By Alberto Perez
Teacher: Gloria Munoz-Hughes, Thousand Oaks School
Award: Honorable Mention, Fifth Grade Essay

One night I was at my Uncle’s house and I was going into his room and I tripped on one of his shoes he sloppily left on the ground like I would. Then, I cracked my chin open, and I started to cry and blood was all over the place.

My cousin carried me downstairs, and after my cousin carried me down, I thought I would never see the light of day.Then they rushed me to the Emergency Room and I went into the Doctor’s office and said, “Is it going to hurt me a lot when you do what you have to do?

And after I asked the question, he said, “Stitches or glue?” and I said, “Glue.” Then he put superglue on my chin and it burned so bad I thought a little piece of the sun was on my chin.Then after a while it stopped burning.

The moral of this awful moment, that literally scared me for life, is “always watch where you step”.

By Yvette Cardenas
Teacher: Yessica Rodriguez, Rosa Parks School
Award: Honorable Mention, Fifth Grade Poetry

I am one of the marching kids.
I wonder when this will end.
I hear screams and calm singing voices.
I see water hoses and angry dogs.
I want freedom.

I am one of the marching kids.
I pretend to not be scared.
I feel pain.
I touch my wounds.
I worry about my family.
I cry in jail for my mom.

I am one of the marching kids.
I understand that we can’t just get rid of this.
I say I have a dream, just like Martin Luther King.
I dream that one day we will be free.
I try to have more hope.
I hope to end this

I am one of the marching kids.

By Avery Nudel
Thousand Oaks School
Award: Honorable Mention, Fifth Grade Art

By Jesse Kane
Teacher: Bob Garrison, Thousand Oaks School
Award: Honorable Mention, Fifth Grade Essay

“The coast is clear,” I said to my brother as I peaked through the screen door of my front porch. We tiptoed out and down the steps towards the sidewalk.

The instant I stepped outside I could feel the cold air on my bare legs. I was so cold I could feel goose bumps form on my arms. I wished I had more clothes on than my boxers.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” my brother yelled as we dashed up the street with our underwear flapping in the wind. “Honk! Honk! I could hear the loud honk of a car horn. I looked over to see what it was. I saw the people in the car waving at me. I could feel my cheeks burning up. I decided to be polite and wave back to them. “Looks like we got some fans, bro!”

“Yeah! Good thing I’m wearing my favorite underwear!” he said smiling from ear to ear. When we finally got to the end of the street we tagged the pole. I could feel the tingly coldness from the pole spread through my fingertips and down my spine.

I turned and ran in the opposite direction towards my house when I saw my worst fear; it was a family of four coming straight towards me! “Good, I don’t think they have noticed me yet,” I thought to myself. Just then a light bulb went off in my head, “maybe if I run as fast as I can they won’t even notice me pass by.” I figured that was the best idea because I didn’t want some random person seeing me in my underwear. I started to run faster and faster. I whirled past the family looking back to see if they noticed me when I realized I had passed right by my house. I turned around and walked back to my house where my brother was waiting for me on the steps. We put our arms around each other and walked back into the house.

I learned that doing something outrageous can be very fun!

By Caitlin Brown
Teacher: Carolyn Dobson, Cragmont School
Award: Honorable Mention, Fifth Grade Poetry

When I look into my dad’s closet,
I see a memory
Of him setting off to New Jersey,
me being happy and excited.
No dad to say goodnight, no dad to
turn off my night light.
Only in my head I saw him,
and he couldn’t see me flip my first pancake.
A whole year passed until I saw him again,
dressed in camouflage.
I hugged him and in my head,
I never let go.

By Eliza Fasket-Hydes
Cragmont School
Award: Honorable Mention, Fifth Grade Art

By Avery Nudel
Teacher: Bob Garrison, Thousand Oaks School
Award: Third Place, Fifth Grade Essay

I could feel the icy cold breeze spin off my face as I raced down the mountain. My jacket flapped rapidly in the forceful wind. I saw the T shaped poles lifting people to the top of the snowy slope. Their snowboards and skis dangled high above my head. Another skier zipped by leaving a clear trail in the chilly ice chips. My skis turned inward making a pizza shape. I started to slow down. The wind howled in my ears as I felt myself start to slide and lose control. The skis on my feet felt like toothpicks on a sheet of butter. I could hear shouts and cheering of the others waiting for the tricky part of the course. I knew I was going to crash any second now. I stood with my knees bent and shifted my skis into a parallel position. My face was frozen cold, but I could feel my body almost rise and start to fly.

My face hit the ground with a thud. A chill ran down my spine as soon as my neck touched the snow. My feet were heavy and I felt all the blood rush to my head. I groaned with frustration. The icy breaks of snowboards flew by my limp, tired body. I tried to pick myself up but immediately started sliding. I thought of all the things I had learned in ski school that day. Then it came to me. I sat up and moved my feet to the side. I dug the bottoms into the snow and slowly lifted my body upward. I was on my way again.

I saw my parents waving, clapping, and cheering me on I swept past the marker that ended the course and collapsed on the ground with a smile. I learned that really fun experiences might turn out to be a drag and will probably need practice in the future. I can’t wait to ski again. I hope I won’t crash!

By Octavio Calderon
Teacher: Rick Kleine, Jefferson School
Award: Third Place, Fifth Grade Poetry

Ten little toes
Ten little fingers
All these months I’ve been waiting
Finally, he’s here
I’m so excited to meet him!!

A head full of hair
hairy back
round belly
chubbiness!!
soft skin
His loud crying
How am I going to sleep?

The first time I carried you
My brotherly love kicked in
I looked at you as you slept
I wondered…
“What will he be when he grows up?”

Ten little toes
Ten little fingers
I just want you to know
How much I love you
I promise I will keep you safe, my little angel

By Lucila DeAnda
Cragmont School
Award: Third Place, Fifth Grade Art

By Caitlin Brown
Teacher: Carolyn Dobson, Cragmont School
Award: Second Place, Fifth Grade Essay

I ran towards my dad, my arms outstretched. I hugged him, and never wanted to let go. It seemed forever since my dad left home, a year ago. He smelled that same dad smell, and looked better than anything. He smiled his smile that I love. As I walked to the car, I was happy.
And excited.

Not having dad with me that year was difficult, and it made me think more about the people without family. Dad didn’t get to see me hit my first tennis ball over the net. People without family miss out on moments like those.

As we got into the car, I told him everything that happened while he was gone. For the first time in a long time, my family seemed complete. Him being gone left a hole inside of me. Finally I knew he would stay, and the hole vanished.

I’ll always remember that moment, when I saw him for the first time in a year. Now I love dad more, and it means more to me when he leaves or comes home.

By Adam Stolcke
Teacher: Carole Goyen, Cragmont School
Award: Second Place, Fifth Grade Poetry

I look out the red stained glass window,
and saw the man with the rag,
I run out the door,
and give the last bill
I have in my pocket to
him.
So I walk home
with my head up,
nothing in my pocket,
but still happy,
Because my pocket of smiles Is never empty.

By Maralina Caldas
Jefferson School
Award: Second Place, Fifth Grade Art

By Giacomo Di Domenico
Teacher: Arun Khanna, Jefferson School
Award: First Place, Fifth Grade Essay

The alarm screeches, telling me I have to get out of bed. As I put on my favorite pair of sweatpants, the ones I refuse to wash, I look out of the window at another colorless, foggy day.

Once I’m situated at the kitchen table with my bland bowl of cereal, I look out the window once more. Fog. But as time ticks on, my bland cereal turns to a rich flavor as the sun seeps through the cracks in the fog and lights up the morning. As I watch, a bright blue Stellar Jay lands on a leafless cherry tree, making it look as if it has just blossomed. On the horizon, the sun has crawled up enough to put a light on a set of dark green eucalyptus trees.

I step outside to go to school, and the red brick patio seems to glow as I walk along it. It is then that I realize how not colorless this day is going to be.

By Daliyha Weathers
Teacher: Carole Goyen, Cragmont School
Award: First Place, Fifth Grade Poetry

Hart full of love
melting away into water
I hungry no food
to eat
Why? Why?
next day hart became solid
love joyful
Happy no need to fear
My heart is still there and aware.

By Caitlin Brown
Cragmont School
Award: First Place, Fifth Grade Art