let you release negative thoughts and feelings. Personally, talking to myself helps because only I know how I truly feel. Giving myself some positive comments and encouragement lets me know my self-worth.

Happiness is something that each and every one of us should cherish because you never know what’s going to happen next. Letting anger and sadness get a hold on you slows you down from living.

Bre’Onna Clowney

January 28, 2022

An Elevator Story – Ronan Guilfoyle

An Elevator Story

By Ronan Guilfoyle

It’s the end of the 2021-2022 school year, my last year of high school with all these amazing friends, who I now consider family. We’ve talked about doing things together for years, like one big huge trip. Somehow we finally figured out a plan to get it done. Where did we choose, you may ask. Well, we chose the amazing city of New York. 

Mr. Don is always mentioning to us that he used to live and work in the city of New York. I’ve only been one time but I dream of going again and seeing all it has to offer. Now, if you know me, you know that I hate doing adventurous things by myself. Constantly, I’m trying to find people to go on car rides with me, go to the movies with me, or just hangout. Point is, I don’t like being alone very much, especially in huge places like New York. So I’m so glad I get to experience it with my classmates.

After the painful three hour car ride full of loud conversation between students and Ethan’s annoying laugh we arrive in New York. Parking has always been a huge issue for travelers to the impeccable concrete jungle where dreams are made. Luckily, Mr.Tom has connections wherever we go. We found a parking spot for our van right next to our hotel. 

We unload into our rooms, five separate rooms all on the third floor since Mr.Tom hates elevators. Room one was composed of Jayla, Airy, Destiny, and Bre’Onna. Next room was slightly smaller so Kevin and Chase took it. Rhys and I had our own room to ourselves, in which we hooked up our Nintendo Switch that we snuck past Mr.Tom. The fourth room was smaller as well, so Illiana and Myshell took that one. Mr.Tom obviously took the biggest of the five rooms. He definitely saved the luxury for himself. King size bed that sits a few feet from a fifty-five inch 4K TV, perfect for watching Blade Runner. Mr.Tom’s room even came with a hot tub in the bathroom, which alone was the size of the two smaller rooms. And Donald got to enjoy the closet in Mr.Tom’s room. We were living lavishly, at least Mr.Tom was.

The next morning we all met in the mess hall to enjoy breakfast and talk about a plan. Rhys and I had brought our own money so we could get a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from this little cafe we found last time we visited. Only problem was we couldn’t remember what the name was or where exactly it was located. After we had all left the mess hall of the hotel, we split into different groups. The younger children were accompanied by Donald since they need to be supervised. We have to make sure we don’t leave a student behind… not again. Ethan and Josh went outside and immediately started filming a vlog for their Josh & Nemo YouTube channel that I occasionally visit when they bombard my phone with notifications. Rhys and I checked my phone to find this cafe, but to no avail. Rhys and I start to try to really remember the name of this place. No luck for these Irishmen. 

Mr.Tom walks over to us and asks what we’re going to do. We tell him that we’re on the hunt for the best breakfast sandwich in the city. He gently reminds us about the times Rhys and I would say that we would  bring him our breakfast sandwiches. Determined to get a sandwich, Mr.Tom joined our brigade to find this spot. After an hour of searching, and somehow ending up near Grand Central Terminal, we see this large building…The Summit One Vanderbilt. Rhys and I get the great idea to go up the elevator to see if we can pinpoint the general location of the cafe. When Mr.Tom hears of this idea, he immediately vetoes it. His legs start to shake at the thought of going up a glass elevator on the outside of a building. Rhys and I wanna find this sandwich place so we do it. In general concern for our safety, Mr.Tom advises us not to go, but a breakfast sandwich is a breakfast sandwich, and there is no length Rhys and I will not go to get one.

We enter the building and find the entrance to the elevator. Mr.Tom blocks the doorway to keep us safe from malfunctioning gears or whatever. I wasn’t really paying attention to his riff because I wanted this sandwich. But you know New York, people have places to be, so people start to pile into the elevator to get to work and other important things. The sheer force of this mass of people is enough to get Rhys and I, with Mr.Tom, into the elevator. Mr.Tom tried to push and shove his way out but he wasn’t strong enough. He was stuck.

All the buttons on the panel were lit up. People coming in and going off the elevator on each floor. It seemed to Mr.Tom that we would be stuck in this hell forever. Rhys and I don’t pay much attention to the panicking Mr.Tom, who is sweating rivers. Rhys and I look around for the cafe. We reach the top floor and Mr.Tom is losing it. I mean he is a full out rage machine. He is cursing everyone in Italian because of what he has had to experience.  But since we’re in New York, everyone here is some part Italian so they understand what he is saying. They start wanting to fight Mr.Tom. I quickly intervene and explain that Mr.Tom is my mentally unstable grandpa who hasn’t been the same since Vietnam, and that we apologize for his extreme words. From the other side of this rather large elevator I hear Rhys scream out that he sees the cafe. I quickly make my way to the level one button and press it. 

Finally, that nightmare of only seven minutes was over and Mr.Tom returned to his normal self. At least we think he did. He still looked a little scared from the experience, but nevermind that. We walk ten minutes to the cafe, but Mr.Tom is dead silent. We got our bacon, egg, and cheeses and the three of us enjoyed them.

Once Mr.Tom took that first bite, he instantly returned back to a normal state. He looked down at the sandwich and back at us. He took a couple more bites and wiped his mouth. Chewed for a second and then said.

“You boys put me through hell, but this is a damn good breakfast sandwich.”

The End

1/21/22

Exotic Expeditions – Myshell Jones

Exotic Expeditions

by Myshell Jones

“Okay class start writing” 

“Okay Mr. Don” (The class says) Now that Mr.Don has told us to start writing; I have no idea what to write. Mr. Don gave us this pretty interesting topic. He gave me a picture of this place named Bhutan. I have no idea what this place is at all or who the people in this picture are. I only have one solution to this problem: ask for help to figure out my problem. I need to go up to Mr. Don and let him know I have no idea what to write about this strange place named Bhutan that I know literally nothing about. (So that’s what I do).  

“Hey Mr. Don” (I say)

“Hey Myshell, what can I help you with? Wait before you tell me, let me get a drink of my water. My mouth just gets so dry” 

“Okay” 

“Okay, so what do you need help with Myshell?” 

“I just don’t know anything about this place at all or these people in the picture that you call the Monks”  

“Well Myshell, you don’t really need to know anything about Bhutan. What you need to do is put yourself inside of this picture and write about it. I think you can do it.” 

“Okay Mr.Don. Well before I go, I have one more question. May I use the bathroom?” 

“Of course you can use the bathroom. You don’t have to ask me.”

“Okay, thank you.” 

“Wait Myshell, before you go, enjoy your time in Bhutan.” 

Enjoy my time in Bhutan? What is Mr.Don talking about? Maybe he is just going a little bit crazy. Anyways I make it to the bathroom and use it like a normal person. But then as I am washing my hands I can hear a strange noise outside the door. 

“Okay let me go start writing about this place Bhutan. Why did I have to get Bhutan” 

As I open the door, a hot draft hits my face. Wait a minute this is not the classroom. Where am I?  

I am in this strange room. It looks like a bridge, but it doesn’t go over anything. It just connects a room to a room. This room has writing on the wall, but I can’t read it because the writing is in a different language. Then these four boys came up to me. They are wearing these orange types of wrapping on them. It’s kind of cool, maybe that’s a trend around here. They start speaking to me in a different language that I don’t understand. “Um excuse me I have no idea what you guys are saying do you happen to know any English or know what this place is” 

“Yes we do know English” one of the boys says.  

“Do you happen to know where I am?” 

“You are in Bhutan.” Then I came to a realization that this is the place in my picture that Mr.Don gave me. What did he do? How did he get me to hear this makes no sense. 

“Wait a minute guys,” one of the boys says. “It’s her it’s really really her”

“ Her? Wait a minute? What is going on here?” I say. 

“You are here. You really did come, they said you would come to save us.”

“Save who? I did not commit to save anyone. What are you guys talking about?” Then they all pick me up at the same time and carry me down this strange bridge thingy into another room.  

“Hey! Put me down now!”

“No, we can’t. We have to show the rest of the people that we found you and that you are here to save us. Oh, and we have to show the King.”

“I am not doing any saving! I can’t even save myself from anything. I want to go back to school. I have never wanted to be in that cold classroom this much before ever in my life.”  

“Hello King we have found are savior girl.” 

“No they did not! I am not your savior girl! I don’t know who she is but she is not me!” 

“You really did come. He was right.” (The king says)

“He was not right. Do you guys hear nothing? That the savior girl is not me. Even though I am not, what I am saving you guys from.”

The King says, “You are saving us from the evil dragon that is to come to destroy our kingdom.”

“Wait a minute! Did you just say a evil dragon?”

“Yeah ,that’s what I said” 

“Oh, you definitely have the wrong person. I can not save anyone from an evil dragon. I thought those things didn’t exist anymore anyways. But back to the point, I can not save you from a dragon.”

“Take her to go, put her armer on, and give her the forbidden sword.”

“Wait a minute! Why are you giving me a forbidden sword?”

“You will see. Take her now. We don’t have any time to waste,” the King says. Then the monks pick me up and take me. 

“What is up with the picking up thing I can walk you know!”

Then I am now in this room that looks like a dressing room with these two women, and they get me dressed in this armor that is so beautiful and made of real gold. Then after I am all dressed up, the monks come back in and pick me up once again and take me to the top of a mountain. “Great job guys. You can put her down. Here is your forbidden sword, good luck our savior.” 

“Why was this the forbidden sword? This thing is beautiful. But anyways I can’t do this. I can’t fight a dragon. Do I even look like a dragon slayer to you?” 

“Yes.” Of course he would say that. 

“The dragon shall come in 3.”

“Wait! No! I can not do this!” 

“2” 

“Please no. Don’t make me do this. I am not a dragon slayer” 

“1”. 

Knock. Knock. Knock!

“ Hey Myshell, you good in there?” 

“Yes Mr.Don, I am ok”. Oh my goodness. I have never been so happy to be in this bathroom. Then I go back to the classroom and write my thoughts away. The moral of the story: Don’t put yourself too much in your picture. You might end up feeling like you are actually trapped there.  

January 14, 2022 

Salma Ruiz-Cruz Graduation Speech June 6, 2021

Read Salma’s speech: Click Here