Blocky is a hit and the students later write about her.
Writers below are Sean, 7, Ava, 9, and McKenna, 11
STUDENTS IMAGINATIONS SPARK IN WRITING EXERCISES, WRITING CLASSES BEGIN THE END OF JUNE AT CORNER STORE AGES 6 to 15; 16-YEAR-OLD DEREK ESQUIBEL RAISES $2,000 PLUS FOR RACE AGAINST CROHN’S DISEASE USING K-1 RACE TRACK; EXCITING TIMES FOR SAN PEDRO KIDS AND A FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL COMING FOR FAMILIES
Dear Readers:
During Seven Golden Secrets to Writing Classes at the Corner Store every Wednesday, students have fun and learn the joy of writing. They are also allowed to be creative in a nurturing environment! Here are a few samples of their work. – Diana
BLOCKY, THE OPOSSUM,
-This story stemmed from students meeting a pet opossum outside the Corner Store. Owner Rick Parsik brought Blocky as a special treat for the children to write about and to understand that they are not rats – which many people mistake them for.
By Ava Pfannerer, 9
Blocky is an opossum, AKA, a marsupial. Blocky’s name is short for Blockhead!
Did you know that opossums can have ten to 12 babies at a time?
Blocky is white, gray and brown and has beetle-black colored eyes. Her favorite foods are figs, avocado, hard boiled, chicken and cheese. Her tail looks like an armadillo’s tail.
She is three-years-old, which is quite old for an opossum. These creatures can weigh 14 to 20 pounds, but are about the size of a bee when they are born. Sometimes, like birds, they nest in trees. Blocky is calm. I saw her itch her nose with her little claws. She seems so shy and is curled up in a ball.
Rick Parzik taught us about Blocky.
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THE GREAT WHITE SHARK’S TALE
By McKenna, 11
A great white shark was once lurking around the Great Blue. Today, the ocean was stormy and ghost-like.
All of the fish that saw the shark swam as fast as they could and sped into a burrow. The shark then came by a school of clown-fish. It swam over and lunged at them. She jerked her head and: Wham!
Ten fish disappeared.
Then many more sharks appeared. All were aggressive today!
Another shark came from behind the Great White and bit off her tail! She lurched and with one great CHOMP, bit a huge hole into the other shark’s nose. Then there was a big, bad, bloody fight! But since the Great White shark was bigger, she won – and ate the other sharks and all the little clown-fish.
That was the Great White shark’s tale – or– tail.
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A POLAR BEAR
By Sean Rosenfeld, 7,
A polar bear has white fur, but its skin is black to help soak up sun. Polar bears mainly eat seals, but if there are no seals around they will probably eat different animals like the arctic fox. The polar bear likes meat and is a big animal. It can eat big things. Some polar bears can even weigh a 1,000 pounds! A male bear can weigh more than 1,000 pounds. That’s why I love polar bears.
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SEVEN GOLDEN SECRETS TO WRITING WORKSHOP BEGINS END OF JUNE
The Seven Golden Secrets to Writing Workshops are an unorthodox approach to learn this fantastic skill with ease and fun in a safe and nurturing environment. Students are given permission to create in a positive manner as they learn to gain confidence and improve at writing while enjoying it! Longtime writer Diana Chapman conducts the workshops.
For ages 6-12, the workshops begin June 30 and run through Sept 1, each and every Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. at The Corner Store, 1118 W. 37th Street, (Please note: Two lessons may be canceled for the writing coach’s vacation dates. Those dates will be announced).
Costs are $45 per student. A second sibling, enrolled in the same session, can attend for half the price, $22.50. There are no refunds and classes must be pre-paid.
For more information, email Diana at hartchap@cox.net
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A 16-YEAR-OlD TEEN DEREK ESQUIBEL RAISES $2,000 PLUS TO FIGHT CROHN’S DISEASE AT K-1 RACETRACK
San Pedro High School student Derek Esquibel, who suffers from the maddening symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, raised more than $2,000 in his race against the illness using the K-1 go-carting track in Torrance.
Derek, who plans to do the same event next year, said he was pleased with the results where he combined his love for racing to fight the illness that hospitalized him last summer for 28 days.
“I thought it went really well,” explained Derek, who had courage to publicly discuss a disease that often attacks the intestinal track, causes weight loss, fevers and other complex symptoms that can make it life-threatening. “Next year, it’s going to be even bigger and it might run even over a whole weekend.”
Pleased and proud of her son’s effort, Derek’s mother, Jean, said she plans to help him again next year. About 175 people used the Crohn’s flier, in which K-1 donated $5 per race. The proceeds went to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. The combination of T-shirt sales, private donations and K-1s contributions reeled in $2,091.61, Jean explained.
“I am just so proud of him, he worked so hard,” Jean said. “And next year, we are going to set our sights higher.”
Roughly 1.4 million Americans, 150,000 children, have the not-so-glamorous disease, that few adults are prepared to admit they have. Derek came up with the plan while hospitalized and suffering an abscess in his intestinal track.
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Target Arts & Wonder Free Family Event
Submitted by -- Jarrod Eamon Fasching
Saturday, July 17th, 2:00p to 6:00p, and Sunday, July 18th, 2:00p to 6:00p
at Peck Park, San Pedro, CA
This is a FREE two-day music & arts festival sponsored by TARGET with Live Music, Arts & Crafts led by professional artists from Angels Gate Cultural Center and top quality food vendors at Peck Park, 560 North Western Avenue, San Pedro, CA 90732.
Each day will feature exciting music and arts presentations from. This outdoor event, produced by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Grand Vision Foundation, Duval Productions, and Angels Gate Cultural Center, will feature musicians include La Charanga Cubana, Spirit Chorale of Los Angeles, Sacred Fire, Taiko Center of LA, Bonne Musique Zydeco, Nu Pan Groove Steel Drum, and La Santa Cecilia, as well as a variety of art activities and food vendors for people of all ages to enjoy!!
Call (310)833-4813 or email taran@grandvision.org for more information. Hope to see you there!
