What’s Happening at Ridge Street?

B.M.P. Ridge Street School Adviser

Chrissie Onofrio Student Editor

Chloe Ng

Ridge Street News

June 2012

Proud Blue Birds By Rebecca Starr and Julia Zislis

Julia and Rebecca are very good friends. We are nice and kind to each other. We work as a team and play together. Now we are going to show you our chirp traits.

We are: Compassionate

Honest Independent

Respectful Positive

Ridge Street School CD Project By Josh Rosenblut

BMP Ridge Street School is recording a second CD. Each grade is doing a different song. The whole school is singing “We are the World”. Michael Jackson wrote the song because people in Africa were starving. Mr. DiMicelli showed us the video of all the performers recording the song. Also, all of the Ridge Street School will be singing the school song together. This song will also be on the CD. The Second grade is singing “Rockin’ Robin”. Michael Jackson also wrote this song, with his 4 brothers. They were in a singing group called The Jackson 5. In the song there is a part that goes “tweet-tweet”. We are learning about different parts of the song. There is a bridge in it and sometimes the pitch goes higher and lower. We are having fun learning the song and learning about Michael Jackson. Thanks to the PTA for giving us the money to make the CD. The CD will be available sometime in May. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Friendship at B.M.P. R.S.S

Olivia Zahl Emma Kron

Hey, it’s Olivia, I just wanted to tell you that I think it is really very easy to become a friend with someone at this school. Everybody at this school is very friendly, that’s why it is easy to become friends with someone else! Now let’s see what Emma has to say! Hey, it’s Emma, I am here to tell you about how easy it is to become friends with someone here at B.M.P.R.S.S, because everyone here has a different way of being nice. We make sure that nice things happen from following our CHIRP traits.

Colonial Day By Sena Selby

On Friday, May 11th, 2012, the fourth graders had Colonial Day. This is a special day when we get to dress up as Colonial people and eat and do things that Colonial people did. This year the fourth graders had many activities in our classrooms. We had dancing, singing, playing, candle making and many more. The best part was that we got to live the life of the people back then! It barely felt like a school day. Third graders, I think you will enjoy Colonial Day!

A Great Book Writing Website By Samuel Savitt

Have you always wanted to be an author? Do you like writing books and publishing them? If yes, then I have the perfect website for you. It is called tikatok.com. It is a great website to write books on. Don’t have any ideas for a book? No problem! On tikatok.com you can select a story spark. A story spark is when you choose the category. Then Tikatok gives you an idea about that category. If you do have an idea then you can choose to make your own book from scratch. If you don’t want to draw a picture, Tikatok has a picture gallery for you. If you do want to draw a picture, you can draw a picture, scan it into the computer and upload it to the website. Once you are finished with your book and you are sure it is the best it can be, you can order it in a hard cover, soft cover, a digital copy or share it. I made a book called The Star Player and bought it in a hard cover. It is really cool.

Lou DelBianco Visits the Third Grade By Alex Manko

Today Lou DelBianco came to our school. He is an actor, singer and storyteller. Lou DelBianco showed us one of his songs called, “Around the World”. After you hear the song once, it gets stuck in your head. He also told us folktales from different countries. The countries were Japan, Greece, Ghana and Russia. Lou DelBianco can also make really weird faces, noises and voices that went with each folktale. Lou DelBianco is a very talented man!

4 Kinds of Clouds

By Matthew Carey Today we went to the fifth grade science room. It was a long walk to get there. We learned about 4 different kinds of clouds, Cumulous, Cirrus, Stratus and Nimbus. Cumulous clouds are white, fluffy and piled up high. Cirrus clouds are wispy curls. Stratus clouds are grey sheets low to the ground. Nimbus clouds bring rain and snow. We learned a lot. We had a fifth grade partner. My partner is on my bus. His name is Nicholas. We made a special banner in the science room. It showed all the different clouds. The science room smart board had real pictures of clouds. I had a lot of fun and learned about clouds.

Learning via Skype By Anna Leland

What is the Joides Resolution? The J.R. is a seagoing research vessel that drills samples from under the ocean floor, giving scientists a glimpse into Earth’s development. These core samples can help scientist do geology studies, which can also shed light on things like global warming and climate changes. On Friday, June 1st, our class Skyped with the scientists aboard the J.R.. Before we Skyped, we used the J.R.’s website to help us figure out questions to ask. Some of the questions were:

1. How does collecting sediment samples help

you understand what happened to Earth long

ago? The oceans are always collecting things

and over time they settle to the floor and get

thicker and thicker. When you drill through,

you can see fossils. These fossils can tell us

about the past.

2. Is the drilling harmful and can it affect us here?

It is not dangerous. They have equipment that

does not harm the Earth and they only drill in

safe spots.

3. What is the coolest sea creature you’ve seen on

board the ship? We’ve seen a seahorse and a

needlefish.

If you want to find out more go to www.joidesreolution.org. My class had fun doing the Skype session with the Joides Resolution. We learned a lot about our Earth’s history.

Ridge Street School By Lauren Kim and Courtney Faustino

We are students (and friends) at B.M.P Ridge Street School. We are in 2nd grade and have Mrs. Jackson as a teacher. We love everything about our school. The playground has fun things, the books are very interesting, and the people are very nice. We learn many new things every day. WE LOVE RIDGE STREET SCHOOL!!!!!

Insect By Brynn Korpi

If I was an insect, I would be a butterfly. I would be a butterfly because it starts out as a caterpillar. Then it turns into a butterfly. It’s like being two different insects at once. Butterflies are also really graceful. Another reason I would be a butterfly is that they can fly. It’s in the name. I would like to fly all over like a butterfly. Also butterflies don’t get killed that often, so that’s good too. Butterflies live anywhere it’s warm. They live in Mexico, Florida, California, and New Mexico. Butterfly wings are symmetrical. That means the wings are the same on each side. If I was an insect, I would be a butterfly.

If I was an Insect

By Amanda Winton

If I was an insect I would be a butterfly. I would be a butterfly because they are pretty. I know that because I’ve seen them. I would also want to be a butterfly because if an animal tries to eat it, the animal spits it out. The last reason is that I study butterflies and know how they react to things. I know what they like and don’t like, so I would be a perfect butterfly. If I was an insect, I would be a butterfly.

The Baby Dragon

By Jake Seff

Once there was a baby dragon. He was just born. One day he went to go play in the forest when he saw something move. He went to go see what it was. It was a human. The human saw the dragon and trapped it in a cage and brought the dragon back to his house. The dragon asked, “Why do you want me?” The human said, “You can talk!?” and then he fainted.” The dragon left the cage and was on his way home. The dragon’s mom was getting worried. She started looking for him. When the dragon got back his mom wasn’t there. He decided to wait and in a few hours his mom was back.

If I was an Insect By Lindsay Schwartzman

If I was an insect, I would be a butterfly because butterflies can fly far distances. I would also like to go far places and places where it is warmer. Those are both good things because I would be able to play tag and go places really fast. I would also never get hot or cold because I could always stay in a place where it would be just right weather. I would like to be a butterfly.

If I was an Insect By Trevor Dutra

If I was an insect I would choose to be a hornet. I would choose to be a hornet because I would be honored in Louisiana, but especially in New Orleans. I would be honored in New Orleans because there is a basketball team called the New Orleans Hornets. I also could fly at the speed of 15 MPH. I also can be one of twenty species like the green hornet. I could grow up to two inches. I also won’t die after I sting. If a human is bothering me, I can sting them and not die. I would eat fruit and sap. If I was an insect, I would choose to be a hornet.

Gorillas By Ben Starr

Gorillas are the biggest, fattest ape in the world. Gorillas are black. Male gorillas have silver color on their back. Gorillas make huge nests to sleep in. Hey, do you want to know what the difference between a monkey and an ape is? Fine, I’ll tell you. The difference between a monkey and an ape is the monkey has a tail and an ape doesn’t. Sorry, that’s the end of the book.

Flamenco Dancing By Brooke Wallenstein

Flamenco is in third grade and everyone is talking about it. We had our first Flamenco practice in May in the multi-purpose room. In the multi-purpose room we made a big circle. The teacher’s name is Sol. She wears a long flowery skirt. She has shoes that tap and you can hear them when she dances. In her hands she has castanets. She showed us how to use them. When Sol uses the castanets it makes a clicking noise. She taught us how to move our hands and feet. We will be learning more things and we will be having a performance on June 14th. I can’t wait!

Tickets in Spanish By Sabrina Wohl and Madison Mariam

Every Spanish class, if you are good you get a ticket. If you get ten tickets you get a prize. If you get 15 you get an even bigger prize. When we got 15 tickets we both got a kickball, but if you wanted you could get a Frisbee. Some people get better prizes than others. Now you cannot get anything for 15 tickets, only ten. Ms. Hellman has good prizes for 10 though, so don’t get mad. Be good so you can get more tickets!

Olympic Night By Alexa Foerder

In Rye Brook we have this thing called Olympic Night. Olympic Night is when you get assigned a color team. When it is Olympic Night you wear that color. Then you do relay races. The first place team gets to be in the newspaper. I love Olympic Night and I can’t wait until next year!

New World Record! By Mika Finkman

On May 10, 2012, Maya Finkman, Caroline Levine, Julia Levine, Olivia Morrisey, Eric Spanier, Sarah Keilman and Margot Schwart set out to beat the world record for the most people eating breakfast cereal at the same time. 324 participated in the event. The previous record was 286 people. Stop and Shop sponsored the event. The world’s fastest talker, Fran Capo, even came! When everyone was there we lifted our spoons and everyone started eating. The cereal was Apple O’s. Everyone ate for about two minutes and then the judges declared we made a new world record of 324 people! The purpose of the event was to raise money for kids’ breakfast food for the Carver Center’s food pantry. Stop and Shop donated $5,000 to the Carver Center. By the end everyone had a great time.

Ice Cream By Sabrina Vuong

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word ice cream? Your thought may be the word cold, yummy or even sweet!

If you were to ask a question about ice cream, what would it be? Mine would be, if it’s called ice cream, why is there no ice in it? The answer to that most likely is the fact that ice cream is cold, and so is ice. There are many delicious flavors of ice cream. There is rocky road, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate chip, cookie dough, cotton candy, and there are still a lot more!

There are also different ways that ice cream can be eaten. It can be an ice cream sandwich, in those small, round tiny circles called dippin’ dots, or in a cake! There are endless toppings to put on ice cream! You can drizzle it with syrup, add rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, tiny round rainbow sprinkles, etc. Those are only the normal toppings, though. If your taste buds are entirely different than normal people, you may want to put gummy bears, gummy worms, nuts or M&Ms. Ice cream is sold basically anywhere, but the North and South Pole. The way the shop owners sell the ice cream is entirely different. Everyone has their own unique way of selling ice cream. Some may scoop it out from a cylinder container, some may be in a machine with a lever, and some might even have you do it yourself!

Ice cream is a very good treat, especially if it’s summer. If it is for a reward, it makes you feel double the happiness. I hope you all enjoy it this summer!

Knuffle Bunny Goes West By Sydney Brookman and Gabriel Trevett-

Gantivar

One England summer afternoon, not so long ago, Trixie and her family went to the Wild West. They got in their car and went past the park, past Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace. Finally they got to the airport and went on the plane. They went over the Atlantic Ocean and after five hours, they landed in Texas. They took a taxi to the Dude Ranch. Then Trixie’s family went for a walk around the festival. (with Knuffle Bunny, of course) First they saw a bull stable. Then they saw a BBQ restaurant. Finally, they saw the arena where the rodeo was going to begin. Trixie was so excited to meet Bob and Bill, the bull riders that she ran to the corral to say hello. Then she found her seat and started to watch the events. Suddenly Trixie realized something! Knuffle Bunny was missing!! She looked under her chair…no Knuffle Bunny. She looked under her mom’s chair…no Knuffle Bunny. Trixie’s dad screamed out, “Hey, look in the arena! There’s Knuffle Bunny on the bull’s horn!” Trixie got so scared that she nibbled her nails and then she ran and jumped right into the middle of the arena! She was very scared, but Bob and Bill helped her get on the bull. Trixie grabbed Knuffle Bunny. Bob jumped off his bull and stopped all the other bulls. Trixie’s mom and dad thanked the bull riders. At the end of the rodeo, Trixie got a gold medal for staying on the bull for more than eight seconds. Trixie was so happy with her gold medal. And this is how she found out that she wanted to be a bull rider when she grew up.

Knuffle Bunny at the Movies By Julianna Pistone and Kelly Ma

One spring night, not so long ago, Trixie’s family

went to the movies with Sonya. Once they got to the theater, they bought tickets. Then they bought popcorn and drinks. Next they found their seats. When they found their seats, they saw Sonya’s family right next to them. They watched “Happy Feet Two”. They loved it! When the movie ended, they got up from their seats and walked out of the movie theater. They went to the parking lot. Sonya’s parents said, “Sonya, do you want to have a play date with Trixie? Sonya gave a big nod, “yes”. Trixie went in Sonya’s car. Fifteen minutes later, she REALIZED something…She tried to explain, but she couldn’t. So…she just had to deal with it. She felt very disappointed. When they got to Trixie’s house, Sonya said, “Where’s Knuffle Bunny?” Trixie explained that she had left Knuffle Bunny at the movie theater. Sonya told Trixie’s parents and they rushed back to the movie theater. They looked under the seat, they looked in each row…no Knuffle Bunny. They looked on the seat and found Knuffle Bunny. Trixie was relieved. Trixie learned how important it is to be responsible for what you have.

Trixie Goes to New York City

By Vivian Carvalho and Rahill Jaiswal

One spring morning, not so long ago, Trixie and her family went to New York City. They passed Game Stop, they passed Petco, they passed Mac Donald’s . They zoomed by Stop and Shop. They finally got to New York City. Then they parked their car in the parking lot. They got their bags from the car and went to the hotel and checked into their room. Next, they unpacked their bags. After that, they went to Dino BBQ restaurant. On the way Trixie gave Knuffle Bunny to her mom. When they got to the restaurant, they ordered drinks. Then Trixie REALIZED something. Trixie yelled, “Mom, where’s my bunny?!” Her mom looked in her bag and said, “I don’t know.” When they food came, Trixie couldn’t eat. Her mom said, “Trixie, why aren’t you eating?” Trixie said that she was sad because they couldn’t find Knuffle bunny. Mom told her that after they ate their lunch that they could look for Knuffle Bunny. Trixie was okay with that. They finished their lunch and went outside to look for Knuffle Bunny but they couldn’t find him. They went back to the hotel. They looked in their room. They couldn’t find Knuffle Bunny. They kept looking outside the hotel. Finally, they found a girl holding Knuffle Bunny. Then the girl asked, “Is this your bunny?” Trixie said, “Yes”. The girl gave her Knuffle Bunny. Trixie felt really happy. Trixie learned to take care of her bunny so she wouldn’t lose him again. Her family decided to go to the Museum of Natural History. After that, they were going to Broadway to see a show. (They decided to leave Knuffle Bunny in the hotel!)

Second Grade Knuffle Bunny Stories…

Knuffle Bunny and Trixie go to the Water Park By Elin Xie and Jonah Mayer

One summer afternoon, not so long ago, Trixie went to the

water park with her family. Trixie’s family went into the car. They drove through the neighborhood, past the ice cream store, past a book store and into the water park. They paid for the tickets to go inside. Trixie went on a few water park rides. One of the rides she went on was the Water Roller. On this ride a person goes in the cart and then it starts to go and starts spraying out water. Another ride was the “Under the Sea” ride. On this ride a person goes in the cart and a cover goes over the person. They go under water and see fish. The rides were very fun for Trixie. After the rides, they all went to the pool. All of a sudden, she was scared to go in the pool. She tried to convince her mom and dad to come with her. Then they said, “yes”. Trixie grabbed Knuffle Bunny and went into the pool. Then a little while later, she got out of the pool and went home. Thirty minutes later, Trixie REALIZED something! She forgot Knuffle Bunny at the pool. They drove back. The lifeguard asked, “What’s wrong?” Trixie’s parents told him about Knuffle Bunny. He looked for Knuffle Bunny in the pool. A few minutes later he found Knuffle Bunny in the pool. Trixie was so excited that she jumped right in the pool and swam all by herself. Her parents didn’t mind because they were happy that she had the courage to swim by herself for the first time.

Trixie Gets Sick By Sriya Krishnan

One summer morning, not so long ago, Trixie woke up with

a bad cold. She didn’t feel so well. She sat in bed and read. The she ate some breakfast and watched “How to Rock!” on T.V. Last but not least, Trixie’s mom called the doctor and made an appointment at 9:00. When they got ready, Trixie took Knuffle Bunny with her. When they got there, Trixie was playing with the things in the toy box. Finally, the doctor was ready for her. The doctor said that she had the flu and should take medicine and stay in bed. On the way home, Trixie REALIZED something. She told her mom that she didn’t have Knuffle Bunny, but her Mom said that they could look for Knuffle Bunny at home. So they went home. When they got home, they looked for Knuffle Bunny. Trixie looked in her room. Then she looked in her mom’s room. But Knuffle Bunny was nowhere to be found. For the rest of the day, Trixie felt sad. She tried to draw, she tried to read and she tried to relax. But she still felt sad. When it was bedtime, Trixie fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, her mom drove her to the doctor’s office to look for Knuffle Bunny. When they arrived, she looked in the Lost and Found. No Knuffle Bunny! She looked on the chairs. No Knuffle Bunny! Then she looked at the sticker box. No Knuffle Bunny! Last, she looked in the toy box and found Knuffle Bunny! Trixie was so happy. Her mom was so excited! They got in the car and went home. Trixie learned that you have to be responsible for your precious things.

Knuffle Bunny on the Farm

Jackson K. and Elan

One early morning on a late summer day in August, Trixie woke up. She ran into her parents’ bedroom and said, “Dad! Mom! I want to go to Uncle Bob’s farm! They passed a shopping center where there was a Game Stop. Then they stopped at a gas station and passed some cows when they were almost there. A few minutes later, they were at Uncle Bob’s farm. Uncle Bob ran to the car and said, “Hi”. When Trixie’s parents left, Bob told Trixie the animals’ names. When Trixie was feeding the horses, Troy the Duck took Knuffle Bunny and ran off. Uncle Bob let Trixie go on the horse. It was her first time. Trixie was riding the horse, Sam the Flame, in an open field with a fence around it. Uncle Bob watched her ride. She was so good at riding. Just at the moment, Troy the duck ran in front of Sam the Flame. He got spooked when he saw Troy the duck. He bucked and Trixie held on. Uncle Bob came running over as fast as he could. “Are you okay?” he asked. Trixie couldn’t speak. She was paralyzed with fear. Then she REALIZED something!! She looked at the bench and she didn’t see Knuffle Bunny. “Where’s Knuffle Bunny?”, she asked. She got off Sam the Flame. She looked in the barn…no Knuffle Bunny. She looked around the haystack…no Knuffle Bunny. She looked at the pig sty…no Knuffle Bunny. Finally she looked under the bridge and found Knuffle Bunny on a grassy island. Trixie said, “Uncle Bob, I found Knuffle Bunny!” Uncle Bob said, “Get in the boat.”They went under the bridge and found Knuffle Bunny in the grass on the island. Trixie felt very happy and began to sing, “I found Knuffle Bunny! I found Knuffle Bunny!” shaking her booty. Trixie learned that she should never trust Troy the Duck.

Second Grade Knuffle Bunny Stories…

Trixie’s First Football Game By Jackson Campbell and Emily Thau

One winter day, not so long ago, Trixie’s

family got tickets to a football game. The Giants and Broncos were playing. Trixie said, “Go Giants!!!” They went on the highway, through the E-Z Pass toll, over the George Washington Bridge, to the parking lot of Giant Stadium. They went through security. Then they got lunch which was hot dogs, nachos and coke. Then they went to their seats. Their seats were in the tenth row from the field. The Giants and Broncos came out of their locker rooms and practiced. The game started at 3:00 and it was 2:55. They did the coin toss and the Giants won. They chose to receive the ball. The Broncos had to kick the ball to the Giants. The Giants got the ball to the 30 yard line. Eli Manning and all the offense came out to the field. In the stands, a man came by selling hot chocolate. Trixie got some with her own money. She took a sip and it was so hot that she spit it out and without realizing it, she threw Knuffle Bunny. A few minutes later, Trixie REALIZED something. She went to the front row and yelled at the football players, “Give me back my bunny!!!” But no one heard her. All the football players were stomping on Knuffle Bunny! Then she yelled again at the top of her lungs. “GIVE ME BACK MY BUNNY!!!” Suddenly the game stopped and everyone was staring at Trixie. Justin Tuck picked up Knuffle Bunny and gave him to Trixie. She also got an autograph and a hug from Justin Tuck. Trixie said, “This is the best day ever!” Trixie went back to her seat and sat down. Her mom and dad were so happy that they told her they could go to her favorite restaurant after the game. She chose McDonalds. That was the story of Trixie’s first time seeing a live football game. P.S. the Giants won the game!

Trixie’s Seventh Birthday Party By Lulu Ceccon and Andrew Fagan

One summer afternoon, not so long ago,

Trixie had her birthday party at her house. First they baked the cake. Second they put up balloons. Third they made goodie bags. Fourth they were waiting for the guests. Everything was ready for the birthday party. Then people started coming to the door. First Lilly and Tiffany came. Second, Jack, Samantha and Sue came because Jack’s mom drove them all. Then Sonya came. Finally Luke came. Then the party started. First they played “Hot Potato”. Then they played “Musical Chairs”. Sonya won “Hot Potato”. Trixie won “Musical Chairs”. Then they played “Tag” and “Hide and Seek” outside. They also played “Sardines” and “Charades”. After that, they went to Pizza Planet. There was pepperoni pizza and mushroom and olive pizza. They loved the pizza! They went back to Trixie’s house. They played “Wii” and then they ate cake. After the cake they gave out goodie bags. Trixie said goodbye and everyone left. Five minutes later, Trixie REALIZED something. Trixie asked, “Where is Knuffle Bunny?” “I don’t know,” said Mom. They started to look for Knuffle Bunny. A few minute later, Sonya called. She said she had two Knuffle Bunnies. Trixie was very happy to hear that. Sonya brought Knuffle Bunny over. Trixie squeezed Knuffle Bunny with all her might. That was Trixie’s first day being 7 years old.

Second Grade Knuffle Bunny Stories…

Trixie’s First Day at Brown University By Henry Hennings and Connor Salvatore

One summer night, not so long ago, Trixie

took the train to college. She was going to Brown University. She passed the candy shop, the pizza shop and a restaurant. She got to school and went to her dorm room. She saw her roommate, Stephanie who was her second best friend. Stephanie was very nice. She told Trixie that she would show her around. Trixie got Knuffle Bunny. They went to a restaurant called Andrew’s Spicy Burritos. Trixie ate a burrito with rice and beans with cheese and Stephanie had a burrito with cheese. They went back to their room. Then Trixie REALIZED something…She had left her Knuffle Bunny at the restaurant. She said to Stephanie, “Let’s go back to the restaurant.” Stephanie said, “We just went.” “But I left Knuffle Bunny there,” said Trixie. “I have to get him.” Stephanie said, “But Sonya’s on her way now. Maybe she can get Knuffle Bunny for you.” “Maybe,” said Trixie. “Don’t be so sad!” said Stephanie. “Trixie, just relax.” “I can’t,” said Trixie. Meanwhile, at Andrew’s Spicy Burritos, Sonya saw Knuffle Bunny. She grabbed Knuffle Bunny and left the restaurant. She brought him to Trixie. But at the same time, Stephanie was going back to the restaurant to get Knuffle Bunny. When Stephanie got there, she did not find Knuffle Bunny. She was sad and worried about Trixie. She went back to the room. There was Sonya, Trixie and Knuffle Bunny. Trixie was very happy. She learned that she needed to be responsible for her things. Then it was time to go to class. Trixie put Knuffle Bunny in her back pack and headed off to class with Stephanie and Sonya.

Knuffle Bunny Four (a trip to Playland)

By Alan Bao and Lucas Orchard

One summer day, not so long ago, Trixie asked if she could go to Playland with Knuffle Bunny. Her dad said, “Yes.” They hopped in the car and went passed the Laundromat, through the park and into Playland. They went through the gate, paid for their tickets and put the straps on their arms. They were ready to go on the rides. Trixie saw the Dragon Coaster and went on it with Knuffle Bunny. It was very very scary. When the ride was over, she forgot Knuffle Bunny and left him on the Dragon Coaster. Next they went on the Ferris Wheel. Trixie didn’t like it when the ferris wheel kept stopping. She got a little dizzy. She was a little frightened when she looked down from way up high. Then, before Trixie knew it, the ride was over. The next ride was Thunder Mountain. They got in their seats and the ride went round and round and up and down. After that, it was time for lunch. They went to Burger King and had some burgers and fries. It was finally time to go home. When they got home, Trixie REALIZED something. Knuffle Bunny was gone!!!! She told her dad and cried. Then Dad REALIZED something. He had taken video of the trip. They watched it on the camera, and found Knuffle Bunny back on the Dragon Coaster. They hopped in the car and drove past the laundromat, through the park and back into Playland. In the meantime, Sonya was at the park and had just gotten off the Dragon Coaster. She had found Knuffle Bunny on the ride and grabbed him. She was about to leave to go to Trixie’s house to return Knuffle Bunny when she saw Trixie running as fast as she could to the Dragon Coaster. Sonya stopped Trixie running and gave her back her bunny. But Trixie thought it was Sonya’s bunny. She did not want to take it because she thought it wasn’t hers. Just then, Sonya’s dad came over. He had Sonya’s Knuffle Bunny and then Trixie knew that Sonya really had hers. She felt really happy! Then Trixie and Sonya both went on the Log Flume ride. They both gave their Knuffle Bunnies to their Dad’s. Trixie learned always keep your valuables in mind and leave them with someone who is responsible.

Second Grade Knuffle Bunny Stories…

Cuddles the New Cub By Sydney Savage

Once upon the time there was a little cub called Cuddles. He was in 3rd grade. He lived in a town called Hoover Dangly. Him, his mom and his dad had to move. Cuddles’ dad had lost his job as an accountant. So then they moved to Dangly Doodle. Cuddles wasn’t so sure about moving because he was going to miss his friends, Duckle, Daddle and Cooper. But then he was kind of excited because he was going to make new friends. It didn’t really go the way he had planned. At school, first he was the new kid and no one wanted to talk, sit or even play with him. The worst part was he got bullied! The bullies names’ were Chip, Duck and Pip. They bullied him like…give me your lunch money or give me the answers to the test or I will hurt you. Cuddles went home sad. That night Cuddles had a dream. It was about him not being bullied. He was just fine – no bullies. Then he woke up and heard something. It was Chip, Duck and Pip. They were putting toilet paper over his cave. The next morning Cuddles had fish with honey from breakfast and then he went to school. In the morning at school the bullies gave him a wedgie. Then they headed to class. He had Mrs. Goose. They were talking about division. Then that period was over and it was time for art and they were making self-portraits of themselves. When Cuddles was done painting, the bullies started making fun of it. Soon art class was over and it was time for lunch. Cuddles had honey soup and honey grilled honey. But before he even touched his food there was a… Food Fight! To be continued…

Romain, Roja, and the Pirates By Romain Moradpour

Once upon a time there was a boy named Romain. He was on a boat. He smelled very nice! He was looking for a friend and a map and a key and some treasure too. Finally he found a friend on Pirate Island. His name was Roja. Romain liked Roja and Roja liked Romain too. They started the treasure hunt. They were so so happy. They saw pirates. They started fighting for the treasure. Roja got an idea.” Whoever finds the key gets the treasure, okay?” said Roja. “Okay!” said the pirates. So they all started hunting too. Romain and Roja found the key They shouted, “Pirates, we found the key!” The pirates said, “Great job!” “Thank you,” said Romain and Roja. They found the “X” AND STARTED TO DIG. They found the treasure. They were so so happy! They saw gold coins.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, ….. By Kazuma Togawa

On Sunday I like to play football. On Monday I like to play soccer.

On Tuesday I like to play basketball. On Wednesday I like to play Wii games.

On Thursday I like to play tennis. On Friday I like to play baseball.

On Saturday I like to play DS.

I Missed By Allison Saghir I missed the bus

I missed the plane I missed the train

What a terrible day I missed my bed time

I forgot to rhyme That was my homework

So I cried What a terrible day

Third Grade

By Darah Greenbaum 3rd grade is a blast you have fun like a small glass,

3rd grade is a dash that you can blast and have fun like a BIG tall glass,

3rd grade is the best that you can dash and have a blast with a CRASH,

3rd grade is the best. I don’t know if I can miss the rest cause 3rd grade is the best that you can dash and blast with a huge

CRASH, SO, in third grade just do your best so you can laugh, dash

with a BIG HUGE GIANT CRASH!!!

Brr Brr Polar Bear By Laura Penn

Brr brr polar bear hopping through the woods, Brr brr polar bear seeing all the humming birds.

I wave Hi and they wave back, Then we start to see a crack.

O step once and they step twice, And then we do a little prance.

Dear Mr. Linden, I am a 4th grade student council member at the BMP Ridge Street School in Rye Brook, New York. We were asked by our advisors what areas we would like to work in for student council this year. Overwhelmingly we said, "Help animals". Ms. Caldwell and Ms. Giard, our student council advisors, showed us a power point presentation on what the BLM is doing to America's mustangs right now. The BLM is chasing the mustangs with helicopters and rounding up the wild horses. They are shipped to other states and are being held in corrals. It is costing tax payers $100,000 a day to feed and water the mustangs who should be running freely! I feel horribly about what is happening to the mustangs. We were asked to choose other wild animals to research and learn more about. I chose the tiger. We made posters, activity sheets, and book marks. We invited our entire school to come to our morning events in May. Over 200 students participated and we collected $200. We have enclosed some of the activity sheets and letters that the students completed. Please help save the wild animals that are losing their land duo to de-forestation, poachers, from ranchers, and farmers, or from global warming. I think we need to act now because the numbers of these animals are on their way to extinction! We need your help!

Sincerely yours, Evan Dogus

Dear Mr. Obama, My name is Justin and I am a 4th grader in student council at BMP Ridge Street School in Rye Brook, New York. All the student council members were asked to help save an animal. Ms. Caldwell and Ms. Giard, our student council teachers, showed us a power point presentation on what the BLM is doing to American Mustangs right now. I feel sad about the mustangs that are getting chased by helicopters. The student council teachers asked us what animals we choose to help and I chose pandas. I researched the pandas and learned about what pandas eat and where they live. Some more people chose pandas. We made posters, activity sheets and bookmarks and students participated at information events and collected $200. We have enclosed some of the activity sheets and letters that the students completed. Sincerely Yours,

Justin McFadden

Dear President Obama, I am a 4th grade student council member at the BMP Ridge Street School in Rye Brook, New York. We were asked by our advisors what areas we would like to work in for student council this year. Most of us said “help animals”. Mrs. Caldwell and Ms. Giard, our student council advisors, showed us a power point presentation on what the BLM is doing to America’s mustangs right now. The BLM is chasing the mustangs with helicopters and rounding up the wild horses. They are shipped to other states and are being held in corrals. It’s costing taxpayers $100,000 a day to feed and water the mustangs who should be running freely! I feel sad about what is happening to the mustangs. We were asked to choose other wild animals to research and learn more about. I chose the panda. We made posters, activity sheets, and bookmarks and invited our entire school to come to our morning events in May. Over 200 students participated and we collected $200. We have enclosed some of the activity sheets and letters that the students completed. Please help save the wild animals that are losing their land due to too much deforestation, poachers from ranchers and farmers and global warming. I think we should take action and save these noble creatures and take responsibility for their survival.

Sincerely yours, Abe Baker-Butler

Letters from Student Council Members…

A Great Day at the Beach By Sarah Cassuto

I remember going to the beach with my mom, dad, brother cousins Jake, Josh and Dan my Grandma and Grandpa my two aunts and uncles. Got there by cruise ship [Gem] the name of then had we all had to take a boat to shore. When we got to shore Jake, Jordan and I all went on a really big water slide. At the top I got sprayed with a hose and would not move. Then I just went down I was screaming “AHHH!!!” The whole time my dad was taking pictures the whole time. I smelt the salt water as I was coming down. I saw the end of the slide it was so far away. I ran off and felt the hot sand touch my cold wet feet. I really hated the slide. I ran to my mom as fast as I could. We waited 15 minutes on line for food. It was so worth it. I got a juicy burger. YUM!!! I ate the burger so fast. It was a really fun day at the beach and we all did not want to leave but I had to but, finally we had to. When we got back to the boat we got ready for dinner. I found out I really hate water slides, but it still was an outstanding day at the beach.

Making Cupcakes By Joie Koenig

Have you ever made delicious, mouthwatering pastries with your

mom? One Sunday afternoon, my mom and I baked cupcakes. They were for the Halloween party the next day. We started by spreading out every ingredient, all over the counter, to make the batter. I found the paper cupcake liners. We poured the water in the bowl, then the oil, after that, the brown sugar and last but not least, 2 eggs. After we mixed it into a batter, we put the cupcakes in the oven at 350°F. 20 minutes later, the cupcakes were done! For the second batch, I thought that it would be a better idea if we used a measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan. It was soooo much better, neater, and faster. My mom put the second batch in the oven. It took about 20 minutes again. While we were waiting for the cupcakes to finish baking, we watched T.V. When they were done, we let them cool off. I put a tooth pick in all of them to see if they were ready. My mom told me that my sister, Lily, and I had to split one that was cracked or broken. They were amazing and simply delicious!! But, the icing on the cake (actually cupcake) was baking with my “sweet” mother.

Fourth Grade Narratives…

A Snowy October Day

By Courtney Cohen

It was the last Saturday in October, and I saw snow piling on the ground. It was like a thick, fluffy, white blanket spread all over my backyard. I rushed upstairs, skipping steps, to prepare for the snow. I put on two pairs of pants and a sweatshirt. Then, I rushed downstairs to get my heavy, black North Face coat with two white stripes and the purple boots that my sister gave me. Before I went outside, I grabbed my brother’s umbrella to block snow from getting in my hair. It also came in handy as a shield for the first of the two snowball fights. It was between me, my sister, and my brother. Suddenly, CRRRRRAAAAAACCKKK!!!!!!!! I heard and saw a tree limb break off of the tree in my neighbor’s backyard and fall to the ground.

The second snow ball fight was with my other neighbor Ben and his dad. It started like this. I was playing with my brother and my sister and then I saw Ben, my neighbor throw a snowball. My older sister threw a snowball back, and then we came over to their backyard to play. They had this tool that scoops up snow and turns it into round snow balls. It reminded me of the utensil you use to scoop salad with. After the two snowball fights were over, as a tradition, my sister, my brother and I drank hot chocolate. All my fingers were burning from the cold. As I sipped my soothing hot chocolate with whipped cream, I thought to myself, Snow in October doesn’t seem like a crazy event to me.

My Lost Turtle

By Noor Hamawy

Picasso ran away? My turtle was gone! I ran to the kitchen as fast as I could to ask my mother where my turtle was. On my way to the kitchen, I saw Picasso’s empty cage. Its cage was broken! All the glass was shattered! I felt a chill run down my back, as if something very bad must have happened. I saw my mother and I asked her. I listened very carefully while she told me the story.

My dad put the turtle in its cage on the balcony’s hard wooden floor. Then my dad went to take a nap. While my dad was sleeping, the turtle flipped the cage over and escaped. After that, the turtle fell off the balcony and ran away. Tears came rolling down my cheek as fast as a waterfall. It eased my pain when my mother comforted me by giving me a chocolate chip cookie. Both my parents said that we will buy two new turtles. But even if I do get a new turtle, Picasso will always be my favorite!!!!!

Fourth Grade Narratives…

Funeral By Alex Simon

One day, I went to a funeral in Chinatown for

my great uncle. He was unfortunately very ill in the hospital and passed away. When we got to the funeral home, everything was extremely boring so I started to play on my D.S. Everyone was dressed fancy. The men had suits on and the women wore dresses.

I had to get a stick and then bow down three times and put the stick into a pot full of dirt. Next, we had to bow three times AGAIN, closer to the body. It was cool to see the body up close, but it filled me with sorrow. Then, a man who I didn’t know stood up and told a speech.

After that, a woman stood up to say a speech, but it was in Chinese, so I could not understand her. Afterwards, we got into a taxi. We were driving peacefully and quietly, when all of a sudden my dad screeched “AAAAHHHH!!!!” We bumped into a car. I wasn’t that scared because I didn’t notice. We finally made it to the cemetery, to my great uncle’s grave. I was freezing. I felt as cold as an ice cube. Then, somebody gave me a burning stick. I had to bow three times once again. Then I saw people burning fake money, so I asked my mom what they were doing. My mom explained that they were burning the money, so my great uncle can spend it in heaven. When we were about to go, I got a nickel and a piece of candy. The nickel was so you can spend it or else you will get bad luck and the candy was for the kids to eat.

It was finally lunchtime! We went to a Chinese restaurant. Everything had nuts in it. I am allergic to nuts, therefore I was starving. My cousin finally got something I liked from a bakery, a weird looking hot dog. We went to a candy store, but I just got bubble gum because my mom didn’t want me to have anything else. After that, I was glad to be home. I remembered I needed to go to a soccer game and I was already super tired, but I still went, knowing my great uncle was cheering me on.

Memorial Day Weekend By Oma Togawa

On Saturday, May 26, 2012, I went to Washington, DC. It was so big! First I went to the Museum of Natural History. It was so much bigger than Ridge Street School. In the rock room I saw the calcite, basalt and quartz. It was so cool because I learned about them in school. Next we went to the hotel. The hotel’s name was The Holiday Inn. It was so huge! It had lots of rooms. Another day in the morning we moved to another city and hotel. We went to Maryland. I know Maryland and the Washington, DC flags. Then we went into Baltimore. Baltimore has lots of malls. At 11:30 we bought Aquarium tickets, but some people said, “It starts at 12:45.” So we waited until 12:45 and finally we went inside the aquarium. It was so huge, so Kazuma said, “This is so big!” It had so many fish and mammals in the tanks. I think the shark is the best animal because sharks are so cool and strong. At 3:00 we went back to our hotel and went in the pool. It was so much fun! We went to sleep at 9:00. I was tired! On Monday we went back home. It was fun, but I was tired. I had a good vacation.