This week, we read Kindness, by Yusef Komunyakaa. Students were asked if kindness could be measured, as the poem says, and if so, how? Keeping in mind concepts such as altruism, compassion, sympathy, benevolence, and neighborliness, they were then asked to use their ideas from last week in a poem exploring the themes of Hope and Change in America.

No Drugs
Maria-Eleni D.

America, you are beautiful but you will be
beautifuller without drugs. I feel a wing beat
hitting me, I feel that there will be more
beauty without drugs. I see a rage of
a dragon breath going on in my mind.
I hope that the world will always have
its beauty. Oh earth, America, please do
not bury the treaties of beauty brought
to the world from upon us. I want hope
and the beauty of the earth and glory.

Dear America
Monica L.

Dear America,
                Nature is disappearing quickly
to the point it will be gone.
The trees that are cut down is he home
of a squirrel or a bird.
A garbage pile is getting higher and higher
right now.
All the no more dogs allowed signs should
be gone. Dogs are friends not enemies.
Share things that you have
and what you do not use give it away
to somebody who needs it more than
you do.
America can be a better place if we
work together.

Dear America
Vanessa M.

      You're such a great country, but you
need to do better. I hope you are
brave for many people to live. Bring
more homes for people to stay. I wish
less fighting, wars could stop. I feel
that you should bring more people
to help the homeless. I see people
don't have money for food and
clothes. I think you need more food
instead of letting them starve.
Please bring more schools for
children to learn.

America
Riya P.

I see the poor people on the road,
I hope I become president and
help the country. I wish there were
no wars, and people were safe.
I feel bad for poor people. I think
I will positively become president.

America
Jazmin Z.

Dear America, I wish the wars in
Iraq and Vietnam/China to stop. I feel
bad about the people that are fighting for
us all around the world and getting killed.
I hope the wars would stop.
I see people on TV fighting and
getting killed for us. It is really
sad. I think the people can
survive all over the world.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th Grade

Better, Best
Griffin B.

Economy crashing, stocks worthless.
Our civilization falling. As they all have
in due time. Alas a spark of hope
flickers in the everlasting night.
What's this? The economy saved, all
it took was one man, one day, one
speech. Nothing is impossible, everything
is better, best.

My Future for America
Isabella K.

Dear America,
I wish America had no more
endangered animals.
I hope I see more people
walking for more healthy
bodies.
No more chirping. I feel birds are mostly dying.
I wish I see lower gas prices for
my mom and dad don't waste
more than $1.
I hope when I grow up these
things will be changes for America.

America's Future
Divya P.

It's time, America. It's
time for a change. The
change can only happen
if we work together. Pollution
cannot be changed by itself,
we are the main part. There
are many things that can be
changed, such as the oil spills
that kill so many animals. We
should let the kids vote.
The one thing that I
really want to see changed
is the wars. We should
make peace treaties with
all the countries. We
can only do this with
your help, America.

Future America
Jerry T.

I hope a day comes
when freedom shall be free,
so that America not entangles in conflict
every here and there.

I feel that the price of life
not be unthinkably high,
so that working people
not lose what they work for.

I think that living
shall not send nature,
so that we shall be clean
more of the clean and less of the not.

I wish that a day shall come
when all of this is true,
all through America
from sea to shining sea.

Mrs. Goode, 5th Grade

Dear America
Trizia B.

I think we need more help
because there's a lot of people needs
your help.

I think we all gonna help people
that needs our help.

I feel sad for them because they
don't have food, homes so we gonna
people who needs our help.

I wish the people are gonna be
okay.

I hope the America it's gonna be okay.

Changing Everything for the Better
Elena D.

America the beautiful, tall
trees, wonderful & graceful
animals. What have you
become? Instead of green and
blue, I see black and gray.
We need more movement and
less vrooms. No more
animals suffering and struggling
to survive. We have to save
the starving, drowning polar
bears. Ohh, please don't
forget about the plants, with-
out them will we survive?
I hope this will change for
the good instead of getting
worse.

Dear America
Cynthia L.

      Dear America,

           We need changes. Nobody
is getting jobs, we need more
jobs for all people. Let's stop
the wars, people are dying. Your
men and women are dying from
shots and cuts! Stop all the
wars. People should get better
education. I hope you say
more school hours for
students. We need more trees.
Trees are our only hope
for air. We should plant
more trees, and stop cutting
them down for things we
sometimes really don't needs. America,
change.

Change
Sherine M.

Change the dark
are that we breathe,
Change war and turn it
into peace,
Change anger
and be nice,
Change your enemies
into your friends,
Change the world
and be happy.

Dear America
Vivian T.

Ever since I been alive I loved you, and
how you treat me, but I see more problems.
I'll help you fix them. I see pollution,
killing my air and animals. We can change
that by using cars to run on garbage. Also no
drugs or cigars. Also we can keep more schools open, but a
little less homework, because when they
get home they can give the food they
don't eat to the hungry. With all the
hope in you and more, a better economy.