Maryam Yazdi, 11, writes down rules for fairies and is working on a book.

An 11-Year-Old Writing Student Details Rules for the World of Fairies and Los Angeles Police Department Officials Break Bread with San Pedro High School Academy Cadets After a Cadet Wrote She Still Feared Talking to Police

Rules for the Fairy World

Dear Readers:

In the Seven Golden Secrets to Writing class, three of my students are already writing books, ages 9 to 12! They  show me their work and I can’t help but be happy. Here’s the truth why so many students enjoy this class. It’s likely the first time anyone has said: “Let’s just create.”

The time for kids to tickle and spark their imaginations is now! They enjoy it – and secretly are learning to write better all the time – without what they might consider drudgery.

When Maryam Yazdi, 11, wrote this little booklet laying down rules for the fairy world, I just cracked up. How do they get these zany ideas?  It’s easy. They’re allowed to play in the world of writing – oh, and in the world of fairies too. That’s the real secret – Diana

A Real Secret

By Maryam Yazdi

Ssshhh! If I tell you a secret, you wouldn’t tell anyone would you?

No, you wouldn’t. Have you ever been told fairies are just an old myth, a legend maybe even a fairy tale? Well, it’s ridiculous to believe such things. Fairies are REAL, and I can prove it too.

Now, listen. Fairies have a few rules:

       1) Fairies may never show their TRUE existence to humans.

  2) There may never be any human blood in fairy ancestry.

3)    Fairies may never take up a human religion.

If a fairy breaks these rules, they are turned to fairy marble.

If you’re wondering, yes, there are famous fairies throughout human history. Gandhi, Elizabeth Taylor, Taylor Lautner, and so on. They all used their fairy magic to become great people.

Here is a list of fairy magic:

1) Fairies have heavenly beauty.

2) Fairies can shape shift.

3) Fairies can charm people beyond human imagination.

4) Fairies can mind read.

5) Fairies can levitate themselves and other objects.

6) Fairies can make things appear and disappear.

7) Fairies can transform other objects.

Also, about turning fairies to stone, they create a diversion so people think the fairy is dead when really what happened is that the fairy spirit is encased in stone and added to the fairy museum. 

For more information on the Seven Golden Secrets to Writing Workshops, email Diana at hartchap@cox.net

Cadets meet LAPD officials to help them feel more comfortable when talking to police. Officer Cynthia Deinstein (far left) runs the academy and LAPD Deputy Chief Pat Gannon, top left in uniform. Far right, Lt. David McGill

Los Angeles Police Officials Breakfasted With San Pedro High Academy Cadets Last Friday to Talk About Their Futures  After an Academy Cadet Wrote She Was Scared to Talk to Officers

Los Angeles police officials breakfasted with the San Pedro High police academy cadets last week after a student wrote in a school essay that even though she was in the program, she was still scared to talk to officers.

That fear led to an agreement between the academy and LAPD Deputy Chief Gannon, who oversees the southern region of Los Angeles, to hold a breakfast with himself, other officers and several cadets. The breakfast was hoped to ease any tensions cadets might have – and give those who are going on with enforcement – a chance to peer into their futures.

Gannon approved the event  and attended with about six officers. Students later told Cynthia Deinstein, the LAPD officer in charge of the academy, that they were surprised a top commander would take the time out to visit with them.

“The cadets were so impressed with the breakfast,” Deinstein said. “Their faces alone I will never forget. The fact that a deputy chief would take time out to socialize and get to know some young cadets that he may never see again…well it’s someone like that that makes me know I made the right decision to join the LAPD.

“I tell these cadets that people are concerned about wanting them to be successful and then to be actually able to back that up with a morning like we had of LAPD officials sharing and caring, that was worth more than any time ever in a classroom lesson I have given. It’s moments like these that tells me, as an officer, and them as cadets that the department really believes in youth programs.”

Cadets also met Lt. David McGill, who is in charge of detectives in the Harbor Area. He counseled a handful of cadets during the event that if they do become officers, “a fun” job, to keep their lives balanced, not take their work home and keep exercising and have a variety of hobbies.

“My job is not my life,” said McGill told some of the cadets. “You have to keep your life balanced.”

The breakfast ended with McGill offering the cadets to come visit  the Harbor Area station to see how his detectives work.