December 11th - 15th

It's hard to believe we're already halfway through the year! This week, we hosted our regular Mentor/Mentee Monday and Tutoring Tuesday. Then, we explored Negativity Bias.

Some lovelies who wanted to help show off our Negativity Bias posters!

We began this conversation by recalling negative predictions other people have made about us, which then led into stories of negative beliefs we hold about ourselves. This was extremely difficult for some scholars and so we approached one another's tales with compassion and respect, as well as a healthy dose of confidentiality. I particularly enjoyed teaching this lesson because we practiced a skill that can be routinized by anyone. Here's how it goes: Think of one negative belief you hold about yourself, then write it down. Next, think of three positive beliefs you have about yourself and write them down. Lastly, marvel at how the good outweighs the bad, even though you may not acknowledge that fact much of the time. I'll be encouraging my students to perform this ritual at home over break with the hope that they will feel self-love while they are away from me. :-)

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Thank you for reading!

December 4th - 8th

Last week, we began like any other: With Mentor/Mentee Monday. I cautiously asked the mentors if they were interested in teaching a lesson about emotions, knowing that many middle school students are terrified of public speaking. Surprisingly, a large number of scholars volunteered for the job! I absolutely love how enthusiastic they are to share their talents with their peers. During our YESS lesson on Wednesday and Thursday, they did an outstanding job of presenting the lesson with grace and confidence! I'll continue to allow students to take the helm throughout the second semester, as it's an excellent way for them to practice communication skills and leadership.

The greatest kids are Scott Carpenter kids!

On Tuesday, we tutored. We've set a goal to reduce our missing assignments to as few as possible (some kids are rather far behind and it would be unfair to ask them to get down to zero). In that light, they worked very hard and I'm glad when we log into Empower and I hear statements like, "Miss! I had 12 missing assignments and now I only have 9!" To make Tuesday even better, our newest YESS Program Manager, Alejandro Jiminez, came for a visit. He will be leading the new program at Westminster High School and the kids loved having him as a guest.

Our YESS lesson this week was called Emotions (Day 2) and it centered on a website, which is endorsed by the Dalai Lama. You can check it out here, if you wish. It's really great, but a little tough for this age group. Due to that fact, I created a handy user guide for the students and had my "mini teachers" lead their peers through the activities. I was worried that some students would be disengaged because the content was tough, but they stuck with it and worked with the partners to complete the assignment.

This team was the first one to get to five!

We played a team-building game called "Hex Nut Challenge" on Friday. The students were given a set of hex nuts and some sticks. Their goal was to stack the hex nuts in whatever fashion I told them to. This was extremely difficult and the tallest stack of the day was 9. To wind down, I asked the students to create a picture with their hex nuts that would make someone smile. My favorite one of the day was a picture of my daughter. Have a great week, everyone!

So engaged. I love these kids!

November 27th - December 1st

Do you remember how we studied the structure of the brain a few weeks ago and the scholars were asking, "Miss, why are we doing this?" Well, they got the answer this week! We utilized all that base knowledge of the brain and its functions to analyze our emotions and how they influence behavior. It was great. I love tying the loose ends together and seeing "light bulb" moments!

Of course, we began the week with Mentor/Mentee Monday and Tutoring Tuesday. Most everyone did a great job of working hard on their assignments, but there were a few kids who resisted and neglected to uphold the expectation. While it's common this time of year, I'm grateful that we have a strong classroom community and the students help hold one another accountable.

We began our lesson on emotions by creating a circle map with as many emotions as we could think of. I was impressed with the kids' ability to come up with so many various feelings!

Once we completed our circle map, we moved the conversation into the 6 Core Emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust). We enjoyed discussing how the Limbic System in our brain is rather similar to the brains of our cave-dwelling ancestors and how babies exhibit the Core Emotions, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc... Next, we chatted about the concept of "Fight, Flight, Freeze." To drive these concepts home, we listened to songs and identified the emotion then viewed a short film called "The Quiet" and looked for the characters' "Fight, Flight, Freeze" response. 

On Friday, we played a couple games. First, students participated in Puffball Races by blowing puffballs on their desks. They had a great time competing in this activity. Then, back by popular demand, the scholars played Rattled (my favorite word scramble game).

November 13th - 17th

I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving! Prior to leaving, the YESS scholars finished their lesson on the brain by writing a short PEAL essay on how knowledge of the brain can help adolescents make positive choices. Additionally, students utilized Achieve 3000 to read an article regarding how babies brains develop and completing activities related to that story. As I've been reading their assignments, I've been impressed with how many students were able to discuss their own life stories and incorporate the vocabulary terms we've been practicing!

Now that we're back, we'll be exploring emotions and how they drive behavior. Have a great week!

November 6th - 10th

We had another wonderful week over here at SCMS! Here's the breakdown:

On Monday, the mentors continued to promote positive attitudes in the classroom by writing words of encouragement to their mentees. They also supported one another by offering advice to those who are facing challenges in the YESS classroom.

Tutoring Tuesday was even more successful than usual, as students are feeling pressured to complete assignments before Thanksgiving Break.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we began an in-depth study of the brain. We learned a lot about the anatomy of the brain and I got a kick out of the students who asked why we were studying science in YESS. Of course, the way the brain works is important to know as we begin learning about emotions and I enjoyed having this discussion with the scholars. To add some Kagan fun, we added a Quiz Quiz Trade to solidify the new words we learned. Take a look at some of the good times below!

We celebrated our November birthdays on Friday with snacks and a movie. The kids always enjoy honoring their classmates' births and I like seeing the positive feelings, as well!

October 30th - November 3rd

Another month has come and gone. It's difficult to believe we're already in November!

Monday, the mentors and I discussed productive ways to talk with their mentees. Specifically, we focused on incorporating "we" language like "Let's work together to..." or "I'm sure we can find a way to..." in their conversations. Many mentors tend to utilize "you" language, which tends to be more accusatory and triggers their mentees' defenses. By working as a team with their mentees, our mentors will be better-equipped to deal with problems as they arise.

Tuesday was, as usual, spent working on core work. In the past, I've had to fight to get kids to complete their assignments. I'm proud to say the vast majority of our students understand why staying on top of their tasks is important and diligently focus on their assignments this year.

I was out of the building for part of Wednesday, so with the immense support of the administrative team and educators here, the students were able to accomplish some good things.

Thursday and Friday, we participated in a lesson about miscommunication. How does it happen? Why should we try to communicate effectively? How can we prevent miscommunication? The students dug deep and internalized bits of advice like these:

1. Practice active listening
2. Listen with your eyes, ears, and gut
3. Take time to understand as you try to be understood
4. Be aware of your perceptual filters - Understand that the way you see the world may not be the way everybody sees it

If you'd like to learn more about miscommunication, watch this awesome short video!

October 16th - 19th

Wow, what an amazing week! It was only four days, but we got a lot done and parent/teacher conferences were great fun.

On Monday, I was out of the building, but the mentees carried on with their usual Why Try program with Katrina. The mentors were scattered throughout the building and utilized their time wisely by either working on homework or conversing with one another about the challenges they have been facing with their mentees.

Tutoring Tuesday was successful, as well. The scholars took stock of their missing assignments, as usual and there was extra weight to this exercise since conferences began the following evening.

We began the "Today I Choose..." lesson on Wednesday by watching a TEDx Talk by Dr. Valerie Mason-John. We skipped the first part of the film due to language and began at the 3:00 mark. The kids really enjoyed learning about "stinking thinking" and how it can negatively impact their daily lives. If you'd like to check it out, click here! When we continued the lesson on Thursday, we devised lists of positive thoughts we plan to use to drown out our "stinking" thoughts. Check out some examples below!

The students came up with their own examples and we Kagan-ized the lesson by participating a structure that allowed everyone to share their ideas and gather suggestions from their peers.

It was a wonderful time and the scholars enjoyed ending the week on such a positive note!

October 9th - 13th

Hello, readers! Please pardon the delayed entry.

On Monday, the mentors and I discussed the term "confidentiality" and why it's important in a trusting relationship. Naturally, mandatory reporting is a part of this discussion and there was a robust conversation around what to tell and to whom.

Tuesday, students continued their efforts to stay on top of their school work. Most scholars brought work to complete and a few mentors focused their energy solely on their mentees. I'm always proud of how the students guide each other through difficult assignments!

We discussed personal goals on Wednesday and referenced the Values Worksheet from a few weeks ago. Everyone set a solid EmoSMART Goal and even discussed which people from their Community Maps could help them achieve that objective!

The students wrote 6-Word Sentences on Thursday, then decorated them. Many kids struggled to sum up their lives or personalities in six words, but they pushed through the barrier and accomplished the task.

On our spooky Friday-the-13th, we finished our 6-Word Sentence assignment, then played a cool word game called Rattled. It's an awesome way to boost kids' vocabulary skills because they get a string of eight random letters. Their job is to work with their Kagan team to make as many words as possible in two minutes.

September 2nd - 6th

Last week, we dedicated our time to trust: What is it? What builds it? What breaks it? Because our Community Reach teacher was absent on Monday, we moved our tutoring day up and worked hard on our core classes. On Tuesday, we completed the People of My World lesson and utilized a handy tree map to classify our family, friends, schoolmates, teammates, etc... The students did a lovely job and were surprised to see they had so many people in their lives.

Wednesday, we prepared ourselves for building our Trust Bridges by completing a worksheet that got us thinking about who we trust and why.

We built our Trust Bridges on Thursday and "Kagan-ized" the activity by adding challenges. The kids' mission was to include a 3-D element, three ways to build trust, and three ways to destroy trust. On top of that, each team member could only touch certain supplies. That means, if someone wanted to glue their paper, they had to communicate what they wanted to the person in charge of the glue. It's great fun for me to watch them maneuver around obstacles like these and the scholars get to practice their communication skills in a real-life application. Due to the 25-minute time limit, some teams struggled to complete the task, while others excelled! Take a look below.

We celebrated our September and October birthdays on Friday with some delicious snacks and more trust-themed activities. Students participated in trust falls, as well as a trust walk. For the trust walk, mentees went into the hallway to wait while the mentors set up an obstacle course. Then, each mentor walked their mentee through the course as carefully as possible. Once all the mentees went through, they were given a chance to re-make the course and guide their mentors.

Here's one final highlight for this post... A mentor quizzing his mentee on multiplication!

September 25th - 29th

Good morning and welcome to another edition of the YESS Institute at Scott Carpenter Blog. Last week, the 6th graders went off to Outdoor Ed for some unique experiences. That left the mentors behind and we put our time to good use! Take a look!

Monday was our first Mentor/Mentee Monday. On these days, the mentees work with Katrina on a special set of lessons that focus on social well-being. Mentors go to another space in the building for some targeted mentor training.

On Tuesday, we worked hard on our school work during Tutoring Tuesday. Most scholars brought homework from their core classes. Others practiced their reading skills on Achieve 3000.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent writing and acting mentoring skits. The students worked in their Kagan teams to write a skit about how the world's greatest mentor would respond to a conundrum. Here are some of the problems they were tasked with solving:
     1. A mentee who is disrespectful to everyone, including the mentor.
     2. A mentee who is sweet and kind, but can't sit still.
     3. A mentee who is clearly upset about something, but refuses to talk about it.
     4. A mentee who is so shy, they miss a lot of school.
These scenarios are common issues faced by mentors here and I was impressed with how they utilized mentoring best-practices in their skits. Many mentors are tempted to ask me for help whenever they run into an issue, so I challenged them to avoid using me as a resource in their work. They rose to the challenge by utilizing other mentors, school counselors, positive reinforcement, trust-building conversations, and even jokes to help their acting partner open up. All the scholars did an outstanding job with this assignment! Below, you'll see a piece of work related to the skit. Students were tasked with creating a Bubble Map that describes the qualities of an impactful mentor, then write about two qualities they would like to work on throughout the school year.

Friday, as usual, we practiced social skills via games. I'm constantly surprised by how many tiny disagreements arise while playing board games and this is an excellent opportunity for kids to practice conflict resolution in a low-risk environment.

September 18th - 22nd

This was an extremely exciting week for our YESS scholars! Why? Because they learned who their mentor/mentee partners were! One of my favorite aspects of working with The YESS Institute is the matching process and the kids' responses. That said, here's the breakdown of the week:

Monday, all students completed a questionnaire about themselves. It was a good exercise in self-reflection and important because we used the information when they met their mentors and mentees.

Tuesday was Tutoring Tuesday. The scholars are quickly figuring out that, if they use this time wisely, they have more free time at home. Woohoo!

Scholars working hard on their homework assignments!

On Wednesday, we did a fabulous lesson on personal values. Students were asked to write a PEAL paragraph that demonstrated one "everyday hero" they shared a value with.

A sample of work done as part of our Personal Values lesson.

Thursday was the big day. All week, students had been impatiently waiting for their matches and I was pleased to deliver this information before the long weekend. Happily, I was able to pair most mentees with mentors they chose. In some cases, I spoke with students individually regarding their choices and how they might show more growth with a different person. All-in-all, students walked out looking forward to working with their partners.

There was a lovely staff professional development opportunity on Friday. I got to learn more about Achieve 3000, a computer program that reinforces reading concepts. Additionally, I learned how to effectively utilize Cornell Notes, an AVID strategy, to foster close reading.

September 11th - 15th

Things are starting to settle in over here. I'm awaiting paperwork from a few more mentees, which means we had to postpone our first Mentor/Mentee Monday. Although I'm a little disappointed, I'm confident that we'll begin this important component of YESS next week!

Now for the good stuff. The students completed the Mentoring in the Community lesson on Monday. During this assignment, they work with their cooperative learning groups to develop a fictional community that utilizes mentoring.

Tuesday, we implemented Tutoring Tuesday procedures and many students are learning the importance of reaching out to others for help.

In order to prepare for our Mentor/Mentee Interviews on Thursday, we took a whole day on Wednesday to draft effective questions and prepare our data notebooks. The learning target that most-closely associated with this vital lesson is from the high school level and I was delighted to see the students' responses when I informed them. They seemed to take the lesson even more seriously due to this fact. On Thursday, each mentor had an opportunity to interview each mentee and vice versa. I loved walking around and listening in on their conversations, which were equal parts hilarious (many students value a sense of humor, so they asked their interviewee to tell a joke) and insightful (they were asked to dig deep and communicate their needs). Now, I have the difficult job of pairing them up based on two factors: 1. Finding compatible matches that will complement their strengths and 2. Their requests. They will know who they're partnered with this Thursday, so I've got some work to do!

Sixth Period Interviews

Friday, I challenged the scholars to write persuasive PEAL paragraphs regarding which mentor/mentee they would like to work with. PEAL is the format the school uses to ensure students fully answer an extended response question and, being the beginning of the year, the students struggle. After some scaffolding, nearly all the scholars were able to find success, which means I'll be working with a few kids one-on-one during Tutoring Tuesday tomorrow (we aim for a 100% success rate!). Afterward, we all went to the gym to play Four Corners, a perennial favorite!

September 5th - 8th

Please excuse the tardiness of the post, as I was out of the classroom for a few days and returned this morning.  Last week, we began our wonderful Tutoring Tuesdays. The students were anxious to begin receiving help on their homework and I'm glad to have the time and space to allow it. They did a wonderful job of consistently working on their assignments and I'm looking forward to hosting these tutoring days throughout the year.

On Wednesday and Thursday, they worked on creating Time Capsules, which will be opened at the end of the school year. This is one of the students' favorite activities and I know they'll enjoy opening their capsules in May!

We skipped No Fun Friday, since I was absent. Instead, the scholars created mentoring scenarios that could be implemented in their community. We incorporated multiple school initiatives by "Kagan-izing" the lesson (giving each team member clear responsibilities) and required students to write PEAL (Point, Evidence, Analysis, and Link) paragraphs. I've only just begun looking at their paragraphs and can see a wide range of skills. Part of our Tutoring Tuesday this week will be spent practicing this concept. You can check out one of my favorite examples below - The cars are top-notch!

August 28th - September 1st

I can't believe how quickly we're cruising through the school year already! Our second full week was a busy one.

Monday and Tuesday, we worked on our Coat of Arms project. This is an outstanding opportunity for our scholars to reflect on their lives and illustrate the things that are important to them. Check out one of my favorite examples from one of my favorite scholars!

Wednesday, we honored all the students who had birthdays in June, July, and August. I brought cookies and many students supplemented with their own treats! When everyone had eaten their snack, we played "Pin the Head on the YESS Logo" (my special version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey). The kids had a great time!

Thursday was busy in class and after school. In YESS, we discussed the definition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and how the events in our world could be affected by SEL concepts. Back-to-School Night took place in the evening and was mighty fun. I always enjoy meeting our scholars' families!

Friday, we participated in a fun team builder that challenges students to stack plastic cups in various formations. The hardest one was to put all six cups one on top of the other. A couple teams were able to get five, but gravity got the better of them.

I'll be gone on Monday, the 11th, so tune in on the 12th for our newest edition!

August 15th - 25th

We're off and rolling at Scott Carpenter! Over the summer, I was able to move to a lovely new classroom and the kids are loving the new space. In our time together, we've already accomplished many things: Learning names, refining classroom procedures, practicing mindful breathing, and more! Take a look below to see what we've been up to.

The first week, we completed numerous ice breakers. Some of the kids' favorites were the Ball Toss Game, which challenged students to really learn their peers' names, and The Great Wind Blows, a classic game that demonstrates our commonalities.

In addition to all that, we discussed the concept of community by using the metaphor of a web and participated in a demonstration that actually had us create a web. Our scholars chatted about how each of us holds a piece of the web and that it gets weaker when someone drops their responsibility. Once that idea sunk in, we worked collaboratively to create our Classroom Shared Agreements. I was really impressed with how well the students did this and I know we're going to have a great year because of the groundwork they've laid.

Our 5th period community

Last Friday, we held elections for our Classroom Presidents! All the candidates delivered speeches that were in tune with their classmates' desires and some even created posters or hired campaign managers. I can't wait to announce the winners today!

Campaigning is serious business

May 22nd - 25th

I can't believe we've marked another school year off the calendar! We had a lovely final week, full of love, kindness, and...waffles! The kids really love sharing meals together, so we made delicious waffles, complete with all the trimmings. The mentors exhibited the notion of leadership through service and led the charge in setting everything up, serving their mentees, and even cleaning after the party was over!

We also awarded students in each class with certificates that honor students' unique talents. The scholars voted on awards for the kindest student, class clown, best advice giver, hardest worker, and most improved for each class. I absolutely adore recognizing students who work hard throughout the year and the students are extremely supportive of their peers.

 

On the last day of school, some of the YESS students showcased their talents in the annual talent show! Kim danced, Makenzie performed a gymnastics routine, and Jasmine and Geyonni sang a beautiful song! Because we didn't have classes that day, the students left little notes and drawings on my white board earlier in the week. I always treasure the students' sweet mementos and will miss this great group of kids over the summer!

May 15th - 19th

This week didn't feel like a typical, five-day week! It flew by! We had our final Mentor/Mentee Monday and discussed ways to end the year on a positive note. The mentors decided we should have a waffle party and they're looking forward to their treats. Later, we continued the fine tradition of Tutoring Tuesday and even expanded it into Work-a-holic Wednesday. Many students have final projects and I was proud of their efforts, despite it being so close to the end of the year. Thursday and Friday were filled with team-oriented games that got the kids moving and having fun!

We also hosted our third annual End of Year Celebration at Westy High School on Wednesday! We had several scholars speak to the crowd and they were marvelous. I was especially moved by Faith Padilla's personal account of how YESS helped her become a model citizen. Her story of how she matured from a mischievous elementary student to a motivated, successful student was inspiring. I'm going to miss her when she heads to high school, but I'm honored to have been a part of her life for three years!

May 8th - 12th

Geyonni's using her tutoring time to earn a score 4 in Science!

It's hard to believe we're wrapping up another year of YESS at Scott Carpenter! This week, we worked hard on many tasks. Monday was devoted to finalizing plans for our End of Year event, which will take place at 6:30, May 17th at Westminster HS (arrive at 6:00 for sandwiches!).


On Tuesday and Wednesday, we continued working on hitting our learning targets. Many scholars are leveling up and the pride we're all feeling is infectious. I especially enjoy that some students are taking the time to re-do old assignments to get a higher score.

Brainstorming our stressors

The final list of stressors

Thursday, we discussed stress and how our mindset during stressful times can dramatically impact our ability to thrive during difficult moments. This lesson was from our new curriculum and I was able to incorporate numerous Kagan Cooperative Learning strategies, one of which was a poem for two voices. The mentors and mentees worked together to create poems about stress, then performed their works on Friday. Minus a little bit of whining, the kids really did a fabulous job on their poems!

"Sit down and breathe, stay strong and believe. Too much on my mind, take it slow, don't freak. Rest is all you need, rock-a-bye baby, go to sleep. Eating is the key, exercise to feel relieved. Stay strong, slow down. Stress is temporary, stress goes away, just understand."

"So annoyed, so sad. Tell me what to do, trying to stay calm. Really giving up, resting won't work. Everything was down, eventually got better. Started talking to people, someone stayed to help. Sopped all the worrying, stress is only natural."

"Sleep, sleep, go to sleep. Sleep away the day's rest. Time to spend with my family, to get my stress away from me. React with a positive address, release away all my stress. Enlightenment I will try to reach, entertainment will help me out. Stress to strength, stress is hard to get away. Slowly smiling, starting to shine."

On Friday, after the scholars read their poems to the class, we all went outside for a three-legged race! I was concerned many students would be unwilling to participate out of fear of looking silly. But, as a testament to their confidence and camaraderie, nearly everyone enthusiastically raced!

May 1st - 5th

The goal of this week was to recruit mentors for next year. I'm extremely pleased with the way our mentors spoke about the program and included their favorite things about the class. As I eavesdropped, I heard them mention everything from being able to help another student, maintaining their own good academic standing, food (naturally), and that YESS functions like their family at school. We've all worked hard to create a supportive environment in the YESS classroom and I adore how much they relish the love they receive here.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we explored the concept of wealth. As you may expect, the scholars had a money-driven definition of the term so we discussed why many of us only think of material wealth, as opposed to intangible wealth. We also watched a video about wealth inequality in America that really surprised the kids. You can take a look here. Below, you'll see the students' perceptions of what wealthy people have. Things like mansions, money, and even plastic surgery were included!

April 24th - 28th

This week, we continued preparing for next year's mentors by creating recruitment posters and discussing how to encourage peers to take on the responsibility of being a mentor next year. The current mentors are extremely excited to be able to talk about the program with their friends and highlight all the wonderful experiences provided by YESS. Take a look at some of their work below!

Tuesday, we continued with our traditional Tutoring Tuesday. On Wednesday, the scholars participated in 2nd hour participated in a lesson created by two mentors, Janel and Sonja. These young women wanted to impart their wisdom regarding how decisions made in middle school can and will impact their futures. They shared a Google Slides presentation and some worksheets designed to help pinpoint where students feel their emotions. I was proud of their efforts!

The students in our other classes took part in a restorative circle on Wednesday. Topics included everything from school culture to racial discrimination. The conversations were thoughtful and deep. One student, who protested participating at the beginning of the talk, commented that this was the best conversation he had ever had in school. Considering their age, our students are extremely aware of what's going on in the world around them and I just love hashing things out in a productive, positive way!

While I was away on Thursday and Friday, the scholars kept up the pace by watching a video about the Civil Rights Movement and the many young leaders that emerged from that struggle. I'm looking forward to discussing their perceptions over the coming days!

April 17th - 20th

With testing and a day off, this week flew by in the blink of an eye! On Monday, the mentors and I discussed the recruitment process for new mentors while the mentees learned more about how to handle their emotions in a productive manner. Tuesday, we maintained steam with Tutoring Tuesday, despite nearly three and a half hours of testing. I noticed the scholars were burning out on Wednesday and Thursday, so we practiced mindfulness techniques and relaxed with a movie. All in all, a simple, semi-relaxing week. We'll be focusing on post-secondary education in the coming days. Stay tuned!

April 10th - 14th

The scholars really felt the stress of PARCC testing this week, but I was pleased to hear them speak of various strategies they used. Many students cited thinking maps, as well as the PEAL process as being useful in managing their thoughts.

In class, we kept things light by creating black-out poems. On Tuesday, we watched a video by Austin Kleon to introduce the topic of "steal[ing] like an artist." You can view his talk by clicking here. We discussed how we can repurpose words to create new works of art and how we expose our inner selves by selecting some words over others. Take a look at some of the kids' efforts below and you'll be as impressed with their depth as I was! Many students revealed their fears and even successes in this project and, like usual, I was impressed by the depth of character revealed in their work.

"Stared at blue eyes, feeling safe, warm, and loved, he felt lost, feelings mixed up. He was ignored and he became angry."

"Branches bending in the wind. Nothing to hear. Nothing to smell but the familiar scents of fears."

"No welcome appeared like a lonely sound."

"Resting anxiously on the shore, an empty sky gone forever."

"Attention. Each morning, shout I'm beautiful."

"Family: the pack that could make miserable move away."

"Fear followed his cry for help. Together, their eyes opened, they struggled and carried on."

"A deep depression, fighting in despair."

"He looked at her. There was a long silence."